COUGHLIN WINS BRACKET CHAMPIONSHIP

Jeg Coughlin won on the first and fourth days of the five-day race that many call the "granddaddy of all bracket races." This year's event was held Nov. 18-22 at West Palm Beach, Florida's Moroso Motorsports Park and attracted more than 320 racers from across the country. Each of the five days had a $10,000 payout to the winner.

Coughlin finished the series with 154 points and the first-place standing, earning an extra $7,500. Mark Cmar, David Connolly, Shane Carr and David Rampy followed Coughlin in

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the points total.

Coughlin scored his victories in a 2002 Mullis dragster that was painted in the familiar yellow and black colors of Jeg's Mail Order.

"Winning the Moroso Five-Day is a goal of mine every year," Coughlin said. "Winning this event to me is on the same level as winning an NHRA championship. There are only four trophies that I have that sit on their own pedestal at my house -- my '92 NHRA Super Gas championship, a win in 1993 at the Moroso Five-Day, and my two NHRA Pro Stock championships (won in 2000 and 2002). That should tell people what winning at the Moroso Five-Day Bracket Championships means to me." [12-02-2003]

CAPPS ON THE 'SHORT' TRACK

Skoal funny car driver Ron Capps extended his seat time in a Ford Focus Midget during an open-wheel test session prior to the 63rd Annual Turkey Night Race at SoCal's Irwindale Speedway. Capps, at the wheel of the spec-engined midget owned by racing legend Wally Pankratz, made three test runs to help set up the car for the big race. Sponsor Alan Budnik fine-tuned the four-cylinder racer's suspension as Capps did well for himself running lap times that were termed, "very respectable." Unfortunately, a shortage of extra engines kept Ron from the big race, but he vowed to be back.

The Agent has also heard that next season's new Monte Carlo flopper bodies have arrived at Snake Racing's shop from the Roush Enterprises Indiana home where they were developed. (Photo by Darr Hawthorne) [12-02-2003]