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Jeg Coughlin Jr. had to outrun Mark Whisnant twice to
win the Pro Stock title and the $25,000 purse because of an electrical
malfunction at the starting line. He said the way he earned his racing
family's 50th NHRA national-event victory "was pretty bizarre" and wisecracked
that he was pleased "to come back and defend our win in the finals."
He added, "(The crew) performed flawlessly all weekend."
All three pro-class champions were first-time winners
at Seattle.
ONE UPSMANSHIP
Force gave his rendition of "Anything You Can Do, I Can
Do Better" at Seattle. The reigning Funny Car champion explained his
plans for a fourth entry: "We've got two potential sponsors. If the
competition has three Funny Cars next year -- Schumacher's supposed
to have three, so's Worsham -- then I'll have a fourth Funny Car. If
they stay with two, I'll stay with three. Then I'll have a Top Fueler.
That's the call. That's how it'll be." Worsham announced at Seattle
that Cory Lee will man a third Checker-Schucks-Kragen car at Brainerd
and Indianapolis and possibly beyond that.
SPECTACULAR HE WAS
Brady Kalivoda's immediate future is like his Top Fuel
Dragster was Sunday - up in the air. The West Seattle native did a wheelstand
early in his second-round run against Bernstein. Even though it was
the last time he had planned to race for a while, the 29-year-old said
he was pleased with his weekend effort after securing primary sponsorship
from Freddie's Club of Renton.
"The last thing (clutch man) Mike Cavalieri told me before
the run was, 'Be spectacular.' I don't think that's what he had in mind,"
Kalivoda said. "We wish we could have gone from A to B, because (Bernstein)
was there for the taking. And that's a tremendous team - they don't
make many mistakes."
Kalivoda said he is working on a deal that would allow
him to compete at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend.
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