COUGHLIN LOSES; WINS ONE

Jeg Coughlin and his JEG'S Mail Order team continued the quest in St. Louis for their first win of the 2003 NHRA POWERade season. The 33-year-old second-generation driver has been to two final rounds already and is one of only three drivers to qualifying at all 12 races held so far this year.

In addition to his Pro Stock duties, Coughlin raced in the Super Stock sportsman class at Gateway and earned the 43rd event win of his career and the 7th NHRA national event win in Super Stock. He drove the JEG'S Mail Order Chevy Cavalier that his oldest brother John normally drives and defeated Jeff Dona in the Super Stock final round under the lights.

"I have to thank my brother John for leaving the keys to his car on the dash," Coughlin said with a smile. "I love to drive. I spend many off weekends a year bracket racing." -- Scott "Woody" Woodruff (Jeff Burk photo)

P/S LEADERS STUMBLE TOGETHER

Pro Stock points leader Greg Anderson and second-place Kurt Johnson both lost in round two in St. Louis -- Anderson to Taylor Lastor, and Johnson to Allen Johnson. Anderson left the race with a narrow 70-point lead over Johnson.

"We were pretty pleased that our ACDelco Cavalier ran that 6.87 in the first round," Johnson said. "We changed motors after qualifying, so we were happy to make a nice, straight pass in the bad lane. That was an important round win, because if you lose in the first round, you stand to lose a lot of points.

"Greg (Anderson) had the opportunity to pick up points on us, but, in NASCAR terms, we both hit the wall at the same time. We're at the halfway point of the season, and we're only 70 points out of the lead, so we're doing fine. We'll be testing in Denver this week, making sure all our guns are loaded for that race, and get ready to power through the second half." -- Jeff Romack

PRO STOCK BIKE

SCALI SLOWS DOWN TO WIN

Geno Scali carried the event sponsor to victory lane at St. Louis by riding his Craftsman/Trim Tex Suzuki to the Pro Stock Bike win. The victory also put him back on top of the NHRA POWERade point standings over Angelle Savoie, who uncharacteristically lost to a holeshot by Steve Johnson in the first round.

Tonglet left first in the final, but Scali posted a winning 7.139-second pass at 187.99 mph over Tonglet's 7.177/185.46 to earn his third event win in 2003.

"I'm starting to learn how to work this new [starting] tree. All of us in the bike class have struggled with it but I just told myself I had to be professional about it and learn to do whatever it took to stop red-lighting," Scali said after posting a .031 reaction in the final.

"Now I just sit there, see green, count to three, and then go. It's not that bad, of course, but I did slow myself way down."