Backstretch Motorsports

POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 15) — “Big Daddy” Don Garlits didn’t do it. Neither did Shirley Muldowney.

By qualifying for this weekend’s 44th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals Saturday afternoon, 38-year-old Jeg Coughlin Jr. did something two of his drag racing idols never accomplished — he won a fourth world championship in a professional category.

Streaking through NHRA’s ‘08 playoffs with an exceptionally strong effort that produced a victory, two runner-up finishes, a semifinal ending, and a quarterfinal result, Coughlin arrived at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona needing only to make the 16-car field to clinch the 2008 title. He’s now won four Pro Stock championships since the start of the new millennium (2000, ‘02, ‘07, and ‘08) to go with his 1992 Super Gas world title.

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Neff, Connolly also earn provisional poles at fourth of six races in the Countdown to1

DINWIDDIE, Va. – Top Fuel points leader Tony Schumacher blistered the Virginia Motorsports Park track with a run of 3.771 seconds at 317.05 mph in his U.S. Army dragster to earn the provisional No. 1 qualifying position after the first of two days of qualifying Friday at the Virginia NHRA Nationals.

Mike Neff (Funny Car) and Dave Connolly (Pro Stock) rounded out the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 22nd of 24 races this season and the fourth race in the six-race NHRA Playoff, the Countdown to 1.

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ENNIS, Texas – Larry Dixon’s up to bat with two strikes and a day to go.

At the past two events, Dixon’s qualified No. 1 on the strength of his provisional nights of qualifying. And at the last two events, he didn’t make it out of the second round on Sunday.

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Beckman, Humphreys and Johnson also earn victories at first NHRA drag race at zMax Dragway

CONCORD, N.C. – Tony Schumacher became the NHRA all-time Top Fuel wins leader Sunday at the inaugural NHRA Carolinas Nationals at zMax Dragway by racing to his 53rd career victory and moving past NHRA legend and longtime record holder Joe Amato.

Jack Beckman, Justin Humphreys and Steve Johnson also were winners in their respective categories at the first of six races in the NHRA POWERade Series Countdown to 1, NHRA’s playoffs.

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Funny Car legend John Force fails to qualify in zMax Dragway debut and Countdown to 1 opener

CONCORD, N.C. – Larry Dixon put a temporary hold on Tony Schumacher’s recent dominance by racing to the No. 1 qualifying position in Top Fuel Saturday at the NHRA Carolinas Nationals. Meanwhile, Funny Car icon John Force failed to qualify in his debut at the spectacular zMAX Dragway and the opening race of the Countdown to 1, NHRA’s playoffs.

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