NHRA Finals: Coughlin clinches Pro Stock title

Jeg Coughlin raced to his second consecutive and fourth NHRA Pro Stock world championship title Saturday by qualifying for the Auto Club NHRA Finals.

He joins Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel) as a 2008 POWERade Series champ as Countdown to 1 battles in Funny Car and Pro Stock Motorcycle will be settled during Sunday’s final eliminations at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

Coughlin, who advanced to three finals during the six-race playoffs in his Jegs.com Chevy Cobalt, needed only to qualify at this event to lock up the series title.

“We’re going to celebrate grand style, no question," said Coughlin, who will start 13th in the final race of the season. “To win back-to-back championships is a great compliment to Cagnazzi Racing and it’s very exciting. My team performed flawlessly and that’s what it took in this Countdown to 1 and we just kept on ringing up round wins. The huge win two weeks ago in Las Vegas propelled us over the top. Chef Nicky (Morse, team chef) has a big celebration dinner whipped up for us tonight."

Four of the five Funny Car championship contenders – Cruz Pedregon, Tim Wilkerson, Robert Hight and Tony Pedregon — enter today’s 8 a.m. eliminations on the same side of the 16-car eliminations bracket. In first-round pairings, defending series champ Tony Pedregon and Hight will meet, while Cruz Pedregon and Wilkerson could race in the second round. Wilkerson faces a tough first round pairing against 14-time champ John Force.