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CHARLOTTE (Sept. 14) -- If it's nearing the end of the NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Racing Series season, then JEGS.com driver Troy Coughlin Sr. must be heating up.
That's exactly what's happening as Coughlin prepares for the NHRA Carolina Nationals this weekend at zMax Dragway.
Coughlin, the two-time Pro Mod champion, qualified No. 1 and raced to the final round of the U.S. Nationals two weeks ago in the seventh of 10 Pro Mod races, and he chopped Rickie Smith's lead down to 87 points with three races remaining.
"Heading into Charlotte and getting a little closer on the points and all of that is exciting," Coughlin said. "I love the Charlotte track and I love the fans in Charlotte. What a great place to race. I'm looking forward to being there and getting back to racing. We're pretty fired up to get there. It's time to go."
In his two championship seasons, Coughlin made a late-season rally to win the title. He'll need a similar run again, and if his race in Indianapolis is any indication, Coughlin and his team have it in them.
Despite NHRA rules changes than restricted boost in the engine of his turbocharged Corvette, Coughlin and his JEGS.com team worked to overcome the handicap. He consistently had the quickest car in Indy, and if not for a red-light in the final round, he would have won.
Coughlin was quick to credit his team for their hard work and dedication, allowing him to shine at Indy. Crew chief Steve Petty and team members Mike Rees and Kyle Pettis simply rolled up their sleeves and went to work in search for more speed.
"They've worked hard all year," Coughlin said. "When NHRA took the three pounds of boost away from us, it just made us work harder and harder to try to get this thing to run. You run fast and it seems like everybody kinda frowns on that rather than trying to get these other guys to get their stuff together and run faster.
"It's a shame but our guys have worked their fannies off all year, especially from June on since the rule change. My hat's off to them. They're the best without a doubt." 
JEGS.com driver Troy Coughlin Sr. will continue his pursuit of this year's NHRA Pro Mod championship this weekend at the NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMax Dragway in Charlotte.
Jason Collins earned his second NHRA Pro Mod victory of the season at the Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol. After a wild second-round incident involving a detached steering wheel during his burnout, Collins and the Scott Tidwell Racing team battled back to claim the win and lock themselves into the NHRA Pro Mod Countdown to the Championship.
Scott Taylor earned a $10,000 payday after winning the Outlaw Syndicate Racing Series Small Tire event at Southside Dragway, while also setting a new track record.
Travis Harvey captured the $125,000 Pro Mod Mania title at Milan Dragway with a perfect .0000 reaction time in the final round. Harvey's 3.605-second pass at 208.24 mph held off Melanie Salemi's quicker 3.602-second run, proving once again that races are won at both ends of the track. The victory marked one of the most exciting finishes of the weekend at IHRA Pro Mod Mania.
