LAS VEGAS — Following his recent win in Dallas and his victory at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the spring, five-time Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. hopes to carry his momentum into this weekend’s 24th annual Ford Performance NHRA Nationals.
Coughlin, driver of the SCAG Power Equipment / Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer Pro Stock car, has collected four wins this season, including most recently in Dallas, putting him fifth in points.
A championship is likely out of reach with four standouts ahead of him, but Coughlin is hopeful the success will continue into Las Vegas, as he looks to sweep the season at the facility and pick up his 70th career Pro Stock win in the process.
“I feel great coming into our second Vegas event of the year,” said Coughlin. “We won here in the spring and we’re coming off a win at Dallas. So we’ve got some confidence and momentum for the weekend.”
Last season, Mike Salinas (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock) all won the late-season race in Las Vegas. This year’s race will again be broadcast on FS1, with elimination coverage at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 3. It is the fifth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship and the 19th of 20 races in the 2024 season. Following his win at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in the spring, Coughlin hopes Vegas will continue to be a lucky track for him and his Elite Motorsports teammates.
“The weather looks to be on the (cooler) side and the Pro Stock cars will thrive in those cooler temps,” Coughlin said. “I can’t wait to drop the hammer on Friday.”
Coughlin currently sits in the top five in the loaded Pro Stock championship hunt. Leading the pack is KB Titan Racing standout Dallas Glenn. He currently leads Aaron Stanfield of Elite Motorsports by 53 points as the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series heads into the penultimate event of the season. Glenn and Stanfield have battled for the Pro Stock points lead all season and will both be aiming for their first NHRA title.
Veterans Greg Anderson (-90), Enders (-111) and Coughlin (-196) make up the next three spots.
In the Pro Stock Motorcycle ranks, rider Jianna Evaristo is looking for her first win of the season on her Scrappers Racing/Denso/Matt Smith Racing Buell. She has had a consistent motorcycle throughout the season, earning a runner-up finish in Bristol. Currently seventh in points, Evaristo also has visions of a top-five finish in the talent-filled category.
The good news is The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway has treated the family well in recent years. Her father, Mike Salinas, claimed the Top Fuel win last season and Evaristo hopes her family’s success in Vegas will transfer to the Pro Stock Motorcycle ranks this weekend.
To get a win, Evaristo will need to get past the powerhouse rider and reigning champion Herrera. Herrera currently leads the Pro Stock Motorcycle points thanks to his nine event wins this season. He leads Matt Smith by 62 points, while others to watch include rookie Richard Gadson, 2023 NHRA Rookie of the Year Chase Van Sant, Angie Smith and Hector Arana Jr.
In Top Fuel, Justin Ashley will look to hold off an array of championship drivers. He jumped into the points lead with his Dallas win and currently has a 44-point advantage over Antron Brown. Shawn Langdon, Steve Torrence, Tony Schumacher and Clay Millican are also in the championship mix.
Funny Car’s Austin Prock continues to lead the field and has the chance to clinch his first NHRA title. Prock leads teammate Jack Beckman, who is racing for John Force, by 147 points, with defending world champion Matt Hagan 168 points back. Force will also be in attendance this weekend, making his first appearance at the track since his crash in late June in Richmond.