Troy Coughlin (above) raced to the qualifying lead Friday in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series portion of the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park.
Coughlin powered his turbocharged JEGS.com Corvette to a performance of 5.845 seconds at 250.41 mph to claim the top spot following two of the three qualifying sessions. One round of qualifying continues Saturday at 12:45 p.m. with the first-round of eliminations to follow at 6 p.m.
In addition, the delayed Pro Mod eliminations from the Pep Boys NHRA Carolina Nationals also will be completed during Saturday’s racing. In the semifinal pairings, which will be contested during the qualifying session, Coughlin will face Danny Rowe, while Mike Janis will meet Steve Matusek. The Carolina Nationals Pro Mod final will be run at 3:15 p.m.
In qualifying for the AAA Insurance Midwest Nationals, Rowe was second with a 5.860 at 248.02 in his supercharged Agave Underground Tequila ’68 Camaro, Jim Laurita was third with a 5.891 at 246.03 in his nitrous injected vintage Switzer Dynamics Camaro and the turbocharged late model Ford Mustang driven by Jason Hamstra was fourth overall with a 5.891 at 243.55.
Series points leader Rickie Smith, the defending world champion who clinched his title at this event one year ago, is ninth in qualifying in his IDG ’69 Camaro with a 5.909 at 246.08.
Also, in round one of qualifying, Pete Farber was uninjured when he sideswiped the left guardwall in his supercharged ’69 Charger Daytona and Harold Martin’s ’09 Corvette sustained hood damage from a significant nitrous explosion.
(File photo courtesy JEGS)
MADISON, Ill. — Friday’s results after the first two of three rounds of qualifying for the Third annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park, ninth of 10 events in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Saturday’s first round of eliminations.
Pro Modified
1. Troy Coughlin, Chevy Corvette, 5.845, 250.41; 2. Danny Rowe, Chevy Camaro, 5.860, 248.02; 3. Jim Laurita, Camaro, 5.891, 246.03; 4. Jason Hamstra, Ford Mustang, 5.891, 243.55; 5. Steven Whiteley, Camaro, 5.901, 246.66; 6. Steve Matusek, Camaro, 5.905, 248.11; 7. Von Smith, Camaro, 5.905, 242.63; 8. Don Walsh, Camaro, 5.905, 250.27; 9. Rickie Smith, Camaro, 5.909, 246.08; 10. Mike Janis, Camaro, 5.918, 246.12; 11. Kevin Fiscus, Mustang, 5.918, 244.52; 12. Dan Stevenson, Camaro, 5.925, 243.33; 13. Bill Glidden, Mustang, 5.939, 243.11; 14. Dave Pierce, Camaro, 5.964, 240.08; 15. Mike Knowles, Camaro, 5.988, 240.34; 16. Jim Bell, Camaro, 6.013, 238.34.
Not Qualified: 17. Todd Tutterow, 6.014, 241.24; 18. Chip King, 6.016, 244.69; 19. Bob Rahaim, 6.045, 239.36; 20. Jim Whiteley, 6.047, 237.71; 21. Chris Juliano, 6.069, 233.52; 22. Mike Castellana, 6.120, 234.94; 23. Gerry Capano, 6.145, 239.40; 24. Kevin Rivenbark, 6.263, 216.45; 25. Clint Satterfield, 6.597, 236.30; 26. Kenny Lang, 7.773, 128.14; 27. Jay Payne, 9.997, 87.42; 28. Harold Martin, 20.547, 34.39; 29. Pete Farber, broke.
This story was originally published on September 27, 2014. 
