CHEVROLET IN NHRA
DODGE POWER BROKERS NHRA MILE-HIGH NATIONALS
BANDIMERE SPEEDWAY
MORRISON, COLORADO
TEAM CHEVY RACE REPORT
JULY 16, 2023
TROY COUGHLIN JR. NOTCHES CHEVY’S 375TH PRO STOCK WIN IN FINAL MILE-HIGH NATIONALS AT BANDIMERE SPEEDWAY
- Troy Coughlin Jr. scored his second win of 2023 and fourth career NHRA Pro Stock win in Sunday’s Mile-High Nationals.
- Robert Hight made his 400th career start in Sunday’s Mile-High Nationals. He made his 300th start also at Denver.
- Brittany Force qualified No. 1 for Sunday’s Mile-High Nationals, resetting her track record she set in 2021 with her pass of 3.724 ET at 337.33 MPH. This is her third consecutive No. 1 at Bandimere Speedway, her fourth of the 2023 NHRA season, and 46th of her career.
- John Force qualified No. 2 in Funny Car with his pass of 3.920 ET at 323.74 MPH, while Pro Stock saw Erica Enders in Pro Stock qualifying No. 1 with her run of 6.919 ET at 195.70 MPH.
MORRISON, Colorado (July 16, 2023) – Troy Coughlin Jr., driver of the JEGS/White Castle Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock car, earned his fourth career NHRA Pro Stock victory while capturing Team Chevy’s 375th Pro Stock victory since 1970. In his third final round appearance of the year, Troy faced off against Dallas Glenn, driver of the RAD Torque Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock car for KB Titan Racing, who has five final round appearances in 10 events and three wins so far this year. This was Troy’s second win of 2023.
“We have a long way to go to November, but at Elite Motorsports, we are not going to give up for darn certain,” said Coughlin at the top end. “Mark Ingersoll, all the boys in the lounge, and everybody that works on this JEGS.com/White Castle machine had this thing flying. Our people make this possible and we love everybody.”
“What a great facility with a great family and what an exciting day to come out here and get a W. You just take it one round at a time, and we have the best people in the industry at Elite Motorsports. Everybody there just does a fantastic job, and they work together. All-for-one, one-for-all. We have excellent power, so you just take it one round at a time and stay focused.”
In Top Fuel, Team Chevy fell in the first round, with Austin Prock, driver of the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, and Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, both being eliminated by their opponents. Brittany was the No. 1 qualifier after breaking her own track record that was set in 2021.
Funny Car Round 2 brought an end to John Force, driver of the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, and his teammate Robert Hight, driver of the Cornwall Quality Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car who was the defending winner of the race. Force faced off against J.R. Todd in Round 2 and Hight faced off against Ron Capps, with Force losing a close one and Hight losing traction mid-race.
The Chevrolet Top Fuel and Funny Car teams at John Force Racing in NHRA next head to the Pacific Northwest for the second stop on the Western Swing, with Pacific Raceways hosting the 2023 Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals July 21-23, 2023. Broadcast of Sunday’s eliminations will air live at 4 p.m. ET on FOX Sunday, July 23, 2023.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster for John Force Racing: “It’s heartbreaking that Bandimere Speedway is closing down and that this was the final national event. Our Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team came in strong, set the track record speed, and went to that No. 1 spot. We felt confident coming into race day but it just wasn’t our day. We got taken out early but we did get to enjoy the fans and watch some drag racing together as a team. It’s the beginning of our Western Swing, we go to three right in a row so there’s two more in it, which we love. So luckily for us, we get right back to it in just a couple of days.”
Austin Prock, driver of the Montana Brands/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster for John Force Racing: “Definitely not the way this Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team wanted or thought this morning was going to go,” Prock said. “We’re disappointed, adds to the sting that it’s the last one here on the Mountain. Going to miss Bandimere Speedway but for now, our team has to put this weekend behind us and move on to Seattle and hopefully get the job done for Frank Tiegs at his Flav-R-Pac race.”
Robert Hight, driver of the Cornwell Quality Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for John Force Racing: Not the way this Cornwell team wanted to say goodbye to Bandimere Speedway, but fans made it special. Selling this place out, packing the grandstands, that was something to see. It’s a testament to what the Bandimere family built here,” Hight said. “Wish we could have had a better last memory here, but we’ve had some good ones. Now it’s time to put our heads down and get focused for Seattle.”
John Force, driver of the PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for John Force Racing: “I’ve said it’s not over until Bandimere says it’s over. But if this really is the last race at Bandimere Speedway, the fans really showed them how much this place means. The Bandimere family built a wonderful facility here on God’s Mountain. All the racers love this place. The next place where I hope we end up, I can’t wait and I just want to wish the best of luck. I’m disappointed we couldn’t get his PEAK Chevy in the winner’s circle, that we didn’t do better but I know we’ve got to get ready for the rest of the Western Swing, Seattle is next, the Flav-R-Pac Northwest Nationals, looking forward to it.”
Round 1 Recap:
Top Fuel:
No. 1 Brittany Force fell to No. 16 Rob Passey in the first round with a disappointing run of 5.080 ET at 141.62 MPH to Passey’s 4.128 ET at 280.19 MPH.
No. 13 Austin Prock fell to No. 4 Mike Salinas in the first round. Salinas ran a 3.850 ET at 320.13 MPH while Prock ran a 3.912 ET at 313.51 MPH.
Funny Car:
No. 4 Robert Hight defeated No. 11 Alex Laughlin in the first round with a run of 4.086 ET at 305.91 MPH to Laughlin’s 4.596 ET at 212.19 MPH
No. 2 John Force defeated No. 13 Steven Densham with a run of 4.026 ET at 320.20 MPH to Densham’s 4.731 ET at 180.62 MPH.
Pro Stock:
No. 1 Erica Enders defeated No. 16 Fernando Cuadra Jr. with her run of 6.915 ET at 196.93 MPH to Cuadra’s 7.004 ET at 195.39 MPH.
No. 8 Jerry Tucker defeated No. 9 Deric Kramer with his run of 7.038 ET at 195.76 MPH to Deric Kramer’s 7.040 ET at 195.48 MPH
No. 4 Troy Coughlin Jr. defeated No. 13 Aaron Stanfield with his run of 6.931 ET at 196.76 MPH to Stanfield’s 6.949 ET at 196.93 MPH.
No. 5 Greg Anderson defeated No. 12 Mason McGaha with his run of 6.922 ET at 195.14 MPH to McGaha’s 7.249 ET at 195.53 MPH.
No. 2 Matt Hartford defeated No. 15 Fernando Cuadra on his run of 6.950 ET at 196.04 MPH to Cuadra’s 7.036 ET at 195.11 MPH.
No. 7 Camrie Caruso defeated No. 10 Bo Butner, III with her run of 6.969 ET at 196.24 MPH to Butner’s 6.998 ET at 196.33.
No. 3 Dallas Glenn defeated No. 14 Chris McGaha with his run of 6.925 ET at 195.62 MPH to McGaha’s 6.955 at 196.73 MPH.
No. 6 Kyle Koretsky defeated No. 11 Christian Cuadra with his run of 6.931 at 196.62 MPH to Cuadra’s 7.005 ET at 195.08 MPH.
Round 2 Recap:
Pro Stock:
Enders defeated Tucker with her run of 6.946 ET at 196.53 MPH to Tucker’s 6.948 ET at 196.70 MPH.
Coughlin Jr. defeated Anderson with his run of 6.937 ET at 197.28 MPH to Anderson’s 10.315 ET at 88.22 MPH. Anderson aborted the run out of the gate.
Caruso defeated Hartford with her run of 6.962 ET at 196.02 to Hartford’s 6.989 ET at 195.68 MPH.
Glenn defeated Koretsky with his run of 6.941 ET at 195.56 MPH to Koretsky’s 6.941 ET at 196.70 MPH.
Semifinals Recap:
Pro Stock:
Coughlin Jr defeated Enders with his run of 6.944 ET at 197.05 MPH to Ender’s 6.972 ET at 195.96.
Glenn defeated Caruso with his run of 6.930 ET lap at 195.59 MPH to Caruso’s 6.958 ET and 195.96 MPH.
Finals:
Pro Stock
Coughlin Jr. defeated Glenn with his run of 6.933 ET at 196.64 MPH to Glenn’s 6.949 ET at 195.62 MPH.
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