Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Coughlin to compete in three events at Indianapolis

Thursday, Aug. 26, 2004 | 9:43 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

Free time will be in short supply for Jeg Coughlin when the 50th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals rev up next week at Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Coughlin, a two-time NHRA Pro Stock champion, plans to compete in three classes at the historic drag strip in Clermont, Ind., but said he will enjoy the hectic week.

"Seven straight days of drag racing -- it doesn't get any better than that," Coughlin said.

In addition to racing his Jeg's Mail Order Pro Stock Chevy Cavalier, Coughlin will compete in the Super Stock Hemi Challenge and Super Stock class in Michael Ogburn's West Coast Hemi Barracuda.

Coughlin said he is looking forward to the sportsman-level Super Stock races as much as he is the Pro Stock national event.

"The Hemi Challenge is huge," Coughlin said. "When you combine the big corporate backing with the culture of racers from across the country that will be competing in this race, it makes it every bit as prominent as a professional title.

"I'd say the same for the (Super Stock) class championship. When you're a sportsman racer, and sportsman racing runs deep in (my) family, you know winning class at Indy is about as big as it gets. Just like in the Pros, when you win class at Indy, it's an honor that can never be taken away from you. It's Indy, so it's special no matter how you slice it."

Coughlin is a two-time winner of the U.S. Nationals -- drag racing's premier event -- in the Pro Stock class, with victories at Indy in 2000 and 2002. Greg Anderson, who drives for team owner Ken Black of Las Vegas, is the defending U.S. Nationals Pro Stock class champion.

The 50th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals runs Wednesday through Monday, Sept 6. Professional qualifying will be held Friday (Sept. 3) through Sunday (Sept. 5) and final eliminations are scheduled for Labor Day (Sept. 6).

FINALLY: After missing last year's event due to injuries he suffered in a racing accident last spring, Top Fuel driver Brandon Bernstein will make his first U.S. Nationals start next week.

Bernstein's father, the legendary Kenny Bernstein, is a three-time U.S. Nationals winner (1983 and 1987 in Funny Car and 1991 in Top Fuel) and Brandon said he has fond memories of watching his father race -- and win -- at IRP.

"Indy is the race I attended most often as a kid," Bernstein said. "I remember when dad won the Bud Shootout and the U.S. Nationals on the same weekend in 1983 -- it was the first time any one had 'doubled' in a specialty event and a national event. I was just 11 ... but it was so cool to be part of the victory celebration."

Bernstein said he is looking forward to making some U.S. Nationals memories of his own in the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster.

"Having the opportunity to race at Indy is going to be awesome," he said. "Of course, every driver's dream is to win at Indianapolis Raceway Park. If you could only win one event, that would be the victory that would have the most prestige.

"And it would be the best gift I could give my father for his birthday, which falls on Monday of the race this year."

Bernstein, who has three victories this season, is third in the Top Fuel standings going into the U.S. Nationals. He trails front-runner Tony Schumacher -- the two-time defending U.S. Nationals class champion -- by 177 points.

AT THE STRIP: The Country Music Television network will air a 1-hour special Saturday night featuring local racer Juddi Lin, a regular competitor at "Midnight Mayhem" at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Lin took part in illegal street races for five years until a pair of accidents convinced her to switch to the safer environs of "Midnight Mayhem" -- The Strip's alternative to street racing.

The episode of "CMT Most Shocking: Fast & Furious -- Street Racing," which was taped at The Strip earlier this summer, will air at 9 p.m. Saturday on Cox Cable channel 57.