Wildcat Drag Strip

Today on horsepower TV,

four brothers each a serious competitor in N hr A drag racing.

We'll take you to Columbus, Ohio for a very exciting look at what it takes for this team to compete and win from the pits on to the finish line.

We're no different than an NFL football team. We, we all have our own positions and

we all complement each other so it works out really well.

It's a horsepower TV, special with the Jags team at National Trail Raceway.

So hang on for horsepower TV.

We're all staged up for a special edition of horsepower TV.

Chuck's got the weekend off and soon you and I will be taken off to National Trail Raceway up in Columbus, Ohio.

Drag racing's always been a father son tradition.

And for the four Jegs brothers of N hr A competition, it's a winning tradition. Well, right now, we're gonna enjoy a special behind the scenes racing experience

and discover how that Jags male odor team delivers. The goods.

Customer service is Kelly. May I help you?

It's a race that goes on 24 7 here at the world's biggest and fastest high performance mail order center

gathering race proven parts into the state of the art warehouse

and getting them out to you the consumer in record time

and when the parts listed in their constantly updated catalog, carry the track tested logo.

Well, it's more than a catchy phrase.

It's the result of a commitment carried on by the J

Bower and his four sons by racing. Do you understand what people really want first? You understand the product that they want and then we can try it and see if it works in our cars. So when they buy something, it's something that definitely will work.

It was an obsession with racing that led Jed Coughlin into the performance parts business over 40 years ago.

Humbly at first in this Columbus, Ohio repair shop,

Jake's

success story is the result of a simple philosophy.

Listen and learn the needs of enthusiasts by being one

next door to the warehouse is the equally high tech race shop where the Jags race teams prepare for battle

and the Warriors. Here are Troy and Jake Junior, both racing in HR A pro stock and Mike and John racing in three in hr a sportsman classics. We enjoy racing and we enjoy coming to work and you know,

making other racers happy and getting them the right parts at the right price and on time. And you know, it kind of goes hand in hand and

the place National Trail Raceway just outside of Columbus.

The event in Hr A's Pontiac Excitement Nationals

and the Jets, male owner, team members are in the pits early, ready to lay down those qualifying numbers.

The superstar car was probably one of my most favorite classes I ever raced. I raced a lot of different classes in super comp, super gas and super stock. And then I raced in the first stock truck. But, uh,

I think Super Gas and

Pros and the,

and the, uh superstar was

my favorite.

Yeah,

superstars. Not because you get to do the big

John's nine second Ss Cavalier makes its debut here after leaving the shop of Canadian car builder F Chase Smith.

He actually cut it, cut up a brand new Cavalier and, and

you know, put a roll cage in it,

put big slicks underneath, it

made it legal to run an hr a super stock and, and I think it works great.

Little hot

brother Mike races in two sportsman classes. He pilots this left seated Roadster in the super gas class, which is a heads up class, but you can't run over an index of 990.

The second Super Gas qualifying run for Mike is a 9904, not too shabby,

but then he jumps in a super comp dragster where the index is a quicker 890.

But his second qualifying run here, he runs dead on with an 8900, but Mike's not too happy with that reaction time of 470. 3,

the car's dialed in.

But, uh, I, I gotta work on my end on the starting line. These things are fun. I've always, I've driven these for a long time so I was always used to it, but

they're fun to drive and knock on wood. They're not really a lot of work and, and, uh,

they're really a good time to drive.

We never a dull

but as the tweaking and tuning of time trials continue for Mike John and the jag sportsman team. You're at the hometown track

time trials, you win every time trial.

But uh in the race, you gotta, you gotta really uh be on your game.

Well, the name of the game is Pro Stock here at the two trailers next door will eavesdrop on the other half of the jags in hr a race team

after a short break,

probably the most mind racking is just trying to figure out exactly what the car wants, you know, weight, balance, clutch, balance, engine, balance

and away you go.

We're no different than an NFL football team. We, we all have our own positions and

we all complement each other. So it works out really well

in many ways. Pro Stock

has become the most competitive professional class of N hr A.

The cars look like they're showroom cousins but looks are deceiving

these carbureted gas burning machines have massive mods in their heads, manifolds, chassis

and suspensions that propel them into the high sixes at over 200 miles an hour,

the 500 cubic inch engines can be hemi

Edge Fords or in the case of Troy and Jack Junior. Big Block Chevy

for the fans watching and even interacting here in the pits is all part of the fun. I

think the neat thing about drag racing and NH a drag racing specifically is,

I mean, if you fans can come right up to the ropes, they can actually see guys working on the cars, guys or girls see, see the drivers develop,

you know, some type of relationship with them to,

you know, really become more of a loyal fan and, and hopefully more of a loyal customer as well.

So what does it take to keep two jags approach dog racers running well in addition to two cars and two trailers,

of course, you gotta have about six spare bullets for both teams.

There we go.

Hundreds and hundreds of tools, uh,

washers, nuts, bolts, spinnings, you name it. They're all in here

back here is the tech room. Now, each trailer has about four computers that all interface with video to analyze and correct everything the car does. Oh, also very important.

The traveling kitchen. Come on up.

Come on.

Hey, chef Nicky.

Hey, how you doing? What's cooking for lunch? Oh, man, we got a wonderful corn chowder. Started back here. We're gonna have corn and cheddar with some peppered bacon.

I got some fried peppers. We're gonna have an anti pasta today.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Making your own bread, making your own bread, our own bread. We've got a Tuscan flat bread here in the oven that's working.

And, uh, Scotty's over here putting together a nanny pasta. Some different imported salamis and cheeses.

Man. Race

bes, eat good. Yes, this one does. They eat great. You know, it's important.

Definitely important.

Of course, a dry track is important as well.

This monsoon is over. Hopefully there's gonna be a qualifying run.

Yeah.

What's your strategy gonna be? You gotta go out there and, and,

and hit it hard or do you

know, we, we're still gonna hit it hard. I think we'll just take a look at the air data and the weather and the track conditions and just tune accordingly.

Well, finally the summer shower stops and Jack Junior heads to the scales. Pro stock cars must weigh a minimum of 2350 pounds

and Jack Chevy as well. Well, there, it is only five pounds to spare

as a winner of multiple world championship titles. He's more than a little familiar with. The demands of qualifying.

Qualifying is probably a little more, uh, tense

than, than the actual Sunday race day.

You know, qualifying. You, you've got a complete crack player or

you don't race on Sunday and,

and, uh, we've had a great season avoiding that to this point.

Uh,

but preparing for Sunday race day, you know, I, I just try to keep my mind clear focused.

I try and do a little stretching,

uh eat light, eat things that are

kind of help keep my brain stimulated and,

and help keep me focused. And uh when I get in the car,

you know, my, my goal is to have absolutely zero in my mind other than, than just going,

you know, doing, doing what I love to do best and that's drive a car.

Now it's brother Troy's turn with a 16 car field. Each round is critical in making the cut.

Troy's first bid is a 6954 at 197 but that's just a warm up

in round two. Troy runs a 689 at 199

while jag improves his standing with a 690 with a two.

Now between rounds, each crew has about 70 minutes to go through the engine and the carburetor

and to examine the plugs

to maintain and swap the rubber if need be

and to remove and service. Both the tranny and the clutch.

Probably the the most mind racking is just trying to

figure out exactly what the car wants, you know, weight, balance, clutch, balance, engine balance

and uh away you go.

My dad's done a great job of orchestrating this whole thing and

it's

just getting all the right people in the right places doing the right thing. I mean, it's just,

I think that is uh one of the big keys to the success of the race team.

Ok. Back to the strip

where it's round three and each brother runs a 690 at 199 miles an hour

and each one closes out qualifying with 1/4 round 692.

No improvement for either pro stalker, but both Troy and Jag will make the cut qualifying ninth and 13th respectively.

Now we'll catch up with the two

Clans and sportsman qualifying and head right into finals when we come back

just to see the wind might come on here at a, a race here in our hometown. In any way you can get it.

Very real exciting.

Mr

Elmore you wanted in the staging area.

That's right breaks over time to get back to the track and more action

here at National Trail.

Yeah,

it's a family fair for the Ho Jegs Mail Order racing team

and after John barely loses his first round of elimination in Superstock.

Well, the whole family gets behind the Prosto

brothers and Mike who's made the field in Super comp,

his first round of eliminations is a winning 891 on that 890 index.

I thought I may have a problem with the reaction times the other day, but we got that fixed, so I sure do

it.

Yeah, by the way, what was your uh

that

416 on that one?

That'll work. That'll work in this mornings. Was incredible.

It was, it was 403.

Now it's time for first round eliminations for the N Hr A Pros

and Troy is up against Mark Pollack

in round one.

Oh.

And the reaction from Troy Junior and the Jags employees in the tower pretty much says it all

starting line was a little bit slick, but the rest of the track was pretty decent. And then

we got a little bit loose down at the finish line. But, uh,

you know,

just to see the wind light come on here at a, a race here in our hometown. Any way you can get it very, really exciting.

However, in Jack Junior's first round battle, Ron Fisher was about three hundreds quicker

as he knocks the younger coffin out of the hunt.

Exactly. How close was it?

Well, I'd say about that far.

Yeah, it was less than a foot 9/1000 of a second.

Well,

I guess you can hold your head high though. That was a darn good race.

Yeah, we're, we're pretty pleased, uh, you know, you're never pleased when you get eliminated. But, uh,

and we went right down the middle of the right lane and, uh, made the best run of the right lane. Not that, that could get you anything other than that than that. A boy.

But, uh, you know, the whole gang just did a great job. Pop and

Rick and, uh, Clint and

Roy, everybody. Just an excellent job. And, uh, we still got Troy to

to root on and uh keep him in the field and we got Mikey and Super Cop. So, uh it's been a great weekend thus far and uh we, we hope to see it get better

team. Jake still has two of the four players in or 50% of the group. So

we'll keep, keep plugging away and keep our chins up and keep smiling and keep working hard and hopefully we'll get the two cars in the finals.

Mike and his dragster continue their winning ways here running a perfect 890, in round five,

brother Troy was not so lucky losing his second round of Pro Stock to Jim Yates.

So the Jags team's last hope is Mike

Coughlin and Super Cop

and here he is in the semifinals against Jackie Rogue

and it's a double breakout, but Mike gets the advantage by 3/1000 of a second.

So everybody fuel up for the excitement.

We're heading into the finals with team Jags here at National Trail Raceway. Stay tuned.

It's real strong to see and any of us win. I mean,

I mean, obviously I wanna win but I love it when they do. I mean, it's,

it's a good time

for his

first win.

It's been an exciting weekend for the Jags mail order team here at their hometown track

and now the attention's totally on Mike Cougher

who's one final race away from his first ever win in sportsman competition.

And now the moment of truth,

Jim

looking for his first win and Mike Hoffman looking for his first win

and that's the second yellow bud light stuff. Mike supported Josh campaign, red lights

and Mike's 990 with a four goes down as the winning number here at the Pontiac Excitement Nationals

for the family members, crew members and racers of the Jags team. It's a victory for everybody. It's real strong to see if any of us win. I mean,

I mean, obviously I wanna win but I love it when they do. I mean, it's,

it's a good time.

It's something I always wanted to do.

I been trying for 14 years.

So

we finally got one.

That's awesome. And it's your hometown track. How about that? That makes it harder. Yeah, I mean, it's, it's hard to concentrate. I mean,

there's a lot of your family and your friends and

speaking with

and, and everybody here. It's just, it's hard,

but we won's grey.

We won.

Uh We're so excited. This is, this is awesome.

Squeaky

wants my mind. Yeah, I think he does too.

We are very proud of him. Yeah, you got to be. It's a wonderful Father's Day.

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up. Well, our time's up for this special edition of horsepower TV.

Chuck and I'll be back in the shop spinning riches next week and we'll see you then

on the next horsepower TV,

it's a street car rumble at Great Lakes Dragway. We'll take you to the track for the action

and under the hood of a 2000 horse Pro street racer.

Plus for compacts are hot these days, we'll show you how to shop for a budget turner car.

All this and more on the next horsepower TV.

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