St. Louis: Cagnazzi Racing final summary
Dave Connolly Beats Jeg Coughlin for Midwest Nationals Win in Battle of Cagnazzi Racing Pro Stock Stars MADISON, Ill./St. Louis, May 6, 2007 -- Bravo! Brands Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: BRVO): Dave Connolly won the battle of Cagnazzi ...
Dave Connolly Beats Jeg Coughlin for Midwest Nationals Win in Battle of Cagnazzi Racing Pro Stock Stars
MADISON, Ill./St. Louis, May 6, 2007 -- Bravo! Brands Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: BRVO): Dave Connolly won the battle of Cagnazzi Racing/Slammers Ultimate Milk teammates Sunday by defeating Jeg Coughlin in the historic final round of the O'Reilly Midwest Nationals at Gateway International Raceway.
Connolly's Evan Knoll-owned Torco Racing Fuels/Slammers Ultimate Milk Chevy Cobalt edged Coughlin's Slammers Ultimate Milk Cobalt, 6.663 seconds at 206.99 mph to 6.695 at 206.64. The triumph was the first for Cagnazzi Racing marked the first time both drivers advanced to the finals together.
Connolly also shared the winner's podium with his dad Ray for the second time in his career. Ray Connolly won Super Gas in the Sportsman category.
"It was awesome winning," said Connolly, who qualified third and dominated eliminations by running the quickest elapsed time in each round. "I don't know who is happier, me, my dad, Evan Knoll or Victor Cagnazzi. There's nothing like a POWERade Pro Stock final when you are running a guy like Jeg.
"To get the car running like it did and go out there and outrun everybody like I did was incredible."
He began competition with a win over Kenny Koretsky, 6.662 to 6.703, and followed by sending Allen Johnson, 6.657 to 6.676, and Justin Humphreys, 6.682 to 11.689, home.
And he couldn't be happier that his 10th career win was Cagnazzi's first.
"It was an awesome weekend for Victor in general," said Connolly. "I was watching Jeg's semifinal run and when I saw the win light go on in his lane and it felt like someone put about 200 pounds on my chest, and to go out and watch my dad win Super Gas was incredible. That just put more pressure on. I guess I had the better hot rod this weekend.
"Our win was a big tribute to what Victor has put together in his shop from every aspect -- the sponsorship, the chassis, the engines to the on-track crew -- he's done an awesome job."
The victory moved Connolly into second place in points with 479. Coughlin is third with 466.
Coughlin, meanwhile, had kudos for Cagnazzi. "It was a good success for the entire Cagnazzi organization. Victor's dream come true is to get both of his cars in the final and we've done it once. Now that we have one out of the way I'm sure that won't be out last. Tommy Utt did a great job on Dave's car today and it was flying.
"They were trying their best on mine but they just couldn't get it to move in the first six to 10 feet. It was really sluggish and the 60-foot times were poor. We tried some things in the final but it struck the chassis a little" and the car moved around."
That little wiggle erased the .016-second advantage Coughlin had off the starting line.
Coughlin did eliminate front-running driver Greg Anderson in the semifinals.
"It felt good," said Coughlin, who left Anderson at the line long enough to capitalize with a 6.707-second time to Anderson's 6.690. The winning edge was six-thousandths of a second.
-credit: cr
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