Coughlin to end busy week with 7UP 150
Coughlin to end busy week with 7UP 150
(TOLEDO, Ohio – April 10, 2014) – Cody Coughlin says this week is probably going to be one of his busiest weeks of the racing season. He also hopes it is a success.
After several days of testing in both his super late model and his ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards car, Coughlin will race this weekend in the 7UP 150 at Toledo Speedway. More importantly, he says, he is learning more about race cars and being behind the wheel.
“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” he said while practicing this week at Toledo. “Any time you are behind the wheel you are learning. That’s what this is about, learning all I can.”
Coughlin will drive the No. 1 JEGS.com super late model in the Border Wars 7-UP 150, the combined ARCA/CRA Super Series and ARCA Midwest Tour race at the high-banked, half-mile of Toledo. He raced in a outlaw late model at Toledo a few years ago, but a wreck ended the day early for the Delaware, Ohio driver.
“I’m familiar with the facility,” he said. “I can’t wait for this weekend. Hopefully, we’ll be out there a little longer, save the tires and be there at the end.”
Coughlin, 18, won the CRA JEGS All Star tour season championship last year. This year, he’s running his late model as often as possible, plus has plans for more than a dozen ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards races with Venturini Motorsports. He made his ARCA debut at Mobile International Speedway and had his car up front for most of the day before a late race incident pushed him back a little.
“We just need some luck,” Coughlin said. “The Venturini’s are a good team, good cars and smart people. They push me to do my best, which is what I need.”
Coughlin tested at Salem Speedway this week with Venturini as he gets ready for the next ARCA Racing Series event - the Federated Auto Parts 200 presented by Crunch'N Nutter on April 27.
As for his late model program, Coughlin says he enjoys getting on the short tracks with it.
“There are a lot of great super late model drivers,” he said. “If you can win out here, against those guys, you can probably win against anybody.”
Drivers from 11 states—Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Wisconsin—and Canada have filed entries for the 150-lap event. The race weekend begins with a practice session Friday from 3-7 p.m. followed by on-track action Saturday with practice from 10-11:30 a.m., qualifying at 1 p.m. and the last chance race at 3 p.m. The weekend culminates with the featured 150-lap event on Toledo Speedway’s half-mile, high-banked paved oval, the 7-Up 150, following the last chance race and an on-track autograph session.
The 41-car entry list will be trimmed to a 30-car starting field through Saturday’s qualifying and the last chance race.
Advance sale discount tickets are on sale now by calling the track at (419) 727-1100 or by visiting the track website at www.toledospeedway.com.
Click here for the entry list:
By Doug Donnelly, arcaracing.com