PRO STOCK

Jason Line provided the only competition to Jeg Coughlin in the semifinal, as Coughlin’s three other opponents red-lighted.

Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. took advantage of red-light starts by three of his four opponents Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to regain the No. 1 ranking.

A winner earlier this year in Phoenix, Coughlin collected his second Wally of the year and 43rd of his career when final-round opponent Greg Stanfield left .021 seconds before the green light came on. Coughlin still powered down the racetrack with a 6.715 at 205.16 mph in his JEGS.com Chevrolet Cobalt in what amounted to a victory lap before an appreciative crowd of supporters.

"It's unusual to have three opponents foul out against you in one day," Coughlin said. "I think everyone is just up on the wheel driving their heart's out this year because everyone is running so well. Although it wasn't one of our better days at the starting line today, we have had great luck at the tree this season and to see my win light come on as I reached for second gear in the final was great."

It was a long and stressful day in the Victor Cagnazzi Racing pit area as the team actually had to make five runs. An errant piece of debris in the starting line beams in Coughlin's first race against Kurt Johnson negated their first pass and put the team under a considerable time crunch to redo the match.

"I'm used to going multiple rounds on Sunday going back to my bracket racing days but we were definitely in hurry-up mode all day," Coughlin said. "The NHRA guys dragged their feet as much as they could to give us some extra time and it all worked out, but the guys definitely earned their pay today.”

Erica Enders didn’t make the field at Las Vegas.