ENNIS, Texas – News and notes from Sunday’s AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals at the Texas Motorplex.

Close but no cigar:  Jeg Coughlin’s bid for an 81st victory in the Pro Stock class came up short Sunday afternoon.  The five-time champion lost to Tanner Gray in the finals but aside from that he is ranked third in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series point standings.

Gray edged Coughlin in the finale with a 6.622 at 207.62 mph to Coughlin’s 6.636 at 207.82 mph pass in his JEGS.com Elite Performance Chevrolet Camaro.

“I like the way we’re trending because the only thing left to do is win, so I hope that’s coming next weekend,” Coughlin said.  “We would have loved to have won the race today because that would have been 20 less points for Tanner and 20 more for us, but that team did a great job and he got us in the final. I probably could have been a touch more efficient through the gears but we’re still happy to have made the run we did and to finish as runner-up today.”

Leah is the champ:  Leah Pritchett clinched the 2018 NHRA Factory Stock Showdown championship in her Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak.  It was her third consecutive win of the season and earning her first championship in her first full year in the class.

“This championship ranks at the top of the list,” Pritchett said.  “I might be holding this Wally right now, but 100 percent this is Dodge and Mopar and the technology they pour into this class. I just get to drive the car. For Kevin Helms, Terry Snyder, all of Don Schumacher Racing, powered by Pennzoil of course, this is absolutely incredible. We came in with a chance to win the championship, but our mentality was one round, one burnout, one line at a time and that’s what it took, so thank you to everyone that made this happen. I know I probably speak for the whole class, but a huge thank you to SAMTech for sponsoring the Factory Stock Showdown Series. It’s really become one of the most exciting, grassroots classes out here. I get to hold it, but this Wally is definitely going home to Mopar.”

The NHRA Factory Stock Showdown title is the third for Don Schumacher Racing (DSR).  Pritchett also captured 2000-2001 Jr. Dragster Division 7 championships and the 2010 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series Championship in the Nostalgia Funny Car class.

Hight and Todd dominance:  When it comes to Funny Car competition Robert Hight and J.R. Todd are in control.

Over the last 32 races, Hight (8) and Todd (6) have combined for 14 wins.  For the rest of the field it is 18.

Here are some more interesting numbers courtesy of John Procida.

2018 Wins (season-leaders): Todd (4), Hight (5), C. Force (4) – Force hasn’t won since early June

Over the last five Funny Car races: Todd with two wins, Hight with three wins

Win-Loss Record in the Countdown: Hight – 11-1, Todd 9-3

Countdown Results: Hight, 3 wins, 1 semi; Todd 1 win, 2 final, 1 semi

Quotable:  Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel) – “We came here in the hunt, even though we may not be leaving here in the hunt, but we finally figured out two dramatic issues with our U.S. Army car,” said Schumacher, who is the winningest Top Fuel driver at the Texas Motorplex with six career event titles. “Now we can run at the level we need to run at. We may not win a championship with it because it might be too late. If we go off and beat Torrence right now and win the championship after struggling the way we have lately, it’s almost disrespectful to the sport. Have we pulled off things like that before? No. We’ve won races but we’ve always done it in some dramatic form and, right now, winning off of some luck would not be the way we would want to do it. We do have a great car after this weekend. But we’re down to 12 rounds and he’s a lot of rounds ahead of us. He’s got to go out in the first round at the next three races and we have to win them all. Is it impossible? No, but he’s dominated this year. If he wins the championship, I’ll be proud to call him champ. His team’s led the way all year, and Clay’s done the same thing. So, let’s watch them battle it. We’ll see if we can get in everybody’s way and see if we can earn some points and finish off the season No. 1, 2 or 3 but, realistically, we didn’t have that championship car until this weekend. We’re just getting back to that point.”