BEST OF THE BEST With a combined eight NHRA world championships between them , Rickie Smith , Troy Coughlin and Jason Line know what it ’ s like to have an entire class chasing after them . Line is the defending Pro Stock champion , while Smith and Coughlin are responsible for the last five Pro Mod season titles . |
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PHOTOS : REAL PRO MOD ASSOCIATION , NHRA / NATIONAL DRAGSTER |
whether I am or am not , that ’ s up to somebody else to decide , but that ’ s how I look at myself . It ’ s always been that way and I ’ ve always felt that way since I started bracket racing when I was 15 years old . I ’ ve always had that same mindset and it ’ s probably just the way I ’ m wired . That is what I feel and I ’ m okay with it . I ’ m out there to try and do the best that I can and make somebody beat me . I don ’ t want to give it to them ; I want to make them earn it .
TROY COUGHLIN : It ’ s two answers to the question . When you ’ re racing with a target on your back , you can go from zero to hero and hero to zero in a matter of one run , which is five seconds in the quarter-mile . But it ’ s really awesome
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to be in that position and I think it has an advantage to it , for sure , when you do have that ( target ) after winning races and championships . You just stay in good communication with your guys and take it one round at a time , and just put your best foot forward every time . The person |
that makes the least amount of mistakes usually winds up on top .
RICKIE SMITH : That ’ s a good question . About the time you think you ’ ve figured out how to handle it , something else gets thrown at you . I ’ ve had a hell of a career , without a doubt , but it
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January 2017 |
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