Team JEGS Pre-race Notes:
NHRA Southern Nationals
Team JEGS Pre-race Notes
NHRA Southern Nationals
Atlanta Dragway, Commerce, Ga. (May 13-15)
Six-time NHRA world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. has returned to the Pro Stock class on a full-time basis in 2016. He is racing a new Rick Jones Race Cars-built Dodge Dart as a member of the Elite Motorsports team.
Last season, Coughlin took a breather from the Pro Stock class but returned at midseason for a brief stint with Elite Motorsports. In three events, he raced to a runner-up and a semifinal.
Coughlin is racing as a teammate to two-time world champ Erica Enders. The Elite team also includes the Pro Stock entries of Drew Skillman and Vincent Nobile. Rickie Jones is the crew chief for Coughlin’s HEMI-powered Dodge, and his father, Rick, is the crew chief for Enders. Veteran crew chiefs Mark Ingersoll and Brian “Lump” Self round out the Elite roster as the crew chiefs for Skillman and Nobile, respectively. All four Elite teams and their crew chiefs regularly share data and tuning advice.

Jeg Coughlin Jr.
The NHRA Pro Stock class has an entirely different look this season thanks to a number of major rules revisions. Electronic fuel injection has replaced carburetors, and as a result the cars no longer have big hood scoops. Pro Stock engines are now limited to a maximum of 10,500 rpm, and the wheelie-bar length has been shortened.
After the first six events of the season, Coughlin enters the Atlanta event ranked No. 9 in the NHRA Mello Yello Pro Stock points standings.

During his professional career, which began in late 1997, Coughlin has earned 15 top-10 finishes in the NHRA Pro Stock class.
Coughlin is a five-time NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock champion. He earned season titles in 2000, 2002, 2007, 2008, and 2013. As a Sportsman driver, he claimed the NHRA Super Gas championship in 1992.
Coughlin’s best elapsed time in a Pro Stock car is 6.484 seconds and his best speed is 214.62 mph, both recorded in Gainesville in 2014.
During his career, Coughlin has won the Pro Stock title twice in Gainesville. He claimed his first win in 2001 by beating Mark Osborne in the final round and then stopped Jason Line to win his second title in 2008. Coughlin was also a runner-up in Gainesville in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2013.

Jeg Coughlin Jr.

Coughlin is a three-time winner of the Atlanta event. He defeated Bruce Allen to win his first title in 2000 and defeated teammate Allen Johnson in the final of the 2010 event, scoring his landmark 50th Pro Stock title. He also won the 2014 event by beating Greg Anderson in the final. In addition to his three wins, he was a runner-up in 2009 to Mike Edwards.
As a Sportsman racer, Coughlin also won the Comp title in Atlanta in 1997. That season, he made history by winning national event titles in four separate eliminators (Pro Stock, Comp, Super Stock, and Super Gas).
In 15 career appearances at Atlanta Dragway, Jeg Jr. has a 24-10 record in Pro Stock eliminations.
Prior to the start of the event, Coughlin will attend the annual Night of Champions event at Coca-Cola headquarters in Atlanta. The special event recognizes all past professional champions in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.
Last season, Coughlin accomplished a longtime goal with his first national event double. Racing at the JEGS NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals in Columbus, he won the Super Gas and Stock titles. In Stock, he drove a Dodge Challenger Drag Pak to the title.
Including Atlanta Dragway, Coughlin has won at least one NHRA national event at 24 different facilities. The only current venues on the NHRA tour where he has not won are the tracks in Norwalk, Ohio, and Epping, N.H.
Coughlin is one of just 16 professional racers to win 500 elimination rounds in NHRA competition, a feat he accomplished at the 2013 Topeka race. The only other Pro Stock drivers with 500 wins are Warren Johnson, Bob Glidden, and Greg Anderson.
Coughlin is the only driver to win national event titles in seven different categories: Pro Stock, Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, and Top Dragster.

Troy Coughlin Sr.
Coughlin is the only professional racer in history to win a national event title from all 16 starting spots. During his Indy win in 2000, he qualified No. 16.
With 58 career Pro Stock wins, Coughlin ranks fourth all-time among Pro Stock drivers. Only Warren Johnson (97), Bob Glidden (85), and Greg Anderson (79) have won more titles.
In 363 career Pro Stock races, Coughlin has reached the final round 100 times, recording 58 wins. Including his 18 Sportsman victories, he has won a total of 76 times, good for ninth place on NHRA’s all-time wins list. During his career, he has appeared in 124 final rounds, 100 as a professional and 24 as a Sportsman racer.
During his Pro Stock career, Coughlin has competed in 363 events and recorded 579 round-wins while incurring just 289 losses. He has red-lighted only 22 times and failed to qualify just 16 times.
The NHRA Southern Nationals will mark the third race in the 10-event 2016 NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series. Reigning series champion Troy Coughlin Sr. will race his turbocharged JEGS.com Chevy C7 Corvette, which is tuned by noted turbocharger expert Steve Petty.

At the 2016 Pro Mod season opener in Gainesville, Fla., Troy qualified for the tough field but went out in round one. He returned at the most recent event in Houston to earn a semifinal finish. He enters the Atlanta event ranked No. 4 in the points standings.
Last year, Troy won his second NHRA Pro Mod series championship. Although he did not win an event during the season, he managed to come from behind to win the title by 14-points over veteran Mike Janis.

In 2015, Troy was one of just three Pro Mod racers, along with Mike Janis and Danny Rowe, who qualified for all 10 events. His best finish was a runner-up in Atlanta.

Troy won his first NHRA national event title at the U.S. Nationals in 1991 when he drove his Pro Stock-style Olds to victory in Super Gas. He defeated Mary Ann Jackson in the final. His first Pro Mod victory came at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in New Jersey in 2005 when he drove his supercharged Mustang to a win over Zach Barklage in the final round.

Troy is one of the few Pro Mod competitors who have raced all three current engine combinations: turbocharged, supercharged, and nitrous-oxide assisted.

Before moving to the Pro Mod class, Troy enjoyed success in the NHRA Pro Stock class, recording two wins in 12 final-round appearances. He also won the $50,000 top prize at the 2000 Winston No Bull Showdown at Bristol Dragway, a special non-points event for Pro Stock competitors.

Troy Coughlin Sr.

All told, Troy has 10 NHRA national event wins in 25 final-round appearances in Pro Mod, Pro Stock, and Super Gas competition.

Troy is a former National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) Pro Street champion. While racing his Pro Street car, he also won the $50,000 Big Dog event at Piedmont Dragway in Greensboro, N.C.
The Coughlin family, including John, Troy, Mike, Jeg Jr., and Troy Jr., has combined for 109 NHRA national event victories since 1990. They have won in 10 different eliminators: Pro Stock, Pro Stock Truck, Pro Mod, Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, Top Sportsman, and Top Dragster.