Team JEGS Pre-race Notes:
NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Team JEGS Pre-race Notes
NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Bristol Dragway, Bristol, Tenn. (June 17-19)
Six-time world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. will continue his pursuit of the NHRA Mello Yello Pro Stock title at this weekend’s NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. He will be driving a 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 midyear for a brief stint with the Elite Motorsports team. In three events, he raced to a runner-up and a semifinal.
Jeg Coughlin Jr.
Coughlin is racing as a teammate to two-time world champ Erica Enders. The Elite team also includes the Pro Stock racer Vincent Nobile. Rickie Jones is the crew chief for Coughlin’s HEMI-powered Dodge while his father, Rick, is the crew chief for Enders. Veteran crew chiefs Mark Ingersoll and Brian “Lump” Self round out the Elite roster. All three Elite teams and their crew chiefs share data and tuning advice.
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 limited to a maximum of 10,500 rpm, and the wheelie-bar length has been shortened.
After the first 10 events of the season, Coughlin enters the Bristol event ranked No. 8 in the NHRA Mello Yello Pro Stock points standings.
During his professional career, which began in 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 also 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.
Coughlin won the Pro Stock title at Bristol in 2007, defeating current Nitro Fish team owner Kenny Koretsky in the final round.
Jeg Coughlin Jr.
Coughlin has qualified in the top half of the field in seven of his 12 appearances in Bristol, including a best of No. 1 in 2007. He has qualified No. 1 20 times in his career.
In 12 career appearances at Bristol Dragway, Coughlin has a 15-10 record in Pro Stock eliminations.
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 his Dodge Challenger Drag Pak to the title.
Coughlin has won at least one NHRA national event at 24 different facilities, including Bristol Dragway. The only current venues on the NHRA Mello Yello tour where he has not won are Epping, N.H., and Norwalk, Ohio.
Coughlin is one of just 17 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.
With 581 round-wins, Coughlin is close to catching 10-time champion Bob Glidden, who registered 597 round-wins during his career.
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.
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.
Troy Coughlin Sr.
With 58 Pro Stock wins in his career, Coughlin ranks fourth all-time among Pro Stock drivers. Only Warren Johnson (97), Bob Glidden (85), and Greg Anderson (83) have more titles.
In 367 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, Coughlin 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 367 events and recorded 581 round-wins while incurring just 293 losses. He has red-lighted 22 times and failed to qualify just 16 times.
The NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals will mark the halfway point 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.
A week ago in Englishtown, Troy won his first Pro Mod event of the season when he beat defending event winner Billy Glidden in the final round. As a result of his victory, Troy enters the Bristol event ranked second in the standings, 133 points behind leader Rickie Smith.
Troy Coughlin Sr.
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. Thus far in 2016, Troy is one of just six drivers who have qualified for all three events.
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, defeating 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.
All told, Troy has 11 NHRA national event wins in 26 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 110 NHRA national event victories since 1990. The Coughlins 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.