Reigning North Central champ Troy
Coughlin Jr. ‘inspired’ to race in Houston
HOUSTON (April 10) — Reigning North Central Region Top Alcohol Dragster champion Troy Coughlin Jr. is bringing his JEGS.com McPhillips Racing rail to this weekend’s 32nd annual Mopar Express Lane NHRA SpringNationals with plenty of “inspiration” to enjoy every moment of his trip to the Lone Star State. Continue reading Reigning North Central champ Troy Coughlin Jr. ‘inspired’ to race in Houston →

Five-time Pro Stock champ Jeg Coughlin Jr.
a huge fan of Denso Four-Wide Nationals
LAS VEGAS (April 2) — Whenever Jeg Coughlin Jr. isn’t driving his sleek JEGS.com Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro down The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway there’s a great chance he will be found in the grandstands watching his peers race in this weekend’s 20th annual Denso Spark Plugs Four-Wide Nationals. That’s how big a fan the 62-time national event winner is of four-wide racing. Continue reading Five-time Pro Stock champ Jeg Coughlin Jr. a huge fan of Denso Four-Wide Nationals →

Team JEGS Pre-race Notes
Denso NHRA Four-Wide Nationals
Team JEGS
Pre-race Notes
Denso NHRA Four-Wide Nationals
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas, Nev. (April 5-7)

Jeg Coughlin Jr. will continue his pursuit of a sixth NHRA Mello Yello Pro Stock title (and seventh overall) at this weekend’s Denso NHRA Four Wide Nationals in Las Vegas. Jeg Jr. will once again be racing as a member of the Elite Motorsports team.

Earlier this year in Phoenix, Jeg Jr. won his 62nd Pro Stock event and 81st overall when he defeated Matt Hartford in the final round. The final round represented the 1,000th round of professional competition for Jeg Jr. Continue reading Jegs Racing–Las Vegas Preview →

Jeg Coughlin Jr. looking for second straight win after quickest and fastest pass of ’19
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 16) — Fresh off a thrilling victory at the last NHRA tour stop in Phoenix, Jeg Coughlin Jr. is bullish on his chances to repeat the feat with his brand-new RJ Racecars-built Camaro at this weekend’s 50th anniversary Amalie Oil Gatornationals. Continue reading Jeg Coughlin Jr. looking for second straight win after quickest and fastest pass of ’19 →

Honoring father, history of Gators, paramount for JEGS drivers Jeg Jr., Mike and Troy Coughlin Jr.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 13) — Team JEGS drivers Jeg Coughlin Jr., Mike Coughlin and Troy Coughlin Jr. grew up admiring Jeg Coughlin Sr. and pretty much anyone who managed to win the Amalie Oil Gatornationals, which run for the 50th time this weekend. To honor both entities, the boys in yellow and black have big plans to win their respective classes in dramatic throwback paint schemes that replicate Jeg Sr.’s designs from the ’70s, when the Gators were just getting started.

“We have a brand-new RJ Racecars Camaro and it looks completely badass with the design Dad ran back in the early ’70s,” Jeg Jr. said. “We’d love to break it in with a big weekend in Gainesville. For those of us on the eastern portion of the country, there isn’t much better than winning the Gators, especially when you see the names of all the former winners.

“This new car, obviously it’s a bit different than what we’ve run the last nine months, is working extremely well in testing. Erica (Enders, teammate) made some shakedown passes with it and I jumped in as soon as I got here and the guys have been working their way through it ever since. It’s been really fast no matter what we try with it so the crew chief brain trust here at Elite Motorsports is very excited.

“The car feels amazing. Ergonomically speaking, it fits my frame perfectly, so the comfort level is already very high. I’m extremely optimistic, with the talent we have, that we won’t miss a beat.”

Jeg Jr. won the last NHRA race in Phoenix three weeks ago, his 62nd Pro Stock victory, and is a two-time winner of the Gatornationals (2001 and 2008).

Brother Mike Coughlin also is honoring his father Jeg Sr. by running his former Top Fuel scheme on his JEGS.com Top Dragster, which is making his 2019 national event debut in Florida. Mike had a chance to shakedown his top-running rail last weekend at Gainesville Raceway during the Baby Gators divisional event.

“The car was perfect,” Mike said. “And I don’t expect anything to change this weekend. The only thing stopping us last weekend was the guy behind the wheel. I zigged when I should have zagged and lost in Round 2 by .006 seconds. Big thanks to Greg Cody, Dave Raurk, Ryan Micke and Tony Collier for giving me a perfect racecar.

“As soon as that event was over we started wrapping the car with Dad’s old design and man, this thing looks so awesome. I am super excited to run this scheme at a race as historic as this one. I’ll try my best to give Dad a great 81st birthday present and put this thing in the winner’s circle.”

Troy Jr., the popular and successful son of three-time Pro Mod champion Troy Coughlin, also has high hopes for his JEGS.com McPhillips Racing Top Alcohol Dragster, which is dressed in the Pro Comp design of his grandfather’s glory days in the class.

“I can’t wait to see Pappy’s face when he sees this dragster,” Troy Jr. said. “It’s perfect and I’m more motivated than ever to turn on seven win lights and put this thing in the winner’s circle. It’s a big weekend with lots of legends on hand and if there was ever a time to shine, this would be it.

“Rich (McPhillips) ran the car at the Baby Gators to shake it down and then I hopped in there after the event and ran a 5.2 so I’d say we’re more than ready to get this weekend started.”

Samantha Coughlin, the wife of Jeg Jr., will round out the JEGS.com stable in her Super Comp dragster.

As part of the 50th anniversary celebration, the recently-restored Barracuda Funny Car campaigned by Jeg Sr. during the 1969 season will be on display at Gainesville Raceway. The car will be located in the Mopar display on Manufacturer’s Midway.

The JEGS Mail Order team will also take part in Sunday’s track walk, hosted by Darrell Gwynn. The event, labeled “Track Walk, for those who can’t” has annually helped raise money for the Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis.

JEGS.com team sporting ‘Throwback’ paint
schemes to honor 50th annual Gatornat’ls
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 8) — In a salute to the landmark 50th running of the historic Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals, Team JEGS drivers Mike Coughlin, Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Troy Coughlin Jr will display special “Throwback” paint schemes selected from some of the top racecars family patriarch Jeg Coughlin Sr. campaigned during his career. Continue reading JEGS.com team sporting ‘Throwback’ paint schemes to honor 50th annual Gatornat’ls →

Two-time Division 3 champ Mike Coughlin
ready to work double-time in Florida
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 5) — One surefire way to chase away the winter blues is a two-week-long racing vacation in the Sunshine State. That’s exactly what’s been on the mind of JEGS.com Top Dragster pilot Mike Coughlin, who is anxious to travel south to the Baby Gators NHRA Division 2 Lucas Oil event, March 6-10, at historic Gainesville Raceway in central Florida. Continue reading Two-time Division 3 champ Mike Coughlin ready to work double-time in Florida →

Jeg Coughlin Jr. victorious in desert, claiming
62nd Pro Stock win in 1,000 round of competition
CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 24) — When you’ve won 62 times in Pro Stock competition, it would be understandable if the victories started to blend together in your mind. But for five-time series champion Jeg Coughlin Jr., earning the trophy of Sunday’s 35th annual Magic Dry Organic Absorbent NHRA Arizona Nationals in his 1,000 round of Pro Stock racing, this trophy has special significance.

“This win today truly feels really second-to-none,” Coughlin said. “To reach a mark like this — 1,000 rounds of racing in this class — and to hit it just right with a win, wow, that’s just incredible. Continue reading Jeg Coughlin Jr. victorious in desert, claiming 62nd Pro Stock win in 1,000 round of competition →

It’s cold in the desert, but Jeg Coughlin Jr.’s JEGS.com Camaro is heating up
CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 23) — There’s snow on the mountains behind Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park — a site most drag racers have never seen at this facility — and racing conditions have been tricky, with two qualifying sessions lost to cold temperatures, but Jeg Coughlin Jr. still managed to find a quick way the quarter-mile to qualify seventh at this weekend’s 35th annual Magic Dry Organic Absorbent NHRA Arizona Nationals. Continue reading It’s cold in the desert, but Jeg Coughlin Jr.’s JEGS.com Camaro is heating up →

Despite the forecasted cold, JEGS.com pro
Jeg Coughlin Jr. ready to heat up Phoenix
CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 19) — It looks like this weekend’s 35th annual Magic Dry Organic Absorbent NHRA Arizona Nationals may set records for chilly temperatures, but five-time Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. thinks his JEGS.com Elite Performance Chevrolet Camaro is ready to set fire to Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. Continue reading Despite the forecasted cold, JEGS.com pro Jeg Coughlin Jr. ready to heat up Phoenix →

JEGS.com pro Jeg Coughlin Jr. to start
race day from mid-pack after weight issue
POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 9) — Jeg Coughlin Jr. has a fast racecar and he’s ready to show the world his 2019 Pro Stock title aspirations are for real when eliminations begin Sunday at the 59th annual Lucas Oil Winternationals.

Coughlin qualified No. 9 with a 6.558 at 210.50 mph in his JEGS.com Elite Performance Chevrolet Camaro, but that wasn’t his best pass of time trials. He actually went 6.544 at 211.46 mph in Friday’s first qualifying session but the run was disallowed because his car was a tick under the minimum weight.

“All in all, I’ve got a great race car and I know I have a great team behind me and we are looking to get out tomorrow and showcase our efforts,” Coughlin said. “We had a little misfortune following our Q1 run, which was disallowed because we were light on the scale. That’s the first time in 20 years for something like that to happen. I guess we were just too close so it didn’t pass.

“The next three sessions were good. We were fighting the car like a lot of the teams were through the middle of the race track just to keep it accelerating forward instead of spinning and we were getting a little better at it each run. We were seventh in the second session, fourth in the third session and probably in the top three or four of the last session, so we have a good, consistent thing going.”

In Sunday’s opening session, slated for noon PT, Coughlin will yield lane choice to Elite Motorsports teammate Alex Laughlin, who posted a best of 6.555 at 211.03 mph in qualifying eighth overall. Both Coughlin and Laughlin will have access to the data of fellow Elite Motorsports drivers Rodger Brogdon (6.522) and Erica Enders (6.528), who qualified first and second, respectively, on
the grid.

“We’ve got five cars here and that yields a good bit of data for our collection of crew chiefs to look over after each session. Rodger’s No. 1, Erica’s No. 2, Alex is eighth and (Matt) Hartford is right behind us at No. 10.

“You’d rather not face a teammate in the early rounds but with five cars out of the 16 in the field running Elite Performance power, it’s inevitable we are going to be packed in there and have to run one another from time to time. Either way, I look forward to our first game day of the year.”

The big question mark is the weather as local forecasts call for overnight rain continuing through to the afternoon. It’s also supposed to stay very cold.

“It’s definitely been unseasonably cold here,” Coughlin said. “They call it the Winternationals for a reason. Southern California typically doesn’t dole out 30- and 40-degree temperatures like we’ve had each morning but it’s also been beautiful blue skies to race under. Hopefully we can more of that tomorrow. They are calling for some rain, at least preliminarily, so we will wait and see.”

Jeg Coughlin Jr. can add to legacy
by earning seventh NHRA title in 2019
POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 6) — The last time Jeg Coughlin Jr. finished second in the championship points, all the way back in 1999, he returned the following year and won 10 races in 14 final-round appearances on his way to the first of his five Pro Stock championships.

On the eve of this weekend’s season-opening 59th annual Lucas Oil Winternationals, the veteran driver from Delaware, Ohio, is hoping history repeats itself. If so, he will raise his tally to seven NHRA titles, which includes the Super Gas crown he earned in 1992. Coughlin would also likely add to his total of 80 national event victories (61 in Pro Stock, 19 in various Sportsman classes) along the way. Continue reading Jeg Coughlin Jr. can add to legacy by earning seventh NHRA title in 2019 →

Mopar Dodge//SRT Drivers Pritchett and Capps Sweep Top Qualifying Spots at NHRA Finals

· Leah Pritchett takes Mopar Dodge Top Fuel dragster to tie for second quickest pass in NHRA Top Fuel history, fourth pole of season at NHRA Finals in Pomona, California
· Pritchett dominates, posting career best pass and collecting 12 of 16 possible qualifying points
· Ron Capps powers Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car to his first No. 1 qualifier spot of 2018, 22nd of career
· Poles for Pritchett and Capps give Mopar Dodge//SRT drivers 16 No.1 spots in NHRA nitro classes for 2018 season
· Funny Car drivers Jack Beckman and Tommy Johnson Jr. qualify No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, giving Mopar Dodge//SRT sweep of top three spots
· More info on Mopar in NHRA available at http://blog.mopar.com
· Dodge Garage (http://www.dodgegarage.com/), a digital content hub for muscle car and race enthusiasts, features highlights from NHRA season Continue reading Mopar Dodge//SRT Drivers Pritchett and Capps Sweep Top Qualifying Spots at NHRA Finals →

Jeg Coughlin Jr. tallies career-best sixth low qualifier award of ’18 with impressive final run
POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 10) — With six world championships and 80 career wins, Jeg Coughlin Jr. is known far more for his winning ways on race day than his prowess during qualifying sessions. But he has added mightily to that second category this season, which he capped Saturday with a personal-best sixth low qualifier award of the year. Continue reading Jeg Coughlin Jr. tallies career-best sixth low qualifier award of ’18 with impressive final run →

JEGS pro Jeg Coughlin Jr. scores third Pro Stock pole of the playoffs, fifth of the year
LAS VEGAS (Oct. 27) — Six-time world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr.’s qualifying mastery of this year’s Countdown to the Championship races continued Saturday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when he earned the Pro Stock pole of the 18th annual NHRA Toyota Nationals with a 6.628 at 206.73 mph in the JEGS.com Camaro. Continue reading JEGS pro Jeg Coughlin Jr. scores third Pro Stock pole of the playoffs, fifth of the year →

JEGS.com drag racer Kenny Underwood
claims second Million Dollar Race title
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (Oct. 22) – For the second time in his career, veteran E.T. bracket racer and longtime JEGS Mail Order associate Kenny Underwood has claimed a victory at the Mickey Thompson Million Dollar Drag Race. Driving his JEGS-backed dragster, Underwood made his way through a field of nearly 300 of the nation’s best sportsman drag racers to capture the massive $275,000 first-place prize. Continue reading JEGS.com drag racer Kenny Underwood claims second Million Dollar Race title →

Second-ranked Jeg Coughlin Jr.
vows to fight ’til the end of 2018 season
LAS VEGAS (Oct. 19) — Six-time world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. has been around long enough to know you never give up in the sport of drag racing. If there’s anything on the table to fight for, or another foot of racetrack to cover, then it’s worth giving it your all. Even now, sitting 130 points off the championship lead with just 10 rounds worth of points up for grabs, Coughlin refuses to give an inch. Continue reading Second-ranked Jeg Coughlin Jr. vows to fight ’til the end of 2018 season →

At midway point of playoffs, Jeg Coughlin Jr. hoping to race closer to sixth title
CHARLOTTE (Oct. 8) — Five-time Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. has won his titles in a variety of ways, including holding off challengers from the lead position and coming from behind late in the season. If he hopes to add a sixth crown to his resume this year it will require catching and passing Tanner Gray, winner of the last two national events, who currently sits 90 points ahead of Coughlin in the Mello Yello points.
Continue reading At midway point of playoffs, Jeg Coughlin Jr. hoping to race closer to sixth title →

Runner-up finish lifts JEGS.com pro Jeg Coughlin Jr. to season-high third-place ranking
ENNIS, Texas (Oct. 7) — Five-time Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. continued his memorable playoff run Sunday with a runner-up finish at the 33rd annual AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals. In three Countdown to the Championship events, Coughlin has now finished, in order, in the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals.
Continue reading Runner-up finish lifts JEGS.com pro Jeg Coughlin Jr. to season-high third-place ranking →

Jeg Coughlin Jr. low qualifier again, leads
Pro Stock field into Dallas eliminations
ENNIS, Texas (Oct. 6) — It’s hard to argue with the qualifying success Jeg Coughlin Jr. has enjoyed in the first three races of the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Now if he can only translate his top qualifying efforts into race day wins, he’ll be tough to top.

For the second straight race, Coughlin qualified his JEGS.com Elite Performance Chevrolet Camaro at the top of the field. Two races back he was second overall, clearly signifying his car is at the top of the class at the moment. Coughlin now has four No. 1 qualifiers this year and 27 for his career. Those are great numbers, but adding to his career win total of 80 is what he’s really after.

“That’s the No. 1 item on the agenda,” Coughlin said. “The team has been working incredibly hard and we’ve had a great car. They were hard at it, once again, prepping for this weekend and it shows.

“We executed really well yesterday and today. We had the quickest car in two out of four sessions and now we’re sitting here as the No. 1 qualifier again so that’s really cool. Tip of the hat to our collection of crew chiefs and crew guys for all their hard work getting us to this point.”

So far, Coughlin has been the only Pro Stock driver to run in the 6.5-second range, securing the top spot with a 6.599 at 207.53 mph. He’s also posted a 6.602, a 6.624 and a 6.625.

All of Coughlin’s runs were at least a tenth of a second quicker than his scheduled first-round opponent Val Smeland, who anchored the 16-car field with a 6.747 at 206.35 mph.

Going into game day, I feel great behind the wheel,” Coughlin said. “I’m really looking forward to playing the day out completely. We are looking to make four good runs and hoist that Wally tomorrow night. This team’s been working hard for another win and I’d love nothing more than to see their efforts get rewarded at that level.”

Coughlin previously won races in Chicago, Bristol, Tenn., and Sonoma, Calif. He’s also won at the Texas Motorplex in the past (2002).

In Top Alcohol Dragster action, championship hopeful Troy Coughlin Jr. was upset by Shane Conway in the opening round of eliminations. The lowered-qualified Conway used his best pass of the weekend, a 5.323 at 266.74 mph, to hold-off Troy Jr. and his JEGS.com McPhillips Racing dragster, which posted a 5.352 at 272.23 mph.

Troy Jr. is the son of three-time and reigning Pro Mod champion Troy Coughlin. He’s also the nephew of Jeg Coughlin Jr.