Team JEGS Pre-race Notes:
Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals
Team JEGS Pre-race Notes
Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals
Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville, Fla. (March 17-20)
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.
Jeg Coughlin Jr.
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 NHRA Mello Yello champion Erica Enders. They are both racing Dodge Darts for the Elite team.
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 will 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 two events of the season in Pomona, Calif., and Phoenix, Coughlin enters the Gainesville event ranked No. 6 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.
In 15 career appearances at Gainesville Raceway, Coughlin has a round-win record of 28-12 in Pro Stock competition.
Jeg Coughlin Jr.
In his 15 Gainesville races, Coughlin has qualified in the top half of the Pro Stock field 12 times, including No. 1 at the 1998 event.
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 Gainesville Raceway, 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.
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 359 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.
Troy Coughlin Sr.
During his Pro Stock career, Coughlin has competed in 359 events and recorded 578 round-wins while incurring just 285 losses. He has red-lighted only 20 times and failed to qualify just 16 times.
The Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals will mark the first race in the 10-event 2016 NHRA J&A Services Pro Mod Racing Series. Reigning series champion Troy Coughlin Sr. will begin his title defense behind the wheel of his turbocharged JEGS.com C7 Corvette.
The JEGS.com Pro Mod Corvette is tuned by noted turbocharger expert Steve Petty. With a top speed in excess of 259 mph, Troy is one of the fastest drivers in the Pro Mod class. He has also recorded a personal-best elapsed time of 5.766 seconds.
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.
Last season, 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.