Team JEGS: Troy Coughlin Biography

Veteran racer Troy Coughlin has a new car and a new attitude for 2009 with one defined goal -- winning the Pro Street division in the National Muscle Car Association.

After two seasons in a Pro Modified entry competing alongside his youngest brother Jeg in NHRA competition, Troy is ready to climb into a 2009 Pontiac GXP powered by massive 830 cid Sonny Leonard racing engine capable of covering the quarter-mile in 6.3 seconds at more than 220 mph.

It's understandable that Troy feels he has a little unfinished business in the NMCA. In 2006, he battled good friend and longtime NMCA dominator Vinny Budano down to the wire for the Pro Street title, eventually coming in second by just a few rounds of action. This year he'll try to take the final step and capture his first national title in the seven-race series.

Far be it for anyone to stand in Coughlin's way. For two decades now, he's been driving the wheels off some kind of hot rod. He started his career in the Sportsman ranks but soon turned professional and entered Pro Stock in 1994, becoming the first of the four Coughlin boys to follow his legendary father into professional straight-line competition.

Troy had an impressive 10-year stretch in Pro Stock, a class most consider as the toughest eliminator in drag racing. He claimed a pair of victories in 10 final-round showings, earned membership in the ultra-exclusive Holley Six-Second Pro Stock Club in '97, and pocketed $50,000 for winning the Winston Showdown in 2000. That same year he also took runner-up honors in the first brother vs. brother final round of the Holley Dominator Duel specialty event to his youngest sibling, Jeg Jr. His career in Pro Stock was highlighted by consecutive sixth-place finishes in 1999 and 2000.

Along the way, Troy never forgot his Sportsman roots, becoming the first Super Comp racer in history to top 180 mph. It was also in that class in 2001 that he scored his first win at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green Ky., and his first national event victory at the prestigious U.S. Nationals, the sport's longest-running and most important event.

Putting family first, Coughlin left the Pro Stock ranks and the grueling schedule it requires in 2005 to spend more time with his wife Julie and their four children, Troy Jr., Meghan, Paige, and Kelly. From there, he cherry-picked his races, winning several high-dollar bracket events around the country, including the $50,000 Big Dog Shootout at Piedmont Dragway in Greensboro, N.C., widely recognized as the toughest Sportsman level race in the country.

Hungry for a national title, he made the move to NMCA in '06 before running Pro Mod in 2007 and '08.

When not racing himself, Troy is usually tinkering with his son Troy Jr.'s Super Comp dragster.

Fast Facts

DOB:		June 30, 1964
Hometown:		Delaware, Ohio
Wife:		Julie
Children:		Meghan, Troy Jr., Paige and Kelly
Sponsor:		JEGS Mail Order
Primary Car:		2007 Pontiac GTO, ProMod
Career National event wins:		4
Career Divisional event wins:		2 (Super Comp)
Career Best ET:		6.12
Career Best Mph:		232.04
Began Racing:		1987
Began Pro Stock:		1994
First Career Win:		1991 NHRA Lucas Oil Series event, Beech Bend Raceway Park (Super Comp)
First National Event Win:		2001 NHRA 50th anniversary Nationals, Reading, Pa. (Pro Stock)
First Career NHRA national event win (sportsman):		1991 NHRA U.S. Nationals, Indianapolis, Ind. (Super Gas)

Career Highlights

’08 Results

Competed in the JEGS ProMod Challenge Series behind the wheel of a supercharged ’68 Chevy Camaro.
Emerged uninjured from an accident at Atlanta Dragway but was sidelined for four months while building a new car.
Recorded a personal best 6.01-second run at the NHRA event In Ennis, Texas

’07 Results:

Raced in the AMS Pro Mod Series with his Jegs Mail Order Pontiac GTO, one of the first Pro Mod vehicles to feature a turbocharged engine.
Became the first driver in the AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge series to win a round of competition with a turbocharged car after beating Doug Palmer in Bristol, Tenn.

’06 Results:

Won Top Sportsman Shootout title at the Jegs.com NHRA Cajun SPORTSnationals in Belle Rose, La., after qualifying No. 1.
Posted four runner-up finishes in the Denso Pro Street class at the Jegs NMCA Hot Rod and Muscle Car Nationals at National Trail Raceway, the Ross Pistons Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa., the Nitto Tires Nationals in Commerce, Ga., and the NMCA World Finals in Memphis, Tenn.
Finished second in the NMCA Denso Pro Street points standings.

’05 Results:

Made the move from Pro Stock to the new Pro Mod class, driving a supercharged Team Jegs '67 Shelby GT500 Mustang.
Finished 6th in the AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge Series points standings.
Recorded a career best 6.12 at over 232-mph, making him the quickest and fastest of the four Coughlin brothers.
Also built a Chevy Cavalier for National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) Fastest Street Car competition, running in the Denso Pro Street Class. Won NMCA event at South Georgia Motorsports Park in Valdosta, Ga.
Finished 6th in the AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Series
Rookie year in the AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Series
Won 1st AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Series event at Old Bridge raceway Park (Englishtown, NJ).
Partnered with Mike Ashley's Gotham City Racing in ProMod.
Won prestigious $50,000 Big Dog - North vs. South Shootout and was a first time competitor.
Finished 9th in the NMCA in Denso Pro Street Championship.
Rookie year competing in NMCA Pro Street.
Won JEGS Family Fun Day - Slow Bracket title.

’04 Results:

Ran a limited schedule of NHRA Pro Stock events, finishing 22nd in the points standings
Announced plans to compete in the AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Series in 2005

’03 Results:

Finished #13 in the 2003 NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock championship
2 runner-up (Phoenix, AZ & Reading, PA) finishes
Posted career best ET and mph.

’02 Results:

1 NHRA national event win in Pro Stock (Topeka, Kan.)

’01 Results:

First Pro Win (Pep Boys NHRA National-Reading, PA.)
Made second fastest run in Pro Stock history 203.83 mph. (Reading, PA.)

’00 Results:

Finished 6th in the Pro Stock NHRA Winston Championship.
Qualified for all events, one of five.
Winner of the prestigious Winston Showdown
2 Runner-up finishes in Pro Stock
Runner-up finish in the ’00 Holley Dominator Duel (All-star race).

’99 Results:

Finished 6th in NHRA Winston Championship, career best finish.
6 Runner-up finishes.
Became the 9th member of the Federal-Mogul Speed Pro 200 mph Club on May 1, 1999 (Dinwiddie, VA)
Qualified No. 1 at the Auto Club NHRA Finals, career first.

’98 Results:

Finished 14th in NHRA Winston Championship

’97 Results:

Finished 8th in NHRA Winston Championship
Runner-up finish at the Pontiac Excitement Nationals, first professional final round appearance.
Became the 11th member of The Holley Six Second Club
Qualified for the ’97 Dupont Pro Stock Challenge

’96 Results:

Finished 11th in NHRA Winston Championship

’95 Results:

Finished 17th in the NHRA Winston Championship

’94 Results:

Finished 24th in the NHRA Winston Championship

’93 Results:

Finished 6th in NHRA Lucas Oil Division 3 championship in Super Gas
One NHRA Lucas Oil Divisional win in Super Comp (Indianapolis, IN)
Competed in UDRA/MWPA Pro Stock events
Competed in Top Sportsman & Quick 8 events

’92 Results:

One JEGS Allstars Race runner-up finish in Super Comp (Columbus, OH)

’91 Results:

Finished 2nd in Division 3 Super Comp standings
One NHRA national event win in Super Gas (Indianapolis, IN)
One NHRA Lucas Oil Divisional wins in Super Comp (Bowling Green, KY)

’90 Results:

Competed in Super Comp & Super Gas

’89 Results:

Competed in Super Comp & Super Gas

’88 Results:

Won NHRA Sportsman National Open in Super Gas (Bowling Green, KY)

’87 Results:

Competed in Super Gas

Personal

Work for family owned business, JEGS Mail Order
Older brother John races in Top Dragster and Super Stock, younger brother Mike races in Top Sportsman and younger brother Jeg races in Pro Stock.
Enjoys spending time with family and shopping.