Brother’s win buoys Jeg and Troy Coughlin

NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
O’Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals presented by Q Power
Bristol Dragway
Bristol, TN
April 29th – May 1st

JEG’S Mail Order
Jeg Coughlin Jr – Pro Stock
Troy Coughlin – ProMod
Pre Race Release

When Mike Coughlin won the Super Comp title of the second annual Jegs.com NHRA Cajun SPORTSnationals last weekend in Louisiana, his three racing brothers were almost as excited as he was, mainly because Mike’s win was the first of the season for the famous racing clan.

“Ever since we’ve all been racing it seems like once somebody breaks through and gets that first win of the year then they start pouring in for all of us,” baby brother Jeg Coughlin said. “Certainly, we hope that’s the case this year and there’s no reason to think otherwise because we’re all running great at the moment.”

Jeg will have the most obvious chance to bring further glory to the Jeg’s Mail Order race team in his slick Dodge Stratus R/T. The two-time Pro Stock world champion is coming off a season-best fourth-place qualifying effort in Las Vegas, and he now hopes for similar conditions at Bristol Dragway, which is just 35 feet lower than The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s altitude of 2,000 feet.

“We’re optimistic for a number of reasons,” said Jeg, who has 33 Pro Stock wins to his credit. “First, the car is running strong. Second, the conditions should be the same or even better than Las Vegas. Third, my teammate, Richie Stevens, came and tested here for two days last week and had the quickest car. Fourth, we won here before (at the 1999 Showdown). And fifth, Mikey won so the run is on.”

Although Mike and John are taking this weekend off, Troy is coming off his finest outing yet in his Jeg’s Mail Order Ford Mustang Pro Mod car. Troy qualified fifth over the weekend at the SPORTSnationals, and notched his first elimination-round win of the 14-race AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge on Sunday.

“We can’t wait to get to Bristol,” Troy said. “The Jeg’s Pro Mod car is running great and I’m very pleased with my progress behind the wheel. We’re in one of those modes where we can’t wait to get on the racetrack because the car is so strong.”

No stranger to Thunder Valley, either the new version or the old (Troy raced Top Sportsman down the previous racetrack in the late 1980s) the second eldest of the four racing Coughlin boys notched the most lucrative win of his Pro Stock career at Bristol Dragway in 2000 when he won the $50,000 Winston “No Bull” Showdown. The year prior to that, Troy was runner-up to Jeg in the same event.

“For a long time I had more elimination round wins at that track than anyone,” Troy said. “I’ve always raced well there. I really liked the track before but since they’ve remodeled it I’d have to say it’s one of my favorites overall. I feel very comfortable there, especially since my first pro Mod run ever was down Thunder Valley last July.”


SCHEDULE: Pro qualifying sessions are scheduled for 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on April 29. Qualifying continues at noon and 3 p.m. on April 30. Final eliminations start at noon on May 1.

NHRA ON TV: ESPN2 will televise two hours of qualifying coverage of the O’Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at 7 p.m. (ET) on April 30. ESPN2 will televise three hours of final eliminations coverage at 7 p.m. (ET) on May 1.

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