Cody Coughlin and his Team JEGS crew returned to Lucas Oil Raceway in Clermont, Indiana this past weekend with two goals in mind. One was to improve on their run they had in July and two, to get even closer to the 2013 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour championship.
The two goals were met on a sunny afternoon as Coughlin finished second in the 100-lap event and is very close to locking up the championship. When the green flag waves at the series' final event at Winchester Speedway on Friday, October 11, Coughlin will officially lay claim to the title.
Coughlin grabbed the lead after starting on the outside of the front row. He and Dominique Van Wieringen battled for the lead until Van Wieringen got by Coughlin on lap 29.
Endurance was key on the bright, sunny day as the last 88 laps were caution free. Coughlin ran solid and consistent lap times to where he wasn’t challenged for the second spot as the checkered flag waved in the air.
A win would have been the icing on the cake, but for Coughlin and his Team JEGS crew, the second-place finish was satisfying when looking at the big picture.
“We were so bad here back in July that this is so awesome to get a second-place finish today. I would say that we are probably locked in for the championship, which is awesome,” Coughlin said after the race. “Congrats to Dominique on the win. She was unbelievably fast and in a league of her own. It was a solid effort on our part.
“Everybody works really hard at the shop. We went over our notes to see what was wrong with it. Obviously we did a good job of that to come home second today here at Lucas Oil Raceway.”
The Team JEGS crew consists of Team Manager Kevin Hamlin, Crew Chief Nick Easton, Chassis Consultant Freddie Query, and Crew Members Dave Holt, Jeremy Wilburt and Tony Collier.
Not only does Coughlin have the support of his crew but his family and friends as well
“My parents, John & Di, are very supportive of what I do and I am glad they are at the tracks with me to share in our success,” Coughlin said. “We set a goal at the beginning of the season and with their support, we are close to achieving that goal. My sister Kennedi has kept my spirit up all year round and that is really cool to have a sister for that.
“I really have to thank God for everything he has given to our family and our team. We have assembled a gifted group of individuals to make up this team and it is awesome to see the results.”
Coughlin also wanted to extend a special message to his fans going into the championship event, October 11 at Winchester.
“I hope many come to Winchester Speedway in a few weeks and join us in celebrating a championship. It would be great to meet you all and thank you for your support this year.”
For more information on Cody Coughlin and Team JEGS, visit www.teamjegs.com. Follow Team JEGS on Twitter, @TeamJEGS and “Like” JEGS Performance on Facebook.