Cody Coughlin has raced in many locations across the continent of North America throughout his racing career, but he’s never raced in Miami, Florida, the place he refers to as his second home. However, that will finally change on Friday night when Coughlin takes the green flag in the season finale for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the Ford EcoBoost 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Coughlin, from Delaware, Ohio, has always loved the topical city of Miami. The 21-year-old driver doesn’t come from a state on the ocean, but he’s always loved the beach and everything that comes with it.
“I’ve always loved going to the beach, specifically in Miami,” said Coughlin. “Jet-skiing is one of my favorite things to do, so I make sure to do that every time I’m in Miami. The city is just fun. It has an interesting international vibe to it and a lot of unique food choices. If I was to ever move out of Ohio, Miami is probably where I’d want to be.”
Coughlin has raced in Las Vegas; he’s raced in Texas, New Hampshire, and just about anywhere in between. He’s also raced north of the border in Canada. However, Friday will be the first time he straps into his JEGS.com/RIDE TV Toyota Tundra for ThorSport Racing in sunny Miami, and that is something he is very excited about.
“I’ve always loved Miami, but it’s always been a vacation spot for me. This week we’ll get to combine that with the race on Friday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It’s a new track for me, so that’ll be interesting. I know that we can race from the bottom of the track all the way up to the wall, so that’ll be interesting too. I’ll be relying on the notes prepared by Terry Cook (spotter) to get me ready for the race, just like I did for last week’s race at Phoenix.”
Last week’s race at Phoenix Raceway (AZ) went well for Coughlin as he drove from the 13th starting position up to third, the first podium finish of Coughlin’s young career.
“That race was a lot of fun. I’m very happy for my team that we were finally able to get a strong finish like that,” added Coughin, who is 13th in the NCWTS standings. “The communication between myself and Rich (Lushes, interim crew chief) was very good all day long. Hopefully we’ll be able to replicate that performance this weekend in Florida and close out the season on a high note.”
Friday’s race is the season finale for the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series campaign. It is also a one-day show at Homestead-Miami Speedway, meaning Coughlin will practice, qualify, and race all in the same day.
Coughlin’s Ford EcoBoost 200 race day will begin bright and early at 8:30 a.m. ET with the first of two practice sessions. Final practice will begin at 10:00 a.m. ET. Both practices will air live on FOX Sports 1. Pole qualifying will take place 3:30 p.m. ET and also will air live on FOX Sports 1. The green flag for Friday’s Ford EcoBoost 200 will wave at 8 p.m. ET live on FOX Sports 1.
Friday’s race is 134 laps in length for 201 total miles in distance. The race is broken down into three stages. The first stage will end on lap 40, the middle stage will end on lap 80, and the final stage will end on lap 134 unless NASCAR Overtime is required.
For more information on Cody Coughlin and Team JEGS, visit codycoughlin.com and follow Cody on Twitter, @Cody_Coughlin. Follow Team JEGS on Twitter, @TeamJEGS, and “Like”JEGS Performance on Facebook. Follow ThorSport Racing on Twitter, @ThorSportRacing, and visit them online at ThorSport.com. If you need more information regarding ThorSport please contact Jessica O’Brien via email at jessica@edgehillmanagement.com. Any other inquiries for Cody Coughlin can be sent to Bob Dillner via email at bd51sports@gmail.com.
About JEGS Automotive, Inc.
In 1960, Jeg Coughlin Sr. founded JEGS as a small speed shop. It has grown into a high-performance powerhouse that includes a race team (Team JEGS), 250,000 square foot warehouse, retail store, mail order and website. The 350+ employees at JEGS still strongly believe and practice our simply business philosophy: Customer Care is #1. For more information about JEGS Automotive, Inc. visit JEGS.com.
About Ride Television Network, Inc.
Ride Television Network, Inc. is a privately held corporation based in Fort Worth, Texas. The company was formed in 2011 for the purpose of launching a 24-hour, high definition, television network. RIDE TV launched on October 1, 2014 in the United States and is now available internationally. The network features high-quality television programming showcasing both English and Western disciplines and lifestyles and includes live events, reality shows, talk shows, children’s programming, documentaries and more. For more information about RIDE TV, please visit www.ridetv.com.
About ThorSport Racing
ThorSport Racing, based in Sandusky, Ohio, is the longest-tenured NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team. ThorSport Racing, which has competed in the NCWTS since 1996, will run the No. 88 Menards Toyota Tundra driven by two-time NCWTS drivers’ champion Matt Crafton, the No. 13 JEGS/RIDE TV Toyota Tundra driven by Cody Coughlin, the No. 27 Tundra driven by Ben Rhodes, and the No. 98 RIDE TV/Champion Power Equipment/Jive Communications/Curb Records Toyota Tundra driven by Grant Enfinger. For more information visit www.ThorSport.com.