Once the celebration from Saturday’s Toledo Speedway ARCA/CRA Super Series victory was complete, it was time for Cody Coughlin to get back to work behind the wheel.
Following the win, Coughlin hopped right onto a plane bound for Tennessee and a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series test at historic Bristol Motor Speedway Monday and Tuesday.
Coughlin’s test at the high-banked half-mile in “Thunder Valley” was a successful one for the 20-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing Development Driver.
“The test went really well,” said Coughlin, the driver of the No. 51 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series entry for Kyle Busch Motorsports. “It was awesome getting to drive at Bristol because it’s such a cool race track with the high banks and the seats all around it.”
Coughlin raced and won in a Super Late Model Saturday at the flatter half-mile of Toledo Speedway. The car and track were both just a little bit different from what Coughlin experienced in the KBM truck at Bristol.
“The test went really well, but it took a little bit of time adjusting to the truck after running in the Super Late Model,” said Coughlin. “But we got up to speed and ran quick, competitive and consistent lap times as the test went on.
“At Bristol the groove is mainly right up at the wall, but in order to make passes you need to be able to make the bottom work too. We worked the top and the bottom groove, one on each day.”
The Bristol test marked the first time that Coughlin and crew chief Kevin “Bono” Manion were able to work together. Coughlin worked with Wes Ward at Daytona in his only KBM start so far in 2016. The pairing immediately clicked in Bristol.
“We got along great,” he said. “He really knows his stuff and that much is clear when you look at his body of work. I feel like I’m going to learn a lot working with him and we’re going to have a lot of success together.”
Cody Coughlin’s next NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start is scheduled for Friday, May 6 at Kansas Speedway in the Toyota Tundra 250.
For more information on Cody Coughlin and Team JEGS, visit www.teamjegs.com and follow Cody on Twitter, @Cody_Coughlin. Follow Team JEGS on Twitter, @TeamJEGS, and “Like” JEGS Performance on Facebook. Also be sure to check out Cody’s new website, www.codycoughlin.com. Any other inquiries for Cody Coughlin can be sent to Bob Dillner via email at bd51sports@gmail.com.