Cody Coughlin was knocking on the door of the top 10 in the Drivin’ for Linemen 200 at Gateway Motorsports Park (IL) before a penalty on pit road struck he and his ThorSport Racing team with under 30 laps to go. Coughlin and his team valiantly fought back from a lap down to finish 12th after starting 13th.
The 21-year-old driver raced inside the top 10 for much of Saturday night’s 160-lap race at the 1.25-mile egg-shaped oval just outside of Saint Louis, Missouri. A penalty on pit road put Coughlin a lap down, but he and his team never gave up.
The caution flag waved with just under 10 laps to go, putting Coughlin back on the lead lap. Coughlin was able to gain one spot after the restart to finish in the 12th position in his first start at the difficult facility.
"We had a good JEGS.com Tundra tonight,” said Coughlin. “That place is tough to pass on but we were able to make some things happen. We are working hard and are so close to achieving our goals. Duke and Rhonda Thorson give us great equipment and that’s why I am confident in our team that we will continue to get better with each race.
“It was a big weekend for all of us for a lot of reasons,” continued Coughlin. “Duke, Rich (Lushes – Truck Chief)) and Kevin (Hamlin – Team JEGS General Manager) all had birthdays and I am blessed to have each of them in my life. Plus, it’s Father’s Day weekend and I am very fortunate to have my dad (John) and my whole family by my side. We'll go to Iowa and see if we can make more things happen there.”
Coughlin will now head to the 7/8-mile oval of Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa next Friday for the M&M’s 200. It will be Coughlin’s first start at the Iowa Speedway.
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.