BRISTOL, Tenn. (May 11) — Six-time world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. will have some extra incentive to perform well at this week's K&N Spring Fling 5 Day event at Bristol Dragway with new baby Carly Coughlin attending her first drag race. Born in January, Carly and Coughlin's wife Samantha will be at Thunder Valley to cheer on the 74-time national event winner at organizers Peter Biondo and Kyle Seipel's signature event.
"Drag racing always has been a family affair for the Coughlins and we're excited to continue that tradition," said Jeg Jr., one of four Coughlin brothers that own and operate mail order giant JEGS Automotive. "I can remember my brothers and me going to help my dad race when we were boys. We definitely grew up at the drag strip. Now little Carly can get her first peek at what we do.
"It'll be great to have her there and Samantha as well. It's always special when you can race with your family and I hopefully we'll have some great memories from this weekend. I predict she'll be a good luck charm and we can turn on some win lights."
Just as he did in Las Vegas a few weeks ago, Coughlin will be racing two hot rods in Bristol, his JEGS.com dragster and a JEGS.com Chevy II wagon. He performed well in both cars in Nevada, and hopes that success carries over to Tennessee.
"Well, as we quickly found out in Vegas, the competition at these events is first-rate," Coughlin said. "We feel fortunate to have survived through nine rounds for a runner-up finish in the $10K race Friday night at The Strip. That was certainly a highlight. We actually made 33 runs between the two cars so we feel great going into the Bristol Fling.
"This particular event is a little different because we're racing to a compromised distance of 1,000 feet. That's an adjustment that everyone will need to make but the bottom line is we're all racing on the same track and we know in advance that Bristol will be set-up perfectly. Bruton Smith tracks are always prepped well."
Racing action begins Tuesday with a test-and-tune session highlighted by the American/RaceTech Shootout. The big dollar races start Wednesday with a $15,000-to-win event, followed by three consecutive days of $20,000-to-win main events. There also are a variety of racer incentives offered each day, keeping things interesting for every pairing.
"Kyle and Peter are racers themselves and they have done a fantastic job of making their events some of the best in the country," Coughlin said. "That's why JEGS is a proud sponsor and it's neat for us to be involved in something where everyone is having fun and the racing is so tight. It's going to be a big weekend."
Highlights of the five-day event will be shown at a future date on MAVTV.