Maple Grove Raceway (Sept. 9-12)
The JEGS Mail Order team will be represented at this week’s Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals by third-generation racer Troy Coughlin Jr., who is pulling double duty in Pro Stock and Top Dragster.
The JEGS Mail Order team features a new look this season with Troy Coughlin Jr. taking over from his uncle, Jeg Coughlin Jr., as the primary driver of the JEGS.com Elite Motorsports Chevy Camaro Pro Stock entry.
Troy Coughlin Jr. is racing as a member of the Elite Motorsports team which also includes Erica Enders, and Aaron Stanfield. Troy’s crew chief is Mark Ingersoll, who has extensive experience as a championship winning tuner.
The Reading event marks the start of the Countdown to the Championship, the playoffs which determine the Camping World NHRA champions. Troy Jr. will begin as the No. 7 ranked driver in Pro Stock, meaning he is just 70 points behind leader Greg Anderson.
At the season-opening Camping World NHRA Drag Racing Series event in Gainesville, Fla., Troy Jr. qualified No. 7 in the 16-car field and reached the final round where he lost to Greg Anderson.
At the most recent NHRA Pro Stock event in Indianapolis, Troy Jr. qualified his JEGS.com Camaro in the No. 2 position. On race day, he lost in round one via a foul start.
At the conclusion of the regular season, Troy Jr. has an 11-11 record in Pro Stock elimination rounds.
Troy Jr. is an eight-time national event winner with victories in Top Alcohol Dragster (3), Super Gas (3), and Super Comp (2). He has also competed in Top Fuel and Pro Mod during his career.
Last season, Troy Jr. made his Pro Stock debut at the Lucas Oil NHRA Summernationals also held in Indianapolis. He competed in eight events during the 2020 season and qualified for seven of them. He raced to a runner-up finish at the Dodge NHRA Indy Nationals, losing to his uncle, Jeg Jr., who won his 65th and final Pro Stock race and 84th overall.
So far this season, Troy Jr. has qualified in the top half of the Pro Stock field in 10 of 11 events. His best starting position has been No. 1 at the most recent event in Topeka.
Troy Jr. will also be returning to the Top Dragster class in Reading with his JEGS.com entry. Last week at the Dodge/SRT U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, Troy Jr. also raced in Super Gas and earned a semifinal finish.
Troy Jr. has enjoyed considerable success at Maple Grove Raceway with back-to-back Top Alcohol Dragster victories in 2018-19.
Troy Jr. is the first third-generation Coughlin to win a major event. Troy Jr. won the U.S. Nationals in Super Comp in 2010 and also won the Indy Super Gas title in 2014. His other wins have come in Las Vegas (2009), Gainesville (2013), Columbus (2014), Reading (2018), Norwalk (2019) and Reading (2019).
Troy Jr. was crowned the 2018 and 2019 North Central Region Top Alcohol Dragster champion. He was also crowned the 2013 NHRA North Central Division Super Gas champion.
In 2019, Troy Jr. appeared in ten final rounds in Top Alcohol Dragster and earned five wins including national event titles in Norwalk and Reading. Troy Jr. has also earned victories at regional events at Atco Dragway, Beech Bend Raceway Park, and Virginia Motorsports Park.
In addition to his success in NHRA events, Troy Jr. also is regarded as one of the sport’s best E.T. bracket racers. He has accumulated several major victories including a $25,000 payday at the Atco Dragway Superbucks event and a $10,000 win the Spring Buck Blast at South Georgia Motorsports Park. He also won a $20,000 race at the Powerball of Bracket Racing event in Darlington, S.C.
Overall, the Coughlin family, including John, Troy, Mike, Jeg Jr. and Troy Jr. have combined for 127 NHRA national event victories since 1990. The Coughlin’s have won in 11 different eliminators including Pro Stock, Pro Stock Truck, Pro Mod, Top Alcohol Dragster, Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, Top Sportsman and Top Dragster.
Team JEGS – By the Numbers (Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals)
2: Entries for Troy Coughlin Jr. in this week’s Reading event (Pro Stock and Top Dragster)
8: NHRA national event wins for Troy Coughlin Jr. in 3 different classes (Top Alcohol Dragster, Super Comp, Super Gas).
8: National event wins for the Couglin family in Reading (5 by Jeg Coughlin Jr., 2 by Troy Jr., 1 by Troy Sr.)
11: Number of classes where the Coughlin family has earned an NHRA national event victory
127: Combined NHRA national event victories for the Coughlin family
229: Combined NHRA national event final rounds for the Coughlin family.