Texas Motorplex (Ennis, Texas) – Sept. 20-22
The AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals is the second of six events in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoff that will determine the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello series professional Champions. Jeg Coughlin Jr. enters the event as the second ranked driver in the Pro Stock class. Following his win last weekend in Charlotte, Coughlin is just ten points behind leader Mike Edwards.
Jeg Jr. appeared in seven Pro Stock final rounds in the first 19 events of the season and has claimed three victories in Topeka, Joliet, and Charlotte. He will now have five remaining playoff events in order to make a run at his fifth NHRA Pro Stock world championship and sixth overall title.
Jeg Jr. made his Pro Stock debut at the Texas Motorplex in 1997. He qualified No. 7 and defeated the late Scott Geoffrion in round one before losing to Jim Yates in round two.
In 17 appearances at the Texas Motorplex, Jeg Jr., has a round win record of 21-13 in Pro Stock competition. Jeg Jr. won the Pro Stock title in Dallas in 2002 defeating Gene Wilson in the final round. He also earned runner-up finishes in 2000, 2003, and 2008.
The JEGS Mail Order team made a major change to their Pro Stock program this winter when Jeg Jr. joined forces with reigning NHRA Pro Stock champion Allen Johnson. This year, Coughlin’s Dodge is powered by HEMI engines from Johnson’s J&J Racing team and is tuned by Johnson’s crew chiefs Mark Ingersoll and Jim Yates.
Jeg Coughlin Jr. is a four-time NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock champion. He earned season titles in 2000, 2002, 2007 and 2008. As a sportsman driver, Jeg Jr. also claimed the NHRA Super Gas championship in 1992.
During his victory earlier this year at Heartland Park Topeka, Jeg Jr. became just the 12th professional racer to win 500 rounds of NHRA competition. He joins fellow pros John Force, Warren Johnson, Kenny Bernstein, Tony Schumacher, Larry Dixon, Bob Glidden, Greg Anderson, Kurt Johnson, Joe Amato, Cory McClenathan, and Tony Pedregon in that exclusive club.
With 55-career Pro Stock wins, Jeg Jr. ranks fourth all-time among Pro Stock drivers. Only Warren Johnson (96), Bob Glidden (85) and Greg Anderson (74) have more titles.
Jeg Jr. is one of only two drivers, along with Peter Biondo, to win national event titles in six different categories. He has won in Pro Stock, Comp, Super Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, and Top Dragster.
Of Jeg Jr’s 523-career round wins, 89 have come via a starting line holeshot, which is the most of any past or current Pro Stock driver.
In the first 19 races of the 2013 season, Jeg Jr. has three wins, four runner-up finishes and five semifinals to his credit. His overall record for the year is 38-16.
Jeg Jr’s best elapsed time in a Pro Stock car is 6.487-seconds and his best speed is 213.47-mph both recorded during the 2013 season in Gainesville and Charlotte, respectively.
With his win last weekend at zMax Dragway, Jeg Jr. has now won national event titles at 24 former and current NHRA facilities. The only current sites where he has not won are Norwalk and Epping.
In 325 career Pro Stock races, Jeg Jr. has reached the final round 92 times, recording 55 wins. Including his 16 sportsman victories, Jeg Jr. has won a total of 71 times, good for tenth place on NHRA’s all-time wins list. During his career, Jeg Jr. has appeared in 114 final rounds, 92 as a professional and 22 as a sportsman racer.
The Coughlin family, including John, Troy, Mike, Jeg Jr., and Troy Jr. have combined for 98 NHRA national event victories since 1990. The Coughlin’s have won in 9 different eliminators including Pro Stock, Pro Stock Truck, Pro Mod, Comp, Super Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, Top Sportsman, and Top Dragster.
Team JEGS / By the Numbers (Dallas)
3 Pro Stock wins for Jeg Coughlin Jr. this season
9 Number of classes where the Coughlin family has earned an NHRA national event victory
98 NHRA national event victories for the Coughlin family
523 Round wins for Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the Pro Stock class.