The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Las Vegas, Nev.) April 1-3, 2016
Six-time NHRA world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. has returned to the Pro Stock class on a full-time basis in 2016. Jeg Jr. is racing a new Rick Jones Race Cars-built Dodge Dart as a member of the Elite Motorsports team.
Last season, Jeg Jr. took a breather from the Pro Stock class but he did return at mid-season for a brief stint with the Elite Motorsports team. In three events, Jeg Jr. raced to a runner-up and a semifinal.
Jeg Coughlin Jr. has joined the Elite Motorsports team for 2016 and will race a Dodge Dart as a teammate to two-time world champ Erica Enders. The Elite team will also include the Pro Stock entries of Drew Skillman and Vincent Nobile. Rickie Jones is the crew chief for Coughlin’s HEMI-powered Dodge while his father, Rick, is the crew chief for Enders. Veteran crew chiefs Mark Ingersoll and Brian “Lump” Self, round out the Elite roster as the crew chiefs for Skillman and Nobile, respectively. All four Elite teams and their crew chiefs, regularly share data and tuning advice.
The NHRA Pro Stock class has an entirely different look this season thanks to a number of major rules revisions. Electronic fuel injection has replaced carburetors and as a result, the cars will no longer have big hood scoops. Pro Stock engines are now limited to a maximum of 10,500 rpm and the wheelie bar length has been shortened.
After the first three events of the season in Pomona, Phoenix, and Gainesville, Jeg Jr. enters the Gainesville event ranked No. 6 in the NHRA Mello Yello Pro Stock points standings.
While in Las Vegas, Jeg Jr. will take part in the 32nd annual K&N Horsepower Challenge, a special event that features the top eight drivers in the Pro Stock class. The winner of the K&N Challenge will receive $50,000. After sitting out most of the 2015 season, Jeg Jr. was able to enter the event as the No. 8 seed by winning a special fan vote. He will race against Greg Anderson in round one.
Jeg Jr. has three previous wins in the K&N Horsepower Challenge in 1999, 2000, and 2009. This will be his 13th start in the popular Pro Stock all-star event.
The K&N Horsepower Challenge Sweepstakes also gives fans an exciting opportunity to win. Eight fans that enter the K&N Horsepower Challenge Sweepstakes will be selected to win a trip for two to the K&N Horsepower Challenge. Each winner will be paired with one of the eight Pro Stock finalists, and the fan paired with the 2016 K&N Horsepower Challenge champion will win a 2016 K&N Horsepower Challenge Edition Toyota Tacoma.
During his professional career, which began in 1997, Jeg Jr. has earned 15 top-10 finishes in the NHRA Pro Stock class.
Jeg Jr. is a five-time NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock champion. He earned season titles in 2000, 2002, 2007-2008 and 2013. As a sportsman driver, Jeg Jr. also claimed the NHRA Super Gas championship in 1992.
Jeg Jr.’s best elapsed time in a Pro Stock car is 6.484 seconds and his best speed is 214.62 mph, both recorded in Gainesville in 2014.
During his career, Jeg Jr. has won the Pro Stock title five times in Las Vegas. He claimed a win at the inaugural event in 2000 by beating Warren Johnson and returned in 2001 and 2002 to post final round wins over Jim Yates and Warren Johnson, respectively. Jeg Jr. also won back-to-back titles in 2008 and 2009, beating Greg Stanfield in both final rounds.
In addition to his five Pro Stock wins, Jeg Jr. has also posted three runner-up finishes in Las Vegas. He reached the final round at both the spring and fall events in 2001 and the fall race in 2014.
Jeg Jr. has qualified in the top half of the Pro Stock field 14 times in Las Vegas including a best of No.1 in 2007 and 2008, and 2014. During his career, Jeg Jr. has qualified in the top spot 20 times.
In 26 appearances at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (including the Fall event), Jeg Jr. has a round win record of 46-19 in Pro Stock competition.
In addition to his Pro Stock wins, Jeg Jr. also won the Super Comp title at the Spring Las Vegas race in 2012.
Last season, Jeg Jr. accomplished a longtime goal with his first national event double. Racing at the JEGS Northern SPORTSnationals in Columbus, he won the Super Gas and Stock titles. In Stock, Jeg Jr. drove his Dodge Challenger Drag Pak to the title.
Including The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Jeg Jr. has won at least one NHRA national event at 24 different facilities. The only current venues on the NHRA Mello Yello tour where he has not won are the tracks in Norwalk and Epping.
Jeg Jr. is one of just 16 professional racers to win 500 elimination rounds in NHRA competition, a feat he accomplished at the 2013 Topeka race. The only other Pro Stock drivers with 500 wins are Warren Johnson, Bob Glidden and Greg Anderson.
Jeg Jr. is the only driver to win national event titles in seven different categories. He has won in Pro Stock, Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas and Top Dragster.
Jeg Jr. is the only professional racer in history to win a national event title from all 16 starting spots. During his Indy win in 2000, Jeg Jr. qualified No. 16.
With 58 Pro Stock wins in his career, Jeg Jr. ranks fourth all-time among Pro Stock drivers. Only Warren Johnson (97), Bob Glidden (85) and Greg Anderson (80) have more titles.
In 360 career Pro Stock races, Jeg Jr. has reached the final round 100 times, recording 58 wins. Including his 18 sportsman victories, Jeg Jr. has won a total of 76 times, good for ninth place on NHRA’s all-time wins list. During his career, Jeg Jr. has appeared in 124 final rounds, 100 as a professional and 24 as a sportsman racer.
During his Pro Stock career, Jeg Jr. has competed in 360 events and recorded 579 round wins while incurring just 286 losses. He has red-lighted just 20 times and failed to qualify just 16 times.
Third generation racer Troy Coughlin Jr. will also be representing the JEGS Mail Order team in Las Vegas. Troy Jr. will be racing his JEGS.com Corvette in the Super Gas class.
Troy Jr. is a five-time NHRA national event winner and the first third-generation Coughlin to win a major event. Troy Jr. won Super Comp titles at the 2009 Las Vegas race and the 2010 U.S. Nationals. He also has three Super Gas victories in Gainesville (2013) Indianapolis (2014) and the JEGS SPORTSnationals in Columbus (2014).
Troy Jr. is also the 2013 NHRA North Central Division Super Gas champion.
During his career, Troy Jr. has appeared in nine Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series divisional final rounds and has claimed three victories.
In addition to his success in NHRA events, Troy Jr. is also 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.
Last year, Troy Jr. raced in the J&A Services Pro Mod series. More recently, he earned his NHRA license in the Top Fuel category. He is schedule to make additional test runs in a Don Schumacher Racing Top Fuel car following the Denso Spark Plugs NHRA Nationals.
Both Jeg Jr. and Troy Jr. will return to Las Vegas on April 12-16 for the annual K&N Spring Fling Million, one of the sport’s premiere E.T. bracket events. Promoted by veteran racers Peter Biondo and Kyle Seipel, the highlight of the event will be on Friday, April 15, where the main event winner could earn a payday of up to $1 million.
The Coughlin family, including John, Troy, Mike, Jeg Jr. and Troy Jr. has combined for 109 NHRA national event victories since 1990. The Coughlin’s have won in ten different eliminators including Pro Stock, Pro Stock Truck, Pro Mod, Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, Top Sportsman and Top Dragster.
Team JEGS – By the Numbers (Denso Spark Plugs NHRA Nationals Edition)
5 – Las Vegas wins for Jeg Coughlin Jr. in Pro Stock (2000, 2001, 2002, 2008, 2009)
7 – Different classes where Jeg Coughlin Jr. has won at least one NHRA national event title (the only driver to do so)
24 – Number of different facilities where Jeg Coughlin Jr. has won at least one NHRA national event title
109 – Combined NHRA national event victories for the Coughlin family
865 – Pro Stock elimination rounds for Jeg Jr. with 579 wins, 286 losses (.669-percent)