zMax Dragway (Sept. 17-19)
The JEGS Mail Order team will be represented at this week’s DeWalt NHRA Carolina Nationals by third-generation racer Troy Coughlin Jr in Pro Stock and his uncle, Mike Coughlin, in 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.
Last week’s event in Reading marked the start of the Countdown to the Championship, the playoffs which determine the Camping World NHRA champions. Following a strong semifinals finish Troy Jr. is moved to No. 6 in the Pro Stock standings. He is just 110 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 Reading, Troy Jr. qualified his JEGS.com Camaro in the No. 6 position. On race day, he defeated Aaron Stanfield and Vincent Nobile before dropping a close race against Greg Anderson.
After 12 races this season Troy Jr. has an 13-12 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 11 of 12 events. His best starting position has been No. 1 at the event in Topeka.
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.
Last season at zMax Dragway, Troy Jr. drove to a runner-up finish in the Top Alcohol Dragster class at the 2019 Carolina Nationals held in October. He also set low elapsed time and top speed at that event with a 5.126-second, 282.66 mph run.
Mike Coughlin is a two-time Division 3 champion in the Top Sportsman class (2007-2009) and the 2019 Division 3 Top Dragster champion. His crew chief is Tony Collier.
Mike is a 14-time NHRA national event winner. He has won national event titles in Pro Stock Truck, Super Comp, Top Sportsman, and Top Dragster. Mike is also a two-time U.S. Nationals winner. He won the Pro Stock Truck class in 1999 and 2001.
Mike opened the 2021 season with a runner-up finish at the Lucas Oil Series divisional event in Gainesville, Fla. He is currently ranked No. 32 in the Top Dragster class.
Last season, Mike won the Division 3 event in Bowling Green, Ky., on his way to a third place finish in the North Central Division Top Dragster standings.
Mike began his career in the Super Gas and Super Comp classes in the 1980s and has extensive experience in the heads-up “super classes”
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 (DeWalt NHRA Carolina Nationals)
3: National event wins for the Coughlin family at zMax Dragway
7: Troy Coughlin Jr’s current rank in the Camping World NHRA Pro Stock standings.
8: NHRA national event wins for Troy Coughlin Jr. in 3 different classes (Top Alcohol Dragster, Super Comp, Super Gas).
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.