Team JEGS Pre-race Notes: Dodge NHRA Indy Nationals

Lucas Oil Raceway (Indianapolis) July 6-9

The JEGS Mail Order team will be represented at the Dodge NHRA Indy Nationals in Indianapolis by Jeg Coughlin Jr., Mike Coughlin, and third-generation racers Troy Coughlin Jr. and Paige Coughlin. Jeg Jr and Troy Jr. will be racing in Pro Stock. Mike is racing in Top Dragster. Troy Jr. is doing double-duty in the Super Comp class along with sister, Paige.

Jeg Jr. has opened the 2020 season with a win and a runner-up in the first three races and he’s the current leader in the Pro Stock class as he chases a sixth NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock title (and seventh overall). Jeg Jr. is once again racing as a member of the Elite Motorsports team. His Chevy Camaro will carry the familiar yellow and black colors of JEGS Mail Order along with the special edition JEGS 60th anniversary logo this season.

After winning national events in Super Gas, Super Comp, and Top Alcohol Dragster, as well as successful stints in Top Fuel and Pro Mod, Troy Jr. will be making his second start in the NHRA Pro Stock class. He will be once again driving the Elite Mustang that is normally raced by Marty Robertson.

Last year, Jeg Jr. finished as the No. 2 ranked driver in the Pro Stock class behind Elite teammate Erica Enders. It was the second-straight year that he’s been the championship runner-up. Jeg Jr. has now finished in the top ten 19-times in his professional career, which began in 1997.

Jeg Jr. has announced 2020 as his last full-time season in professional drag racing. Coughlin’s final campaign will be dubbed the “Breaking Barriers Tour,” in reference to his many racing accomplishments.

Earlier this season, Jeg Jr. won the $75,000 top prize in the Drag Illustrated World Doorslammer Nationals race in Orlando, Fla. Jeg defeated Greg Anderson in the final round of the inaugural event, which featured the sport’s best Pro Stock and Pro Mod cars.

Jeg Jr. is once again racing as a teammate to three-time champion Erica Enders. The Elite Motorsports team also includes Alex Laughlin, Aaron Stanfield, Bruno Massel and Troy Coughlin Jr.. Jeg’s crew chief is Rickie Jones, who has extensive experience in the class as a driver, chassis builder, and tuner. The Elite team also features crew chiefs Rick Jones and Mark Ingersoll, who regularly share data.

Jeg Jr has won at least one national event at 24 different facilities including Lucas Oil Raceway. The only current stops on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour where he has not won are the races in Norwalk, Ohio and Epping, N.H.

At the recent E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway, Jeg Jr. drove to the final round for the 113th time in his illustrious career. Jeg Jr. qualified No. 2 and defeated Bruno Massel, Chris McGaha, and teammate Erica Enders before losing to Jason Line in the final.

At the same event, Troy Jr. made his Pro Stock debut and qualified No. 13 before losing a close race against Greg Anderson in the opening round.

Jeg Jr. has three career Pro Stock victories at Lucas Oil Raceway Indianapolis, having won there in 2000, 2002, and 2009. Jeg Jr. defeated Ron Krisher in the 2000 final and stopped Jim Yates in 2002 and Greg Stanfield in 2009.

In 20 career appearances at the U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway Indianapolis, Jeg Jr. has a round win record of 27-16 in Pro Stock competition, making it one of his most successful tracks. Adding his totals from the recent Indy event, Jeg’s total record at Lucas Oil Raceway is 30-17.

As a sportsman driver, Jeg Jr. also claimed the Super Gas title in Indy in 1992, beating Sherman Adcock Jr. in the final round. Jeg Jr. also won the prestigious Mopar Hemi Challenge at Indy in 2004, driving Michael Ogburn’s West Coast Hemi’s Barracuda to a final round win over Rick Houser.

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. 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 qualified No. 16.

With 64 Pro Stock wins in his career, Jeg Jr. ranks fourth all-time among Pro Stock drivers. Only Warren Johnson (97), Greg Anderson (94), and the late Bob Glidden (85) and have more titles.

In 450 career Pro Stock races, Jeg Jr. has reached the final round 113 times, recording 64 wins. Including his 19 sportsman victories, Jeg Jr. has won a total of 83 times. During his career, Jeg Jr. has appeared in 138 final rounds, 113 as a professional and 25 as a sportsman racer.

During his Pro Stock career, Jeg Jr. has competed in 450 events and has a round-win record of 679-370. He has failed to qualify just 16 times.

Jeg Jr. has been the low qualifier 34 times in Pro Stock including the first two events in Pomona and Phoenix this year.

Troy Jr. is an eight-time NHRA national event winner and 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.

Last season, 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.

During his career, the versatile Troy Jr. has raced in Top Fuel, Top Alcohol Dragster, Pro Mod, Super Comp, Super Gas, Top Dragster, E.T. Brackets, and Jr. Dragsters. Earlier this season in Orlando, he made his debut in the Pro Stock class alongside his uncle, Jeg Jr. The JEGS Mail Order teammates raced in round two with Jeg Jr. taking a narrow victory.

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.

Mike Coughlin is a two-time Division 3 champion in the Top Sportsman class (2007-2009). 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.

Two weeks ago at the JEGS SPORTSnationals at National Trail Raceway, Mike drove his JEGS.com dragster to the final round where he lost to world champion and current points leader Anthony Bertozzi.

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”

Paige Coughlin made her debut in the Super Comp class in 2017 and has raced sporadically while continuing her education at Miami University of Ohio. Paige’s crew chief is Justin Beaver.

Last year, Paige finished as the No. 2 ranked driver in the NHRA North Central Division Super Comp standings. She has also earned a spot on the prestigious JEGS Allstars team for 2020.

Before transitioning to the Super Comp class, Paige got her start in racing behind the wheel of a Jr. Dragster.

Paige is the daughter of three-time NHRA Pro Mod series champion Troy Coughlin, and the younger sister of two-time Division 3 champion Troy Coughlin Jr.

Overall, the Coughlin family, including John, Troy, Mike, Jeg Jr. and Troy Jr. have combined for 126 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 (Dodge NHRA Indy Nationals edition)

5: Team JEGS entries in competition at this weekend’s NHRA event.

6: Indianapolis wins for Team Jegs. Four by Jeg Coughlin Jr. (3 Pro Stock and 1 Super Gas) and two by Troy Coughlin Jr. (1 Super Comp and 1 Super Gas).

7: Different classes where Jeg Coughlin Jr. has won at least one NHRA national event title (the only driver in history to do so)

11: Number of classes where the Coughlin family has earned an NHRA national event victory

19: Top-10 finishes for Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the Pro Stock class since 1998

126: Combined NHRA national event victories for the Coughlin family