Maple Grove Raceway (Reading, Pa.) Sept. 29-Oct. 2
Six-time world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. will continue his pursuit of the NHRA Mello Yello Pro Stock title at this weekend’s Dodge NHRA Nationals. Jeg Jr. will be driving a 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 returned at mid-year 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. is racing as a teammate to two-time world champ Erica Enders. The Elite team also includes Pro Stock racer 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. All three 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.
Jeg Jr. enters the Reading event ranked No. 9 in the NHRA Mello Yello Pro Stock points standings. His best finish of the season is a semifinal final at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn.
On Thursday, Sept. 29, Jeg Jr. will join other Mopar drivers for the inaugural Mopar Mega Block Parts free fan event at FirstEnergy Stadium from 4 to 10 p.m. The stadium’s baseball diamond will be transformed into the Mopar brand’s home field for one night to kick-off an action packed race weekend.
Jeg Jr. plans to pull double-duty this weekend. In addition to his Dodge Dart Pro Stock entry, he will race his JEGS.com dragster in the Super Comp class. This will make Jeg’s first national event of the season in Super Comp.
Jeg Jr. has won four Pro Stock titles in Reading. In 1999, he defeated Mark Pawuk in the final round and he also won back to back titles in 2008 and 2009, defeating Dave Connolly and Johnny Gray, respectively. He also won in his most recent appearance in 2014, defeating Allen Johnson in the final.
As a sportsman racer, Jeg Jr. won the Super Gas title at the 1996 Reading event. Overall, he is 5-0 in final rounds at Maple Grove Raceway.
In 15 appearances at Maple Grove Raceway, Jeg Jr. has a round win record of 24-11 in Pro Stock competition.
In his 15 starts in Reading, Jeg Jr. has qualified in the top half of the Pro Stock field 12 times including a best of No. 2 in 2001. His average starting position at this track is No. 6.
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.
Jeg Jr. is one of just 19 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, Greg Anderson, and Jason Line.
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.
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 Maple Grove Raceway, Jeg Coughlin Jr. has won at least one NHRA national event at 24 different facilities making him the all-time leader in that category. The only current venues on the NHRA Mello Yello tour where he has not won are the tracks in Norwalk and Epping.
With 586 round wins, Jeg Jr. is on the verge of catching ten-time champion Bob Glidden, who registered 597 wins during his career.
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 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 (85) have more titles.
In 377 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 377 events and recorded 586 round wins while incurring just 303 losses. He has red-lighted just 22 times and failed to qualify just 16 times.
Jeg Jr. will be joined in Reading by his nephew, Troy Coughlin Jr., who will also be pulling double-duty with his Jegs.com dragster in Super Comp and Corvette roadster Super Gas car.
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 won a pair of national events last season, the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals and the JEGS Northern SPORTSnationals.
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.
The Coughlin family, including John, Troy, Mike, Jeg Jr. and Troy Jr. has combined for 111 NHRA national event victories since 1990. The Coughlin’s have won in nine 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
Dodge NHRA Nationals Edition
4 – JEGS Mail Order entries in action this weekend in Reading. (Two for Jeg Coughlin Jr. and two for Troy Coughlin Jr.)
5 – Wins for Jeg Coughlin Jr. at Maple Grove Raceway (four in Pro Stock and one in Super Gas
10 – Number of classes where the Coughlin family has earned an NHRA national event victory
15 – Top ten finishes for Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the Pro Stock class since 1998
24 – Round wins for Jeg Coughlin Jr. in Pro Stock at Maple Grove Raceway against just 11 losses.
111 – Combined NHRA national event victories for the Coughlin family