Bristol Dragway (Bristol, Tenn.) June 15-17
The JEGS Mail Order team will be well represented at this weekend’s Fitzgerald USA NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals including six-time world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr., his brother, Troy, nephew, Troy Jr. and niece, Paige. Jeg Jr. will be racing in Pro Stock as a member of the Elite Motorsports team and also competing in Super Comp. Troy is racing in the E3 Spark Plugs Pro Mod series while his son, Troy Jr. and daughter, Paige, will be joining their uncle, Jeg, in the Super Comp class. Troy Jr. will also pull double-duty behind the wheel of the team’s JEGS.com Super Gas Corvette
Jeg Coughlin Jr. will continue his pursuit of a sixth NHRA Mello Yello Pro Stock title (and seventh overall) at this weekend’s event in Bristol. At the most recent event, the NHRA Virginia Nationals, Jeg Jr. drove to a quarterfinal finish in Pro Stock and won his 78th race overall when he claimed the Super Comp title.
Jeg Coughlin Jr. is once again racing as a teammate to two-time world champ Erica Enders. The Elite team also includes Pro Stock racers Vincent Nobile and Alex Laughlin. Jeg Jr.’s crew chief is multi-talented Rickie Jones, who has extensive experience as a driver, chassis builder, and tuner. The Elite team also includes crew chiefs Rick Jones, Mark Ingersoll and Brian “Lump” Self, who regularly share data.
After the first ten events of the season, Jeg Jr. enters this week’s event at the No. 9 ranked driver in the Pro Stock class.
Jeg Jr. won the Pro Stock title at Bristol in 2007 defeating current Nitro Fish team owner Kenny Koretsky in the final round.
In 14 career appearances at Bristol Dragway, Jeg Jr. has a 18-12 record in Pro Stock eliminations.
Jeg Jr. has qualified in the top half of the field in eight of his 14 appearances in Bristol including a best of No. 1 in 2007 and 2017. He has qualified No. 1 23 times in his career.
Including Bristol Dragway, 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.
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 NHRA’s all-time leader in holeshot victories with 101.
During his Pro Stock career, Jeg Jr. has competed in 415 events and has a round-win record of 618-340. He has red-lighted just 23 times and failed to qualify just 16 times.
As a sportsman racer, Jeg Jr. has won 19 times including three in the Super Comp class. In addition to last week’s win in Richmond, he won at the 2011 JEGS Pacific SPORTSnationals in Fontana, Calif., and again at the 2012 Las Vegas event.
Three-time and defending champion Troy Coughlin will continue his comeback to the E3 Spark Plugs Pro Mod series. Troy will be wheeling a turbocharged Mustang that is tuned by Steve Petty and powered by engines from Proline Racing.
Troy made his return to the class last week in Richmond, but did not qualify for the quick field in spite of a best of 5.88-seconds.
Having run over 260 mph in last year’s Corvette, Troy is one of the fastest drivers in the Pro Mod class. He has also recorded a personal best elapsed time of 5.766-seconds.
Last year, Troy was one of just four Pro Mod racers, along with Michael Biehle, Steven Whiteley, and Rickie Smith, who qualified for all 10 events. In 2015-16, Coughlin is the only driver to qualify for all 20 races.
Troy is the defending event champion in Bristol having defeated Shane Molinari in the final round. He was also a runner-up to Rickie Smith in Bristol in 2013. Troy also raced to the 2000 Winston Showdown title in Bristol in Pro Stock.
Troy won his first NHRA national event title at the U.S. Nationals in 1991 when he drove his Pro Stock-style Olds to the win in Super Gas. Troy defeated Mary Ann Jackson in the final. Troy’s first Pro Mod victory came at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in New Jersey in 2005 when as he drove his supercharged Mustang to as win over Zack Barkledge in the final round.
Troy is one of the few Pro Mod competitors who have raced all three current engine combinations; turbocharged, supercharged, and nitrous oxide-assisted.
Before moving to the Pro Mod class, Troy enjoyed success in the NHRA Pro Stock class, recording two wins in 12 final round appearances. He also won the $50,000 top prize at the 2000 Winston No Bull Showdown at Bristol Dragway, a special non-points event for Pro Stock competitors.
All told, Troy has 15 NHRA national event wins in Pro Mod, Pro Stock and Super Gas competition.
Troy is a former National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) Pro Street champion. While racing his Pro Street car, he also won the $50,000 Big Dog event at Piedmont Dragway in Greensboro, N.C.
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 and the Gainesville event in 2013. He also won a pair of national events in 2014 at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals and the JEGS Northern SPORTSnationals.
Troy Jr. was the 2013 NHRA North Central Division Super Gas champion.
Troy Jr. recently won his first Top Alcohol Dragster race when he drove his Rich McPhillips-owned dragster to the win at the NHRA Regional event in Norwalk, Ohio.
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. Two weeks ago, he won a $20,000 race at the Powerball of Bracket Racing event in Darlington, S.C.
Paige, 17, made her debut in the Super Comp class last year and recently competed in her first national event, the Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte. She reached the second round of the Division 3 opener in Columbus. Her crew chief is Justin Beaver
Paige is the daughter of three-time NHRA Pro Mod series champion Troy Coughlin. She is a freshman at Miami [Ohio] University.
The Coughlin family, including John, Troy, Mike, Jeg Jr. and Troy Jr. have combined for 118 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 (Fitzgeral USA NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals Edition)
3: Wins for the Coughlin family at Bristol Dragway (2 by Troy and 1 by Jeg Jr.)
4: Members of the Coughlin family entered in the event in six classes (three in Super Comp, Pro Stock, Pro Mod, and 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)
10: Number of classes where the Coughlin family has earned an NHRA national event victory
17: Top-10 finishes for Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the Pro Stock class since 1998
118: Combined NHRA national event victories for the Coughlin family