Beech Bend Raceway Park (Bowling Green, Ky.) May 25-27
The JEGS SPORTSnationals presented by Quick Fuel Technology will once again return to Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Ky., this weekend. This will be the third year that the event has returned to its birthplace. The original SPORTSnationals was held in Bowling Green from 1974-81 and 1985-86.
The JEGS Mail Order team will be represented in this weekend’s SPORTSnationals by Mike Coughlin, who will be competing in the Top Dragster presented by Racing RVs.com class.
Mike’s Dan Page-built dragster is equipped with a ProCharger and is capable of running in the five-second zone at over 230-mph. Mike’s crew consists of Greg Cody, Tony Collier, Ryan Micke and Dave Raurk.
In 2016, Mike returned to the Top Dragster class after a successful run in Top Sportsman that included a pair of Division 3 championships in 2007-2009.
Last weekend at the Division 3 Lucas Oil Series event in Norwalk, Ohio, Mike qualified No. 7 in the Top Dragster class with a 6.140-second elapsed time but was defeated in round one.
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.
With four wins and two runner-up finishes, Mike Coughlin is one of the most successful racers in the history of the JEGS SPORTSnationals. He won the Super Comp title in 2005 and claimed Top Sportsman titles in 2006, 2007 and 2009. Mike was a runner-up in 2005 at the Columbus event and in 2009 in Belle Rose.
The Coughlin family has won eight Lucas Oil Series events at Beech Bend Raceway Park. Jeg Coughlin Sr., won the Pro Comp title in 1975. John Coughlin won in Top Dragster in 2007. Mike won the Super Comp title in 1989. Troy Coughlin Sr., won in Super Comp in 1991 and Jeg Coughlin Jr., has won three times, twice in Super Gas (1992, 1993) and once in Super Stock (1996). More recently, Troy Coughlin Jr. won the Super Gas title in Bowling Green in 2014.
The Coughlin family, including John, Troy, Mike, Jeg Jr. and Troy Jr. has combined for 116 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: JEGS SPORTSnationals Edition
2 – Division 3 championships for Mike Coughlin
4 – JEGS SPORTSnationals wins for Mike Coughlin (2005-06-07, 2009)
7 – Facilities to host a JEGS SPORTSnationals event
8 – Lucas Oil Series victories for the Coughlin family in Bowling Green, Ky.
116 – National event victories for the Coughlin family