Pacific Raceways (Seattle, Wash.) August 2-4
The JEGS Mail Order team will be represented at the Magic Dry NHRA Northwest Nationals in Seattle by Jeg Coughlin Jr., who will be competing in the Pro Stock class and his brother Mike, who is racing in Top Dragster.
Jeg Coughlin Jr. is continuing his pursuit of a sixth NHRA Mello Yello Pro Stock title (and seventh overall) at this weekend’s Seattle event. Jeg Jr. will once again be racing as a member of the Elite Motorsports team.
Earlier this year in Phoenix, Jeg won his 62nd Pro Stock event and 81st overall when he defeated Matt Hartford in the final round. The final round represented the 1,000th round of professional competition for Jeg Jr.
Last season, Jeg Jr. finished at the No. 2 ranked driver in the Pro Stock class. He finished in the top ten for the 18th time in his career, which began in 1997.
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 Alex Laughlin and Rodger Brogdon. Jeg Jr.’s crew chief will be 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 nine events of the season, Jeg Jr. enters this week’s event at the No. 7 ranked driver in the Pro Stock class. He was a quarterfinalist at last weekend’s event in Sonoma.
Jeg Jr. has won at least one NHRA national event at 24 different facilities including Pacific Raceways. The only stops on the on the NHRA Mello Yello tour where he has not won a race are Norwalk, Ohio and Epping, N.H.
Jeg Jr. won the 2002 NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways, driving to a final round victory over Mark Whisnant. Jeg Jr. also has runner-up finishes in Seattle in 2000, 2013, and 2015. In 2000, he lost to Richie Stevens. In 2013, he was runner-up to Vincent Nobile and in 2015, he lost in the final to Chris McGaha. In 2000, 2002, and 2013, Jeg Jr. went on to win the Pro Stock championship.
In 19 career appearances in Seattle, Jeg Jr. has a round win record of 20-18 in Pro Stock competition.
Jeg Jr. has qualified 12th or better in all 18 previous appearances at Pacific Raceways. He was the low qualifier at last year’s Seattle race with a 6.502.
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 62 Pro Stock wins in his career, Jeg Jr. ranks fourth all-time among Pro Stock drivers. Only Warren Johnson (97), Greg Anderson (93), and the late Bob Glidden (85) and have more titles.
In 438 career Pro Stock races, Jeg Jr. has reached the final round 108 times, recording 62 wins. Including his 19 sportsman victories, Jeg Jr. has won a total of 81 times, good for ninth place on NHRA's all-time list. During his career, Jeg Jr. has appeared in 133 final rounds, 108 as a professional and 25 as a sportsman racer.
During his Pro Stock career, Jeg Jr. has competed in 438 events and has a round-win record of 654-360. He has failed to qualify just 16 times.
Over the last month, Mike has been one of the hottest drivers in the Top Dragster class. He won back to back titles at the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series events in Indianapolis and Joliet. Last weekend, Mike competed in the double-header event in Sonoma and recorded a semifinal and a respectable round three finish.
Last week at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals, Mike qualified No. 4 with a 6.131 and drove to a round two finish. Mike is currently ranked No. 6 in the battle for the Top Dragster national championship.
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 began his career in the Super Gas and Super Comp classes in the 1980s and has extensive experience in the heads-up “super classes”
Mike is a two-time Division 3 champion in the Top Sportsman class.
Mike’s JEGS.com Top Dragster is supercharged and capable of running low six-second elapsed times at nearly 230-mph. Mike’s crew includes Tony Collier, Greg Cody, and Dave Raurk.
Overall, the Coughlin family, including John, Troy, Mike, Jeg Jr. and Troy Jr. have combined for 123 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 (Magic Dry NHRA Northwest Nationals edition)
2: Victories this season for Mike Coughlin in Top Dragster
4: Pro Stock finals for Jeg Coughlin Jr. in Seattle (1 win, 3 runner-up)
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
18: Top-10 finishes for Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the Pro Stock class since 1998
123: Combined NHRA national event victories for the Coughlin family