Maple Grove Raceway (Reading, Pa.) September 12-15
The JEGS Mail Order team will be represented at the Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals in Reading by Jeg Coughlin Jr., who will be competing in the Pro Stock class, his nephew, Troy Coughlin Jr., in Top Alcohol Dragster class.
Jeg Coughlin Jr. is continuing his pursuit of a sixth NHRA Mello Yello Pro Stock title (and seventh overall) at this weekend’s Indy 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 Richard Freeman. 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.
At the start of the Countdown to the Championship playoffs, Jeg Jr. is the No. 8 ranked driver in the Pro Stock class. He is 80-points behind leader Bo Butner.
Jeg Jr. has won at least one NHRA national event at 24 different facilities including Maple Grove Raceway. 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. 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 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 18 appearances at Maple Grove Raceway, Jeg Jr. has a round win record of 25-14 in Pro Stock competition.
In his 18 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 and 2018. His average starting position at this track is No. 6.
Since Jeg Jr. has already clinched his spot in the Countdown to the Championship meaning he will finish in the top ten in Pro Stock for the 19th time in his career.
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 441 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 441 events and has a round-win record of 657-363. He has failed to qualify just 16 times.
Jeg Jr. has been the low qualifier 30 times in Pro Stock including the recent NHRA race in Seattle.
Troy Jr. is a seven-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), and most recently Norwalk (2019).
Two weeks ago in Indianapolis, Troy Jr. reached the final round for the eighth time in the 2019 season and finished as a runner-up to championship contender Megan Meyer.
Troy Jr. was crowned the 2018 North Central Region Top Alcohol Dragster champion and finished the season as the No. 4 ranked driver in the country. He was also crowned the 2013 NHRA North Central Division Super Gas champion.
So far this season, Troy Jr. has appeared in eight final rounds in Top Alcohol Dragster and has a win at the Norwalk national event and the Lucas Oil Series regional events at Atco Dragway and Bowling Green, Ky. He enters this event as the No. 3 ranked driver in the country.
During his successful rookie season (2018) in the Top Alcohol Dragster class, Troy Jr. won four races and appeared in six final rounds. He won his first race when he drove his Rich McPhillips-owned dragster to the win at the NHRA Regional event in Norwalk. He later claimed additional regional wins in Cecil County, Md., and Bowling Green, Ky. He also won the national event in Reading, Pa.
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.
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.
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 (Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals / Reading edition)
5: Reading wins for Jeg Coughlin Jr. (four in Pro Stock, one in 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)
8: Final rounds this season in Top Alcohol Dragster for Troy Coughlin Jr.
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