Denver, Colo. (July 22-24)
Six-time world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. will continue his pursuit of the NHRA Mello Yello Pro Stock title at this weekend's Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway. Jeg Jr. will be driving a Rick Jones Race Cars-built Dodge Dart as a member of the Elite Motorsports team.
Jeg 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.
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.
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.
On Thursday night, July 21, Jeg Jr. will appear in historic downtown Golden, Colo., for the annual Mopar Big Block Party, a pre-race gathering featuring numerous NHRA drivers, race cars, and a Mopar-themed car show.
Jeg Jr. enters the Denver event ranked No. 9 in the NHRA Mello Yello Pro Stock points standings. His best finish of the season is a semifinal result at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn.
Jeg Jr. won back-to-back Pro Stock titles at Bandimere Speedway in 1998 and 1999, driving to a final round victory over Warren Johnson in 1998 and his brother, Troy Coughlin, in 1999. Jeg Jr. was also a runner-up in Denver in 2003, 2011, and his most recent appearance in 2014. He lost to Warren Johnson in the 2003 final and Allen Johnson in 2011 and 2014.
In 15 career appearances at Bandimere Speedway, Jeg Jr. has a round win record of 23-13 in Pro Stock competition.
During his professional career, which began in 1997, Jeg Jr. has earned 15 top-10 finishes in the NHRA Pro Stock class.
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.'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.'s average qualifying position in Denver is No. 8. His best qualifying efforts came in 1999 and 2010 when he was No. 2. Jeg Jr. has qualified in the top half of the field in nine of his 15 appearances in Denver.
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.
Jeg Jr. is one of just 18 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.
With 584 round wins, Jeg Jr. is on the verge of catching 10-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 (84) have more race wins.
In 370 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 370 events and recorded 584 round wins while incurring just 295 losses. He has red-lighted just 22 times and failed to qualify just 16 times.
The Coughlin family, including John, Troy, Mike, Jeg Jr. and Troy Jr. has combined for 110 NHRA national event victories since 1990. The Coughlin's have won in 10 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 / Mopar Mile-High Nationals Edition
5 – Final round appearances in Pro Stock for Jeg Coughlin Jr. at Bandimere Speedway (2 wins, 3-runner-up finishes)
7 – Different classes where Jeg Coughlin Jr. has won at least one NHRA national event title (the only driver to do so)
10 – Number of classes where the Coughlin family has earned an NHRA national event victory
24 – Number of different facilities where Jeg Coughlin Jr. has won at least one NHRA national event title
110 – Combined NHRA national event victories for the Coughlin family
584 – Round wins for Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the Pro Stock class