Houston Motorsports Park (Baytown, Texas) April 22-24
This week’s NHRA SpringNationals will feature the JEGS Mail Order Pro Stock entry of Troy Coughlin Jr. and the Top Alcohol Dragster entry of Mike Coughlin.
Troy Jr. will once again be racing as a member of the Elite Motorsports team which also includes world champions Erica Enders, Bo Butner, and Aaron Stanfield. Troy’s crew chief is Mark Ingersoll, who has extensive experience as a championship winning tuner.
Troy Coughlin Jr. is entering his second full season of Pro Stock competition. Last year, Troy Jr, finished No. 6 in the Camping World NHRA Pro Stock standings. In 17 events, Troy Jr. compiled an 18-17 record in elimination rounds with a runner-up finish in Gainesville to go with six semifinals.
At the recent NHRA Four Wide Nationals in Las Vegas, Troy Jr. defeated Steve Graham and Fernando Cuadra Jr. to advance to the semifinal “quad.” In that round, finished behind teammate Erica Enders and Cristian Cuadra.
During qualifying for the Gainesville event in March, Troy Jr. made his best run in a Pro Stock car at 6.528 seconds with a career-best speed of 211.93 mph.
After four events this season, Troy Jr. is tied with Greg Anderson for the No. 6 spot in the Pro Stock category. He is 136 points behind leader Aaron Stanfield.
In Las Vegas, Troy Jr. debuted a new Chevy Camaro built by RJ Race Cars. During its maiden voyage, Troy Jr. ran a 6.667 to qualify No. 5 in the tough field.
Troy Jr. is an eight-time national event winner with victories in Top Alcohol Dragster (3), Super Gas (3), and Super Comp (2). He has also competed in Top Fuel and Pro Mod during his career.
Since making his Pro Stock debut in 2020, Troy Jr., has competed in 29 events and qualified for 28 of them. He qualified No. 1 at last year’s Topeka event.
Overall, Troy Jr. has a 27-28 record in Pro Stock elimination rounds.
Troy Jr. is 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), Norwalk (2019) and Reading (2019).
Last year in Houston, Troy Jr. qualified No. 6 and lost in round one to Mason McGaha via a red-light start.
Overall, the Coughlin family has won five times in Houston with Jeg Coughlin Jr. winning all five in the Pro Stock category during his distinguished career.
Troy Jr. was crowned the 2018 and 2019 North Central Region Top Alcohol Dragster champion. He was also crowned the 2013 NHRA North Central Division Super Gas champion.
In 2019, Troy Jr. appeared in ten final rounds in Top Alcohol Dragster and earned five wins including national event titles in Norwalk and Reading. Troy Jr. has also earned victories at regional events at Atco Dragway, Beech Bend Raceway Park, and Virginia Motorsports Park.
Mike Coughlin will be making his third start in the Top Alcohol Dragster class. Mike is driving the injected nitro dragster run by the father-son team of Rich McPhillips Sr. and Jr. Mike opened the season with a victory at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals in Pomona.
Mike made has debut in the Top Alcohol Dragster class last season in Las Vegas and qualified No. 5 with a 5.242 elapsed time. Mike reached the quarterfinal round and ran a career best 5.227 elapsed time in the process.
Mike is driving the same car that Troy Jr. raced to his two regional titles in 2018-19. Mike successfully upgraded his NHRA competition license during a test session in late 2021 at zMax Dragway near Charlotte.
The McPhillips family dragster appeared in 12 final rounds last season and claimed seven victories, by drivers McPhillips Jr. and Matt Cummings.
Mike has now won national events in five classes; Pro Stock Truck, Top Alcohol Dragster, Super Comp, Top Dragster, and Top Sportsman.
Mike Coughlin is a two-time Division 3 champion in the Top Sportsman class (2007-2009) and the 2019 Division 3 Top Dragster champion.
Mike is a 15-time NHRA national event winner. His first win came at the 1999 Englishtown event where he beat Tim Freeman in the Pro Stock Truck final.
Mike is also a two-time U.S. Nationals winner. He won the Pro Stock Truck class in 1999 and 2001.
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”
Overall, the Coughlin family, including John, Troy, Mike, Jeg Jr. and Troy Jr. have combined for 128 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 (NHRA SpringNationals)
5: Different classes where Mike Coughlin has won a national event
8: NHRA national event wins for Troy Coughlin Jr. in 3 different classes (Top Alcohol Dragster, Super Comp, Super Gas).
11: Number of classes where the Coughlin family has earned an NHRA national event victory
128: Combined NHRA national event victories for the Coughlin family
231: Combined NHRA national event final rounds for the Coughlin family.