Texas Motorplex (Oct. 2-10)
The JEGS Mail Order team will be represented at this week’s Texas NHRA Fall Nationals by third-generation racer Troy Coughlin Jr, who is racing in the Pro Stock class.
The JEGS Mail Order team features a new look this season with Troy Coughlin Jr. taking over from his uncle, Jeg Coughlin Jr., as the primary driver of the JEGS.com Elite Motorsports Chevy Camaro Pro Stock entry.
Troy’s JEGS.com Camaro will be wearing a special pink paint scheme during the month of October as part of Breast Cancer awareness month. To raise both cancer awareness and cancer research funding, the Coughlin family established the nonprofit JEGS Foundation with 100 percent of donations going directly to cancer research.
Troy Coughlin Jr. is racing as a member of the Elite Motorsports team which also includes Bo Butner, Erica Enders, Marty Robertson and Aaron Stanfield. Troy’s crew chief is Mark Ingersoll, who has extensive experience as a championship winning tuner.
The recent event in St. Louis marked the halfway point in the Countdown to the Championship, the playoffs which determine the Camping World NHRA champions. Troy Jr. is currently No. 6 in the Pro Stock standings. He is 192 points behind leader Greg Anderson.
At the season-opening Camping World NHRA Drag Racing Series event in Gainesville, Fla., Troy Jr. qualified No. 7 in the 16-car field and reached the final round where he lost to Greg Anderson. Troy Jr. also has four semifinal finishes this season.
At the most recent NHRA Pro Stock event last week in St. Louis, Troy Jr. qualified his JEGS.com Camaro in the No. 8 position. On race day, he dropped a close race against Mason McGaha.
After 15 races this season Troy Jr. has an 14-14 record in Pro Stock elimination rounds.
This is Troy Jr’s second appearance in Dallas behind the wheel of a Pro Stock car. Last year, he qualified No. 9 and lost in round one to world champion Erica Enders.
Overall, the Coughlin family has one win at the Texas Motorplex. Jeg Jr. won the Pro Stock title in 2002, defeating Gene Wilson in the final round.
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.
Last season, Troy Jr. made his Pro Stock debut at the Lucas Oil NHRA Summernationals held in Indianapolis. He competed in eight events during the 2020 season and qualified for seven of them. He raced to a runner-up finish at the Dodge NHRA Indy Nationals, losing to his uncle, Jeg Jr., who won his 65th and final Pro Stock race and 84th overall.
So far this season, Troy Jr. has qualified in the top half of the Pro Stock field in 13 of 14 events. His best starting position has been No. 1 in Topeka.
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).
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.
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 127 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 (Texas NHRA Fall Nationals)
6: Troy Coughlin Jr’s current rank in the Camping World NHRA Pro Stock standings.
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
127: Combined NHRA national event victories for the Coughlin family
229: Combined NHRA national event final rounds for the Coughlin family.