Old Bridge Township Raceway Park (Englishtown, N.J.) June 4-7, 2015
The Toyota NHRA Summernationals will mark the fourth race in the 10-event 2015 J&A Services Pro Mod Series. There will be a pair of JEGS Mail Order entries in competition. Former series champion Troy Coughlin will race his new turbocharged JEGS.com Chevy C7 Corvette. He will be joined by his son, Troy Jr., who is in his rookie season in the Pro Mod series. Troy Jr. is driving the team’s 2014 Corvette Pro Mod entry.
Troy and Troy Jr. enter the Englishtown event ranked second and seventh, respectively in the Pro Mod points standings. Troy is just 30 points behind leader Don Walsh while Troy Jr. is 90 points out of the lead.
At the most recent Pro Mod event in Atlanta, Troy reached the final round while Troy Jr. did not qualify for the first time in his brief career.
Both of the JEGS.com Pro Mod Corvettes are tuned by noted turbocharger expert Steve Petty. With a top speed in excess of 257 mph, Troy is the fastest member of the Coughlin family, eclipsing the performance of his father, Jeg Sr., who raced in the Top Fuel class in the early 1980s.
Last year, Troy won a pair of NHRA Pro Mod Series events in Norwalk, Ohio, and Concord, N.C. He finished the season as the series’ second-ranked Pro Mod driver behind champion Rickie Smith.
Last year in Englishtown, Troy qualified No. 12 in the Pro Mod field and lost to eventual race winner Von Smith in the opening round.
Troy was one of just seven Pro Mod racers who qualified for all 10 events in 2014. His best qualifying performance came in Indianapolis, where he was the No. 2 qualifier in the 16-car field.
Troy won his first NHRA national event title at the U.S. Nationals in 1991 when he drove his Pro Stock-style Olds to the win in Super Gas. Troy defeated Mary Ann Jackson in the final. Troy’s first Pro Mod victory came at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in New Jersey in 2005 when as he drove his supercharged Mustang to as win over Zack Barkledge in the final round.
Troy is one of the few Pro Mod competitors who have raced all three current engine combinations; turbocharged, supercharged, and nitrous oxide assisted.
Before moving to the Pro Mod class, Troy enjoyed success in the NHRA Pro Stock class, recording two wins in 12 final round appearances. He also won the $50,000 top prize at the 2000 Winston No Bull Showdown at Bristol Dragway, a special non-points event for Pro Stock competitors.
All told, Troy has 10 NHRA national event wins in 25 final round appearances in Pro Mod, Pro Stock, and Super Gas competition.
Troy is a former National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) Pro Street champion. While racing his Pro Street car, he also won the $50,000 Big Dog event at Piedmont Dragway in Greensboro, N.C.
Before the start of the 2015 season, Troy Jr. upgraded his NHRA competition license with a best run of 5.96 seconds at more than 248 mph. Thus far, Troy Jr. has recorded a best official run of 5.87 seconds at 251.53 mph.
Troy Jr. is a five-time NHRA national event winner and the first third-generation Coughlin to win a major event. Troy Jr. won Super Comp titles at the 2009 Las Vegas race and the 2010 U.S. Nationals. He won a pair of national events last season, the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals and the JEGS Northern SPORTSnationals.
Troy Jr. is also the 2013 NHRA North Central Division Super Gas champion. Last year, he finished No. 3 in the national standings out of nearly 1,000 competitors.
During his career, Troy Jr. has appeared in nine Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series divisional final rounds and has claimed three victories.
Although he has decided to concentrate primarily on the Pro Mod class this season, Troy Jr. recently drove his Super Gas Corvette to a fourth round finish at the Lucas Oil Series event at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis.
In addition to his success in NHRA events, Troy Jr. is also 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.
The Coughlin family, including John, Troy, Mike, Jeg Jr. and Troy Jr. has combined for 107 NHRA national event victories since 1990. The Coughlin’s have won in nine different eliminators including Pro Stock, Pro Stock Truck, Pro Mod, Comp, Super Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, Top Sportsman and Top Dragster.
Team JEGS – By the Numbers (Toyota NHRA Summernationals Edition)
5 – NHRA National event victories for third-generation racer Troy Jr.
9 – Number of classes where the Coughlin family has earned an NHRA national event victory
10 – NHRA National event victories for Troy Coughlin
107 – Combined NHRA national event victories for the Coughlin familyOld Bridge Township Raceway Park