Troy Coughlin ready to atone for his mistakes

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (May 4) — Pro Street driver Troy Coughlin has one goal in mind as the National Muscle Car Association Pro Edelbrock arrives at Beech Bend Raceway for this weekend’s fifth annual NOS NMCA Hot Rod & Muscle Car Nationals — take over the points lead.

Currently fifth in the points in the Denso Spark Plugs Pro Street category after one of seven events on the 2006 schedule, Coughlin left the NMCA season-opener in Florida seeing red after drawing a red-light disqualification for leaving the starting line a fraction of a second early in his quarterfinal race. The seasoned drag racing veteran knew he had one of the best cars on the property and is anxious to atone for his mistake.

“You kick yourself when you red-light because basically you’ve just taken yourself out of competition,” Coughlin said. “It isn’t like you were beaten by a better car or driver. I mostly felt bad for the crew because they gave me a perfect racecar. It’s been a long month waiting for this event to roll around so we can get back after it.”

Coughlin will once again be driving his striking 2004 JEG’S Mail Order Chevrolet Cavalier at Beech Bend Raceway. The car is powered by an 800 cubic-inch motor capable of recording 6.5-second elapsed times at speeds in excess of 210 mph, a range he immediately found at the season-opener.

“It’s a different kind of pressure you feel when you have a great racecar,” Coughlin said, “but it’s one you dream about when you’re a driver . Knowing you’re pulling up to the starting line with a good chance to win is a great feeling. Heck, just coming through the gates every morning is a thrill. You literally can’t wait to get started.”

Gates open at noon Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Qualifying takes place Friday and Saturday to set a 16-car field. Eliminations begin at 10:45 a.m. Sunday.

Possibly adding to Coughlin’s workload this weekend is the BMF Racing Top Dog Shootout, which is scheduled for Saturday afternoon. Should Coughlin qualify No. 1 in the Pro Street category, he’ll have the chance to race for a big cash prize and the title of Top Dog of the meet. This event takes place during the third round of qualifying.


For more information on the JEG’S Mail Order race team, please visit Jegs.com. For additional information on this event and the entire NMCA Pro Edelbrock series, visit fasteststreetcar.com.

Media Contact:

Scott ‘Woody’ Woodruff
Director of Media & Motorsports
Office: 800.345.4545 (3.412)
Mobile: 614.595.1820
Fax: 740.362.4385
Email: jegspr@aol.com -or- scott.woodruff@jegs.com