NEXT RACE:
Troy coughlin Sr.
Quick Facts:
Hometown: Delaware, Ohio
Birthplace: Columbus, Ohio
Age: 57 (DOB June 30, 1964)
Family: Julie (wife), Troy Jr. (son) & Meghan, Paige, Kelly (daughters)
Years Racing: 30 (24 as a professional)
Professional Victories: 15 (3 in Pro Stock, 12 in Pro Mod)
Professional Final Rounds: 37 (14 in Pro Stock, 23 in Pro Mod)
Sportsman Wins: 1 (Super Gas, 1991 U.S. Nationals)
Sportsman Final Rounds: 1
Total NHRA National Event Victories: 16
Total NHRA National Event Final Rounds: 38
Total NHRA Divisional Event Victories: 2
Career-best NHRA Elapsed Time: 5.766-seconds, West Palm Beach, FL. 2016
Career-Best NHRA Speed: 259.21 mph, West Palm Beach, FL. 2016
Career-Best Outlaw Elapsed time: 5.591-seconds, Las Vegas, NV. 2016
Career-Best Outlaw Speed: 274.83 mph, Las Vegas, NV. 2015
BIOGRAPHY
Husband, father, grandfather, successful businessman, multi-time drag racing champion, mentor — Troy Coughlin Sr. is living a dream life.
First and foremost, Troy Sr. and his wife Julie take the greatest pride in their children, Troy Jr., Meghan, Paige and Kelly. They further endeavor to spoil their sole grandchild Brodix, Meghan’s adorable son and the first of the fourth generation of Coughlins.
Troy Sr. also remains a big part of the family business, JEGS Automotive, the high performance parts, mail order corporation started by his father, Jeg Coughlin Sr., in 1960. Together with his three brothers — John, Mike and Jeg Jr. — Troy Sr. has helped bring the worldwide company to new heights since they purchased the operation from their father. Like his brothers, Troy Sr. remains very much involved in the day-to-day operations of the Delaware, Ohio-based business.
Although life has literally slowed down a touch since he retired from drag racing himself, Troy Sr.’s quarter-mile legacy is still one most would envy. He left the sport a three-time champion of the popular Pro Mod class, having won world titles in 2012, 2015 and 2017. He also was runner-up in the class in 2013, 2014 and 2016.
His tally of 16 NHRA national event victories — 12 in Pro Mod, three more in Pro Stock and one in Super Gas — further speaks to his abilities, as does the NMCA Pro Street title he earned in 2009.
Additional drag racing accomplishments include membership in the Holley Six-Second Pro Stock Club and Speed Pro 200-mph Club, the title of the $50,000 Winston No-Bull Showdown in 2000, various Sportsman-level wins, and a memorable and profitable weekend at the $50,000 Big Dog Shootout in 2005.
Troy Sr. now gets his drag racing fix through Troy Jr. and Paige, who are showing the same driving acumen as their decorated father. Now a rising star in Pro Stock, Troy Jr. already has earned two regional championships in the Top Alcohol Dragster class and has numerous national and divisional wins in a variety of sportsman classes, while Paige continues to excel in Super Comp — finishing second in her division and leading the JEGS Allstars points — when she’s not working towards her degree at Miami University of Ohio.
Although life is definitely full for Troy Sr., there’s always a chance he’ll drive again. Like always, it’s entertaining to keep an eye on the wily veteran.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
• Claimed his first major event win in 1991 when he won the Super Comp title at the Division 3 Lucas Oil Series event at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Ky.
• Won his first national event title in the Super Gas class at the 1991 Mac Tools U.S. Nationals
• Earned a runner-up finish in Super Comp at the JEGS Allstars event in Columbus, Ohio in 1992
• Became the first of the four Coughlin brothers to turn pro when he made his Pro Stock debut in 1994
• Reached his first Pro Stock final at the 1997 Pontiac Excitement Nationals in Columbus, earning a runner-up finish to Tom Martino
• Became the 11th member of the prestigious Holley Six Second Pro Stock Club in 1997 after running a 6.972 elapsed time in Pomona, Calif.
• Posted his first top ten finish in Pro Stock (8th place) in 1997
• Qualified No. 1 in Pro Stock at the NHRA Auto Club Finals in 1999
• Became the ninth member of the Speed Pro 200 mph Club in 1999 after running a 200.47 mph speed in Richmond, Va.
• Won the $50,000 top prize at the Winston Showdown, a special invitational event held at Bristol Dragway in 2000
• Won his first Pro Stock event at the 2001 NHRA Pep Boys Nationals, in Reading, Pa.
• Won the $50,000 top prize at the Big Dog Shootout at Piedmont Dragway in Greensboro, N.C. behind the wheel of his Pro Street entry (2005)
• Won his first NHRA Pro Mod Series event in Englishtown, N.J. (2005)
• Won the National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) Pro Street Series Championship (2009)
• Won NHRA Pro Mod Series Championship (2012)
• Won the Outlaw Pro Mod class at the Street Car Supernationals in Las Vegas (2012)
• Won a second-straight Outlaw Pro Mod title at Street Car Supernationals, Las Vegas (2013)
• Won second NHRA Pro Mod Series Championship (2015)
• Won the Outlaw Pro Mod class at the Street Car Supernationals in Las Vegas for third time (2015)
• Reset the all-time speed record (274.83) for doorslammers in his turbocharged JEGS.com Corvette in the Outlaw Pro Mod class at the Street Car Supernaitonals.
• Won three of ten events in the J&A Services Pro Mod Series (Englishtown, St. Louis, Las Vegas, 2016)
• Posted quickest elapsed time of his career with a 5.591 in Outlaw Pro Mod class at the Street Car Supernationals in Las Vegas (2016)
• Appeared in a career-high seven final rounds and claimed two wins in Bristol and St. Louis (2017)
• Won third NHRA Pro Mod Series Championship (2017)
STATISTICS
Troy Coughlin Victories |
|||
Year |
Event |
Location |
Class |
2017 |
AAA Midwest Nationals |
East St. Louis, IL |
Pro Mod |
2017 |
Thunder Valley Nationals |
Bristol, TN |
Pro Mod |
2016 |
Toyota Nationals |
Las Vegas, NV |
Pro Mod |
2016 |
AAA Midwest Nationals |
East St. Louis, IL |
Pro Mod |
2016 |
Toyota Summernationals |
Englishtown, NJ |
Pro Mod |
2014 |
Carolina Nationals |
Charlotte, NC |
Pro Mod |
2014 |
NHRA Norwalk Nationals |
Norwalk, OH |
Pro Mod |
2013 |
Toyota Nationals |
Las Vegas, NV |
Pro Mod |
2013 |
Four Wide Nationals |
Charlotte, NC |
Pro Mod |
2012 |
Toyota Nationals |
Las Vegas, NV |
Pro Mod |
2012 |
AAA Midwest Nationals |
East St. Louis, IL |
Pro Mod |
2005 |
Summernationals |
Englishtown, NJ |
Pro Mod |
2002 |
O’Reilly Nationals |
Topeka, KS |
Pro Stock |
2001 |
NHRA Nationals |
Reading, PA |
Pro Stock |
2000 |
Winston Showdown |
Bristol, TN |
Pro Stock |
1991 |
U.S. Nationals |
Indianapolis, IN |
Super Gas |
Troy Coughlin NHRA Divisional Wins |
|||
Year |
Event |
Location |
Class |
1993 |
Indianapolis Raceway Park |
Indianapolis, IN |
Super Gas |
1991 |
Beech Bend Raceway Park |
Bowling Green, KY |
Super Comp |
Troy Coughlin NHRA Final Rounds |
|||
Year |
Event |
LResult |
Opponent |
2017 |
Las Vegas |
R/U |
Steve Jackson |
2017 |
St. Louis |
Win |
Khalid alBalooshi |
2017 |
Indianapolis |
R/U |
Sidnei Frigo |
2017 |
Norwalk |
R/U |
Shane Molinari |
2017 |
Bristol |
Win |
Shane Molinari |
2017 |
Englishtown |
R/U |
Rickie Smith |
2017 |
Charlotte |
R/U |
Mike Castellana |
2016 |
Las Vegas |
Win |
Todd Tutterow |
2016 |
St. Louis |
Win |
Rickie Smith |
2016 |
Indianapolis |
R/U |
Von Smith |
2016 |
Englishtown |
Win |
Billy Glidden |
2015 |
Norwalk |
R/U |
Mike Janis |
2015 |
Atlanta |
R/U |
Kenny Lang |
2014 |
Charlotte |
Win |
Mike Janis |
2014 |
Norwalk |
Win |
Von Smith |
2013 |
Las Vegas |
Win |
Danny Rowe |
2013 |
Bristol |
R/U |
Rickie Smith |
2013 |
Englishtown |
R/U |
Mike Janis |
2013 |
Charlotte |
Win |
Kenny Lang |
2012 |
Las Vegas |
Win |
Don Walsh Jr. |
2012 |
St. Louis |
Win |
Danny Rowe |
2012 |
Norwalk |
R/U |
Don Walsh Jr. |
2012 |
Englishtown |
R/U |
Danny Rowe |
2005 |
Englishtown |
Win |
Zack Barlkedge |
2003 |
Reading |
R/U |
Warren Johnson |
2003 |
Phoenix |
R/U |
Greg Anderson |
2002 |
Topeka |
Win |
Mark Whisnant |
2001 |
Reading |
Win |
Tom Martino |
2000 |
Chicago |
R/U |
Ron Krisher |
2000 |
Gainsville |
R/U |
Warren Johnson |
1999 |
Topeka |
R/U |
Mike Edwards |
1999 |
Denver |
R/U |
Jeg Coughlin Jr. |
1999 |
Bristol |
R/U |
Jeg Coughlin Jr. |
1999 |
Chicago |
R/U |
Warren Johnson |
1999 |
Phoenix |
R/U |
Kurt Johnson |
1999 |
Pomona |
R/U |
Jeg Coughlin Jr. |
1997 |
Columbus |
R/U |
Tom Martino |
1991 |
Indianapolis |
W |
Mary Ann Jackson |
Notes: 2002 Bristol, No. 1 Qualifier and Low Elapsed time of event. 1999 Pomona2 No. 1 Qualifier |
Troy Coughlin Special Event Wins |
|||
Year |
Event |
Location |
Class |
2015 |
Street Car Supernationals |
Las Vegas, NV |
Outlaw Pro Mod |
2013 |
Street Car Supernationals |
Las Vegas, NV |
Outlaw Pro Mod |
2012 |
Street Car Supernationals |
Las Vegas, NV |
Outlaw Pro Mod |
2005 |
NMCA Barett Performance Nationals |
Valdosta, GA |
Pro Street |
2005 |
Big Dog Challenge |
Piedmont, NC |
Pro Street |