Team JEGS Pre-race Notes for Las Vegas Nationals

Courtesy of Jegs

Las Vegas, NV – The Las Vegas event will mark the second race in the 2011 Get Screened America Pro Mod Series. Troy Coughlin will once again be in action with his turbocharged JEGS.com Pontiac GTO.

Troy finished fourth in the 2010 Get Screened America Pro Mod Series. He is currently ranked 17th after failing to qualify for the season-opening event in Gainesville, Fla.

The JEGS Mail Order team has enjoyed considerable success in Las Vegas. Jeg Coughlin Jr. won five Pro Stock titles in Las Vegas (2000, 2001, 2002, 2008 and 2009) and was a runner-up in 2007.  Troy’s is also a former Las Vegas winner, recording his first NHRA national event title in Super Comp in 2009. John Coughlin also used a win at the Las Vegas Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event in 2009 to clinch his second North Central Division Top Dragster championship. 

In his last trip to Las Vegas in November 2010, Troy qualified his Pro Mod Camaro in the No. 5 spot with a 5.95 and reached the semifinal round after scoring wins over Pat Musi and Rick Stivers. He was ultimately defeated by Melanie Troxel.

In 2010, Troy was the only driver to qualify for all ten events in the Get Screened America Pro Mod Series. He also qualified in the top half of the field four times and his average qualifying position was No. 9.

Troy will once again be racing a Pontiac GTO in Gainesville that is owned by Team JEGS crew chief Jake Hairston and his family. The car is powered by a 396-cid turbocharged engine and has already run speeds of over 240-mph. Troy is currently awaiting completion of his own Chevy Camaro that will also feature a turbocharged engine combination.

In 2007, Troy became the first NHRA Pro Mod racer to win a round of competition with a turbocharged race car when he stopped Doug Palmer in Bristol, Tenn.

Troy Coughlin has won NHRA national event titles in three classes; Pro Stock, Pro Mod, and Super Gas. His last Pro Mod title came at the Englishtown, N.J. event in 2005.

The Coughlin family, including John, Troy, Mike, Jeg Jr., and TJ have combined for 90 NHRA national event victories since 1990. The Coughlin’s have won in 9 different eliminators including Pro Stock, Pro Stock Truck, Pro Mod, Comp, Super Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, Top Sportsman, and Top Dragster.

The Coughlin family has enjoyed a rare honor in Las Vegas as Jeg Coughlin Jr. was has been featured along with other NHRA champions in a special edition set of highly collectible $5 and $25 gaming chips that were issued by the Palms Hotel and Casino. Coughlin is one of just four drag racers to be honored in this manner.

Team JEGS – By the Numbers
NHRA Las Vegas Nationals Edition

4 – Troy Coughlin’s finish in the 2010 Get Screened America Pro Mod Series

6 – National event victories by the Coughlin family in Las Vegas (five by Jeg, one by T.J.)

9 – Number of classes where the Coughlin family has earned an NHRA national event victory

15 – Final rounds for Troy Coughlin during his NHRA Pro Stock career