John Coughlin grabs Top Dragster lead with Joliet win

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JOLIET, June 15, 2009: JEGS Mail Order recently announced that the popular Top Dragster and Top Sportsman classes will be added to the 2010 JEGS Allstars race at Route 66 Raceway and brothers John and Mike Coughlin have every intention of being a part of it. John took his first step towards qualifying for the prestigious event by winning the Top Dragster title at this weekend’s North Central Division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Route 66 Raceway. Driving his JEGS.com dragster, John took over the points lead following his final round win over Jeff Hurst while his brother, Mike, also claimed some critical points with a semifinal finish in the Top Sportsman division. In addition, third generation Coughlin racer Troy Jr., also enjoyed his most successful outing to date by driving his dragster to a round three finish in Super Comp.

In the final round, John had a nearly perfect reaction time and then matched his dial-in time of 6.85 seconds to claim his first win of the season. Hurst also matched his dial-in making the margin of victory at the finish line just .003-second.

“My car ran great all day and it was especially good in the final round,” said John. “I needed to be good because Jeff was really good as well. Obviously, we’d love nothing more than to have a JEGS car racing in the JEGS Allstars next year. That’s still a long way off and this class is so competitive, I’m just happy to get a victory.”

Mike raced his JEGS.com Chevy Cobalt for just the second time this year, but has reached the semifinals at both events. In Joliet, the former North Central Division champ was rolling through eliminations until a mechanical problem prevented him from making his race against Ricky Adkins.

“We had a small mechanical issue and unfortunately, it prevented me from making the round,” said Mike. “It’s a real shame because I felt like I was driving well and my car was running strong. I have to agree with John that we’d both like to be racing in the JEGS Allstars race next year. Hopefully, this was the first step towards that goal.”

Troy Coughlin Jr. also had a very rewarding weekend as he drove his Super Comp dragster to a round three finish. Competing against more than 100 other racers, the second-year driver continues to lean the ropes in one of NHRA’s most competitive classes.

“This is my third race of the season and I can tell that I’m getting a little bit better every time out,” said Troy, 18, who recently celebrated his high school graduation. “I felt like I was driving well but I lost a real close race. It does feel pretty good to turn on the win light a couple of times. My uncles have been very helpful and hopefully, I can just continue to get a little better at each race.”