NHRA - JEGS Team Indianapolis Preview

The NHRA Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis will mark the eighth race in the ten-event 2011 Get Screened America Pro Mod Series. Troy Coughlin is expected to debut his new turbocharged JEGS.com Chevy Camaro in the Pro Mod class.

Troy’s new turbocharged Camaro was built by Jerry Bickel Race Cars and features a 504-cid engine built by noted turbocharger expert Ken Duttwieler. The new car will be tuned by Jake Hairston, whose family owns the Pontiac GTO that Troy raced for the first nine events this season.

There are three events remaining in the 2011 Get Screened America Pro Mod series and Troy is fighting for a spot in the top ten. He is currently 11th, just 11 points behind tenth-ranked Melanie Troxel.

At the most recent Get Screened America Pro Mod event in Norwalk, Ohio, Troy qualified No. 12 in the field with 5.990. He went on to lose a close race against Dennis Radford in round one.

Troy finished fourth in the 2010 Get Screened America Pro Mod Series. He was the only driver to qualify for all ten events last season.

At the 2010 Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, Troy was the No. 4 qualifier in the Get Screened America Pro Mod Series with a strong 5.92-second run.

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.

Troy has won NHRA national event titles in three classes; Pro Stock, Pro Mod, and Super Gas. His first title came in Super Gas at the 1991 U.S. Nationals.

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.

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 will be joined in Indianapolis by his son, T.J., who will once again be driving his JEGS.com dragster in the Super Comp class. T.J. is the defending Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Super Comp champion.

In addition to his win at the 2010 Indy event, T.J. also won the Super Comp title in Las Vegas in 2009. In the process, he became the first third-generation Coughlin to win an NHRA national event title, joining his father, Troy, and uncles, John, Mike, and Jeg, who are all national event champions.

The JEGS Mail Order team will also be represented by Samantha Coughlin, who will be racing her JEGS.com dragster in Super Comp. Samantha, who recently married five-time NHRA champion Jeg Coughlin, Jr., is a former NHRA national event winner. She won the 2009 Norwalk event.

Samantha comes from a racing family that includes her father, Alan Kenny, and her brother, Jason, who are both past national event winners. Alan and Jason will also be in competition at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.

Collectively, the Coughlin family has won the U.S. Nationals eight times. Jeg Coughlin has four wins (three in Pro Stock and one in Super Gas). Troy, won the Super Gas title in 1991. Mike collected two wins in the Pro Stock Truck class in 1999 and 2001 and third generation T.J. Coughlin won the Super Comp title in 2010. In addition, John Coughlin won the U.S. Nationals as a car owner in 2005 when Brad Plourd drove his JEGS Mail Order dragster to the Super Comp title.

JEGS family patriarch Jeg Coughlin Sr. drove to two U.S. Nationals finals during his career. He was runner-up in Little Eliminator in 1959 and runner-up in Pro Comp in 1975.

The Coughlin family, including John, Troy Sr., Mike, Jeg, and Troy Jr. has combined for 91 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.