Team News - JEGS Preview - Big O Tire Nationals

The Las Vegas event will mark the tenth and final race in the 2011 Get Screened America Pro Mod Series. Troy Coughlin will once again be in action with his new turbocharged JEGS.com Chevy Camaro.

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

Troy is currently ranked 13th in the Get Screened America Pro Mod standings but he is just 21 points out of a spot in the top ten.

At the most recent Get Screened America Pro Mod event in Concord, N.C., Troy just missed qualifying for the 16-car field.

In his last trip to Las Vegas in April 2011, Troy qualified in the No. 5 spot and defeated Ed Hoover in round one with a 6.04-second elapsed time before losing a close 6.01 to 6.04 race against Rickie Smith in the quarterfinals.

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. He finished fourth in the final season points standings.

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 son, T.J., 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 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 T.J. 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.

The Coughlin family enjoyed a rare Las Vegas honor when Jeg Coughlin Jr. was 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.

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 select 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 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.