NHRA (ATLANTA) - JEG COUGHLIN PREVIEW

Jeg Coughlin Jr. arguably has the best car on the NHRA tour at the moment, having piloted his Slammers Ultimate Milk/JEGS.com Chevrolet Cobalt to back-to-back low qualifying efforts in Houston and Las Vegas. Although he has just 10 No. 1 qualifier plaques on his mantle after 195 career starts, this is actually the second time Coughlin has qualified on top at two consecutive races. He also pulled off the feat at the end of 2000 when he was No. 1 in Dallas and Pomona.

>>> Speaking of Jeggy; Atlanta Raceway, the site of this weekend's race, has a special place in his heart as he won his first national event in Competition Eliminator at the facility in 1997. That was the season Jeg became the first driver in NHRA history to win national events in four different categories -- Competition Eliminator, Pro Stock, Super Stock, and Super Gas. That record holds to this day. Jeg also won this event in 2000 in his Pro Stock car.

>>> Although his family's multi-million dollar high performance parts business, JEGS Mail Order, usually keeps him and his racing brothers close to home until the very last minute on race weekends, Jeg will gladly depart early this week as he plans to attend Coca-Cola's Evening of Champions Thursday in downtown Atlanta. Coca-Cola, the parent company of series sponsor POWERade, invites all of the POWERade champions from the four professional categories to this special dinner each year. As the very first POWERade champion -- Coughlin clinched before anyone else in 2002, POWERade's inaugural season -- Coughlin makes it a point to never miss the affair.

>>> From the better-late-than-never department: Troy Coughlin will make his competition debut in the AMS Pro Mod Challenge series in his new turbo-charged JEGS.com Pontiac GTO this weekend. Troy was hoping to run for the championship this year in the 10-race Challenge but missed the first two races on the schedule due to several mechanical and structural complications with his hot rod. Now, after revamping the car and testing extensively at No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, La., Troy and crew are finally ready to rumble.

>>> Family patriarch Jeg Coughlin Sr. will be on hand this weekend to support Jeg and Troy. Senior hasn't been to a race in nearly a year and this rare appearance has both of his sons very excited. Interestingly, when Atlanta Dragway originally opened in 1976, Senior was tearing up Division 3 in Pro Comp, winning four races (Columbus, Ohio, Cleves, Ohio, Martin, Mich., and Indianapolis) en route to the championship. Troy was 12 years old that year. Jeg Jr. was 6.

>>> Team chef Nicky Morse is once again featured on the pages on NHRA.com, the sport's preeminent website. Each race, Morse, who has the pedigree of a four-star chef, creates a unique recipe for NHRA fans. This weekend, Morse shares his special "Loaded Mash Potatoes" creation.