Test session yields positive results for JEGS team

NORWALK, May 13, 2009: It will be a short two-hour drive for Team JEGS drivers John, Mike and Troy Coughlin Jr., this weekend as they venture to nearby Norwalk, Ohio to continue their pursuit of NHRA North Central Division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series titles. The Delaware, Ohio based Coughlin family will once again have strength in numbers as they plan to enter four familiar black and yellow JEGS.com entries; two in Top Dragster and one each in Super Stock and Super Comp.

In anticipation of this weekend’s event, Mike and his nephew Troy Jr. participated in a test session in Norwalk on Tuesday afternoon. Mike was making his first runs in his new Mullis Race Cars Top Dragster while Troy Jr., who is in his second-season in the very competitive Super Comp class, was gaining valuable seat time behind the wheel of his 8-second dragster. Both Coughlin’s were satisfied by their results.

“I haven’t spent much time in a dragster lately so it was good to come up here and make a few runs in this new Top Dragster,” said Mike, who is switching to a dragster after several successful years in the Top Sportsman class. “I made a couple of runs in the 6.60’s today and that is only about a tenth quicker than my Top Sportsman Chevy Cobalt was running so it isn’t that big of an adjustment. We did some work with our fuel injection system today and we learned a few things. My dad [Jeg Coughlin Sr.] was here helping us and his input is always valuable. He’s been working on race cars for a long time and he sees a lot of things that aren’t always obvious to the rest of us.”

After wounding an engine in Indianapolis, Troy Jr., arrived in Norwalk to test an entirely new engine combination in his JEGS.com Super Comp entry. Like his uncle, he was ready to call it a day after making several competitive runs.

“With this new engine, we decided to change from alcohol to gasoline and I was trying out a new carburetor from Gary Stinnett,” said Troy Jr., “We were able to work out a few bugs and now I’m ready to go this weekend. I think I learned more about carburetors today than I ever have before. Anytime you get to practice, it’s a good thing and I think it will help me this weekend.”

Absent from the test was John Coughlin, who will once again be pulling double duty as he plans to race in both Super Stock and Top Dragster in Norwalk. John was a semifinalist in Top Dragster at the most recent North Central Division event at O’Reilly Raceway Park and is a former series champion in that class. John is currently ranked fourth in the Division 3 Top Dragster standings.

“Both of my cars are good right now so I really didn’t think it was necessary to test,” said John. “The two Top Dragsters that Mike and I are racing are as identical as we can make them so I should be able to use his data and vice versa. My car is also running 6.60s which is pretty quick. Back in the 1970s, my dad used to race in Pro Comp and his supercharged alcohol dragster used to run about the same as our cars are running today.

“As for my Super Stock car, it is very fast,” he said. “Jeff Taylor has been working with us on our engine program and I think we’ve got enough power to challenge for the No. 1 qualifying spot. At the very least, I should be in the top six or eight which is a good place to start. At the last race in Indy, I got beat in the second round in Super Stock, but I felt really good about the way I was driving. I just need to focus on driving the same way this weekend.”

The North Central Division Lucas Oil Series event in Norwalk will kick off with qualifying and time trial runs on Friday, May 15. Qualifying and eliminations will continue on Saturday, May 16, and the final rounds are set for Sunday, May 17.