Jeg Coughlin Jr / Pre-race Notes - NHRA Toyo Tires Nationals (NHRA/JEGS)
Jeg Coughlin Jr / Pre-race Notes NHRA Toyo Tires Nationals Maple Grove Raceway Reading, Pa. (August 20-23) Jeg Coughlin enters this weekend’s NHRA Toyo Tires Nationals in Reading as the top ranked Pro Stock driver in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. He has claimed five wins in 16 events this season and currently holds a 27-point lead over second place Jason Line. Jeg was the first racer to officially clinch one of the ten spots available in the Countdown to One phase of the NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock championship, a feat he accomplished with a round two finish in Norwalk, Ohio, on June 28. Jeg could elect to sit out the next two events and would still be guaranteed a spot in the NHRA playoffs, which begin at the Charlotte event, Sept. 17-20. Jeg is the defending Pro Stock champion in Reading. Last year, he beat his then-teammate, Dave Connolly in the final round. Jeg also won the Reading title in 1999, defeating Mark Pawuk in the final. As a sportsman driver, Jeg also claimed the Super Gas title in Reading in 1996, beating world champion John Asta in the final round. Jeg has won national events in five different classes; Pro Stock, Comp, Super Stock, Super Gas, and Top Dragster. In 16 events this season, Jeg has five wins, two runner-up, and four semifinal finishes to his credit. In addition to his victories in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Madison, Joliet and Englishtown, he was also a runner-up in Atlanta and Houston. Jeg’s round win record for the 2009 season is 39-11. By comparison, Jeg’s record was 25-14 at the same point in the 2008 season and he was ranked fourth in the points standings. In 252 career Pro Stock races, Jeg has reached the final round 75 times, recording 46 wins. Including his 13 sportsman victories, Jeg has won a total of 59 times, good for ninth place on NHRA’s all time wins list. During his career, Jeg has appeared in 93 final rounds, 75 as a professional and 18 as a sportsman racer. In addition to his five national event victories this season, Jeg also won the $50,000 top prize in the K&N Filter Horsepower Challenge held in Norwalk. Jeg defeated Greg Anderson in the final and has now won the specialty event three times in his career. His other wins came in 1999 and 2000. In ten career appearances at Maple Grove Raceway, Jeg has a career round win record of 14-8 in Pro Stock competition. Jeg’s best qualifying position in Reading is second in 1999. He has qualified in the top half of the Pro Stock field seven times at Maple Grove Raceway and his average qualifying position at that track is No. 6. Jeg took over the Full Throttle points lead following his win in Las Vegas in April and has held it for the last 12 events. Jeg has won at least on NHRA national event title at 21 different tracks. Currently, there are just two facilities where Jeg has not won, Norwalk Raceway Park and zMax Dragway, which have combined to host just four NHRA events. Jeg is one of just two NHRA professional racers without a first round loss this season. The other is Top Fuel points leader Antron Brown. With 46 career Pro Stock wins, Jeg ranks fourth all-time among Pro Stock drivers. Only Warren Johnson (96), Bob Glidden (85) and Greg Anderson (57) have more titles. Jeg is the reigning NHRA Pro Stock champion. He has earned four NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock titles in his career, including back-to-back titles in 2007 and 2008. His other titles came in 2000 and 2002. As a sportsman racer, Jeg also captured the Super Gas championship in 1992. Jeg’s older brother Troy, who currently races in the NMCA Pro Street class, earned the Pro Stock title at Maple Grove Raceway in 2001 behind the wheel of his JEGS Mail Order Olds. Jeg Coughlin Jr - By The Numbers NHRA Toyo Tires Nationals edition 3 - Number of wins for Jeg Coughlin in Reading (two in Pro Stock and one in Super Gas) 7 - Number of final rounds for Jeg this season in 15 Pro Stock events 21 - Number of NHRA facilities where Jeg has won at least one Pro Stock event during his career. (The only current tracks where he has not won are Norwalk and Charlotte) 39 - Number of round wins for Jeg this season, against just 11 losses 252 - Career Pro Stock races for Jeg Coughlin 620 - Career rounds in Pro Stock for Jeg Coughlin, (427 wins and 193 losses for a .689 career winning percentage) --30-- Information regarding JEGS Mail Order can be found at _www.jegs.com_ (http://www.jegs.com/) and for media/fan resources checkout _www.teamjegs.com_ (http://www.teamjegs.com/) . Media Contact: Scott "Woody" Woodruff JEGS, Director of Media & Motorsports Office: 800.345.4545 (3.412) Mobile: 614.595.1820 Fax: 740.362.4385 Email: _jegspr@aol.com_ (mailto:jegspr@aol.com) -or- _scott.woodruff@jegs.com_ (mailto:scott.woodruff@jegs.com)