Jeg Coughlin Jr / Pre-race Notes - NHRA Las Vegas Nationals (NHRA/JEGS)
Jeg Coughlin Jr / Pre-race Notes NHRA Las Vegas Nationals The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas, Nev. (Oct. 29 – Nov. 1) The NHRA Las Vegas Nationals is the fifth of six events in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoff that will determine the 2009 Full Throttle Champions. Jeg Coughlin enters the event as the fourth-ranked driver in the Pro Stock class. He currently trails leader Mike Edwards by 232 points. Jeg Coughlin Jr. has five career Pro Stock victories at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He won three straight titles from 2000-2002 and has won the last two events the track has hosted in November 2008 and April 2009. He currently has an eight-round win streak at this track. Coughlin defeated Warren Johnson in the final round and in 2001, he beat Jim Yates. In 2008 and 2009, he stopped Greg Stanfield in the final. In addition to his five wins, Jeg was also a runner-up in Las Vegas at both NHRA events in 2007. 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 earned a berth in Countdown to the Championship by winning seven events. This season, he has recorded wins in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Madison, Joliet, Englishtown, Reading, and Indianapolis. Jeg also earned runner-up honors at the NHRA events in Atlanta and Houston. Jeg’s 49 round wins this season have come against 20 drivers. He has had the most success against Mike Edwards and Jason Line, beating each of them six times. He has four wins against Greg Anderson, Steve Spiess, and Greg Stanfield. No driver has a winning record against Jeg this season. Jeg’s round win record through 22 of 24 events in 2009 is 49-15. By comparison, his record for the entire 24-race 2008 season was 43-20. In 16 career appearances at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Jeg has a round win record of 34-10 in Pro Stock competition. Jeg has been the No. 1 qualifier in Pro Stock 15 times in his career including the 2007 and 2008 Las Vegas events. Jeg has qualified in the top half of the field in 10 of his 17 starts in Las Vegas and his average qualifying position at this event is No. 7. Jeg Coughlin has been featured twice along with other NHRA champions in a special edition set of $5 and $25 gaming chips that were issued by the Palms Hotel and Casino. He is one of just four drag racers to be honored in this manner. In 258 career Pro Stock races, Jeg has reached the final round 77 times, recording 47 wins. Including his 14 sportsman victories, Jeg has won a total of 61 times, good for ninth place on NHRA’s all time wins list. During his career, Jeg has appeared in 95 final rounds, 77 as a professional and 18 as a sportsman racer. In addition to his seven 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. With 61 career NHRA national event wins as both a professional and sportsman racer, Jeg is one of just ten racers to win 60 or more races. The others are John Force (126), Warren Johnson (96), Bob Glidden (85), Frank Manzo (85), Pat Austin (75), David Rampy (71), Kenny Bernstein (69), and Dan Fletcher (63) and Tony Schumacher (61). Jeg Coughlin Jr - By The Numbers NHRA Las Vegas Nationals edition 5 - Pro Stock victories for Jeg Coughlin in Las Vegas 7 - Number of event victories for Jeg Coughlin this season in 22 events 20 - Number of different drivers that Jeg has beaten this season (compared to just seven drivers who have beaten him). 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 zMax Dragway in Concord) 49 - Number of round wins for Jeg this season, against just 15 losses 258 - Career Pro Stock races for Jeg Coughlin 634 - Career rounds in Pro Stock for Jeg Coughlin, (437 wins and 197 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)