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Bracket Racing - Troy Coughlin Jr. Chasing E.T. Racing Glory In Bowling Green


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BOWLING GREEN, March 21, 2012: for the better part of 30 years, the Tenn-Tuck Triple Crown E.T. Bracket Racing series held at Beech Bend Raceway Park has been one of the crown jewels of the high stakes bracket racing circuit. This weekend, Troy Coughlin Jr. will look to etch his name into the record books of this historic event as he brings his JEGS.com dragster into battle against several hundred of the nation’s best sportsman drivers.

During the three-day event, Coughlin will have the opportunity to compete in up to five events, including three "Big Bucks" races with a $10,000 winner’s share and two additional "Little Bucks" events which pay $5,000 to the champion.

"I really enjoy bracket racing and I’m going to try and make them the heart and soul of my racing this year," Coughlin said. "I was going to race in the $50,000 event in Memphis a couple weeks ago but it got rained out so this will be a good test for me.

"We’re racing for a lot of money, and that always brings out the best in people. It certainly helps me with my discipline. You know going into these races that you have to be almost perfect every time you go down the race track. It’s a great way to test your skills against the best of the best."

Last weekend, Coughlin made his 2012 debut at the annual JEGS NHRA Cajun SPORTSnationals in Belle Rose, La. Racing in both Super Comp and Top Dragster, the third-generation racer drove well, but lost in the second and third rounds, respectively.

"I felt good about the way I drove last weekend, but things just didn’t fall my way," Coughlin said. "I’m really excited about my American Race Cars dragster, which is the one I’ll be driving this weekend. That car was extremely consistent and that’s what it takes to win one of these races."

With the exception of their home track, National Trail Raceway, there is no facility that has hosted more Coughlin family victories than Beech Bend Raceway Park. Family patriarch, Jeg Coughlin Sr., won the Pro Comp title at the track’s annual NHRA Division 3 event in 1975 and T.J.'s father, Troy Sr., performed a similar feat when he won the Super Comp title in 1991. T.J.'s uncles, John, Mike and Jeg Jr. are also former Beech Bend champions.

"This is a very historic track for our whole family," T.J. said. "I’ve heard stories about my grandfather, and my dad, and my uncles racing at this place since I was a little kid. I’d love nothing more than to be able to join them by bringing home a trophy and big check on Sunday night."