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CHICAGO (June 3) -- The moment Jeg Coughlin Jr. laid eyes on Route 66 Raceway in the late '90s he felt a special bond with the super-track in the Chicago suburb of Joliet. His performances at the facility ever since have done nothing to diminish his love affair with the track, with Coughlin taking home Chicago trophies in 2002, 2003, and 2007.
"I grew up in the sport of drag racing," Coughlin said. "When I was a little kid I used to go to the races with my dad and my brothers. He was a professional racer running Top Fuel but it wasn't unusual for us to pit in the grass or gravel. That's just the way it was back in the day.
"Then I get older and start racing myself and I come to a place like Route 66 Raceway and it just makes you think about how far motorsports as a whole have come in the last couple of decades. It's an honor to be a part of NHRA Drag Racing at this level."
A 37-year-old from Delaware, Ohio, Coughlin began his march to his third NHRA POWERade Pro Stock championship at last year's Chicago race, where he claimed his first of four race titles that lifted him to the No. 1 ranking in the world. It wasn't an easy trek, with Coughlin facing veterans Mike Edwards, Kurt Johnson, Larry Morgan, and Jason Line on the day, but his JEGS.com Chevrolet Cobalt was up to the task.
"I just feel comfortable here," said Coughlin, who has two runner-up finishes to go with his three Route 66 wins. "It's not too far from home so we get a lot of support from friends and family who come over and this is a Division 3 track, so it's part of our area.
"Obviously, we've had some great success here so that helps with your comfort level. Our JEGS.com Chevrolet team also had a nice run Sunday in Topeka (Kan.) with our third semifinal finish of the year, which moved us back up to second place in the points, so we're excited about running again at Chicago. It's like a second home for us."
This time through, Coughlin arrives in Chicago just 20 points behind Johnson in what has turned out to be a very crowded Pro Stock leaderboard.
"There's been eight winners in the first nine races," Coughlin said. "That says a lot about how tough it's been this year. And the points lead has changed hands six times. It's just crazy. Fortunately, we've had the No. 1 ranking twice and taken home a trophy ourselves so we've been right there in the mix. I expect that to continue in Chicago."
This weekend also is special for Coughlin's family business -- JEGS Mail Order -- as together with his three brothers they host the prestigious JEGS Allstars event, a special race-within-a-race for the top 64 Sportsman racers in the country.
"Our roots are in Sportsman racing and we always strive to support the NHRA Lucas Oil Series," Coughlin said. "My brothers Mike and John both race in the Sportsman ranks and John will be in Chicago as part of the Div. 3 Allstars team, so that's real exciting.
"The JEGS Allstars event is the biggest Sportsman race of the year. There are a lot of bragging rights that go along with winning the race and the team aspect adds a real interesting twist to the proceedings. I know I'll be watching every round."
Jeg Coughlin Jr - Fast Facts
Torco Race Fuels Route 66 Nationals
Route 66 Raceway, Joliet, Ill.
June 5-8
>>>Jeg Coughlin is the defending champion of the Torco Race Fuels Route 66
Nationals in Joliet. Last year, he qualified his JEGS.com Cobalt in the No. 3
spot and defeated Jason Line in the final round.
>>>Jeg Coughlin also won Pro Stock titles at Route 66 Raceway in 2002 and
2003. He defeated Ron Krisher at the 2002 event and beat Greg Anderson to win
the title in 2003.
>>>In addition to his three wins in Joliet, Jeg also has a pair of runner-up
finishes in 2003 (the spring Joliet event) and 2005.
>>>In 14 career appearances at Route 66 Raceway, Jeg has a round win record
of 25-9 in Pro Stock competition.
>>>Jeg has qualified in the top half of the Pro Stock field 7 times in his
career. His best starting spot is No. 2, which occurred in 2003. Each time Jeg
has qualified in the top half of the field, he has won at least one
elimination round.
>>> Jeg is currently ranked second in the NHRA POWERade Pro Stock standings.
He moved from fourth to second following his semifinal finish at last week’s
O’Reilly Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka.
>>>Thus far in 2008, Jeg has a win, a runner-up, and three semifinal
finishes to his credit. He has won 17 elimination rounds in nine races this year.
>>>Jeg is ranked No. 5 in the K&N Horsepower Challenge standings. The K&N
Challenge is a special event that will take place in Norwalk, Ohio on June 28.
It is a special $50,000 to win event that is open only to the top eight Pro
Stock racers based on their qualifying performance over the previous year.
>>>With 39 Pro Stock wins, Jeg is the fourth most successful driver in the
history of the class. He trails only Warren Johnson (96), Bob Glidden (85),
and Greg Anderson (53) in wins.
>>>During his career, Jeg has appeared in 80 final rounds, 62 as a
professional and 18 as a sportsman racer.
>>>Jeg’s brother John Coughlin, will be appearing in the JEGS Sportsman
Allstars race which will be held on Saturday at Route 66 Raceway. The JEGS
Allstars is a special event for racers in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.
John has qualified for the North Central Division team in Super Stock
eliminator with his JEGS.com Cobalt.
Chicago a sweet (second) home for defending champ Coughlin
CHICAGO (June 3) -- The moment Jeg Coughlin Jr. laid eyes on Route 66 Raceway in the late '90s he felt a special bond with the super-track in the Chicago suburb of Joliet. His performances at the facility ever since have done nothing to diminish his love affair with the track, with Coughlin taking home Chicago trophies in 2002, 2003, and 2007.
"I grew up in the sport of drag racing," Coughlin said. "When I was a little kid I used to go to the races with my dad and my brothers. He was a professional racer running Top Fuel but it wasn't unusual for us to pit in the grass or gravel. That's just the way it was back in the day.
"Then I get older and start racing myself and I come to a place like Route 66 Raceway and it just makes you think about how far motorsports as a whole have come in the last couple of decades. It's an honor to be a part of NHRA Drag Racing at this level."
A 37-year-old from Delaware, Ohio, Coughlin began his march to his third NHRA POWERade Pro Stock championship at last year's Chicago race, where he claimed his first of four race titles that lifted him to the No. 1 ranking in the world. It wasn't an easy trek, with Coughlin facing veterans Mike Edwards, Kurt Johnson, Larry Morgan, and Jason Line on the day, but his JEGS.com Chevrolet Cobalt was up to the task.
"I just feel comfortable here," said Coughlin, who has two runner-up finishes to go with his three Route 66 wins. "It's not too far from home so we get a lot of support from friends and family who come over and this is a Division 3 track, so it's part of our area.
"Obviously, we've had some great success here so that helps with your comfort level. Our JEGS.com Chevrolet team also had a nice run Sunday in Topeka (Kan.) with our third semifinal finish of the year, which moved us back up to second place in the points, so we're excited about running again at Chicago. It's like a second home for us."
This time through, Coughlin arrives in Chicago just 20 points behind Johnson in what has turned out to be a very crowded Pro Stock leaderboard.
"There's been eight winners in the first nine races," Coughlin said. "That says a lot about how tough it's been this year. And the points lead has changed hands six times. It's just crazy. Fortunately, we've had the No. 1 ranking twice and taken home a trophy ourselves so we've been right there in the mix. I expect that to continue in Chicago."
This weekend also is special for Coughlin's family business -- JEGS Mail Order -- as together with his three brothers they host the prestigious JEGS Allstars event, a special race-within-a-race for the top 64 Sportsman racers in the country.
"Our roots are in Sportsman racing and we always strive to support the NHRA Lucas Oil Series," Coughlin said. "My brothers Mike and John both race in the Sportsman ranks and John will be in Chicago as part of the Div. 3 Allstars team, so that's real exciting.
"The JEGS Allstars event is the biggest Sportsman race of the year. There are a lot of bragging rights that go along with winning the race and the team aspect adds a real interesting twist to the proceedings. I know I'll be watching every round."
Jeg Coughlin Jr - Fast Facts
Torco Race Fuels Route 66 Nationals
Route 66 Raceway, Joliet, Ill.
June 5-8
>>>Jeg Coughlin is the defending champion of the Torco Race Fuels Route 66
Nationals in Joliet. Last year, he qualified his JEGS.com Cobalt in the No. 3
spot and defeated Jason Line in the final round.
>>>Jeg Coughlin also won Pro Stock titles at Route 66 Raceway in 2002 and
2003. He defeated Ron Krisher at the 2002 event and beat Greg Anderson to win
the title in 2003.
>>>In addition to his three wins in Joliet, Jeg also has a pair of runner-up
finishes in 2003 (the spring Joliet event) and 2005.
>>>In 14 career appearances at Route 66 Raceway, Jeg has a round win record
of 25-9 in Pro Stock competition.
>>>Jeg has qualified in the top half of the Pro Stock field 7 times in his
career. His best starting spot is No. 2, which occurred in 2003. Each time Jeg
has qualified in the top half of the field, he has won at least one
elimination round.
>>> Jeg is currently ranked second in the NHRA POWERade Pro Stock standings.
He moved from fourth to second following his semifinal finish at last week’s
O’Reilly Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka.
>>>Thus far in 2008, Jeg has a win, a runner-up, and three semifinal
finishes to his credit. He has won 17 elimination rounds in nine races this year.
>>>Jeg is ranked No. 5 in the K&N Horsepower Challenge standings. The K&N
Challenge is a special event that will take place in Norwalk, Ohio on June 28.
It is a special $50,000 to win event that is open only to the top eight Pro
Stock racers based on their qualifying performance over the previous year.
>>>With 39 Pro Stock wins, Jeg is the fourth most successful driver in the
history of the class. He trails only Warren Johnson (96), Bob Glidden (85),
and Greg Anderson (53) in wins.
>>>During his career, Jeg has appeared in 80 final rounds, 62 as a
professional and 18 as a sportsman racer.
>>>Jeg’s brother John Coughlin, will be appearing in the JEGS Sportsman
Allstars race which will be held on Saturday at Route 66 Raceway. The JEGS
Allstars is a special event for racers in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.
John has qualified for the North Central Division team in Super Stock
eliminator with his JEGS.com Cobalt.
