February 05, 2019

Auto Club Pomona Raceway (Pomona, Calif.) February 7-10

Jeg Coughlin Jr. will begin his pursuit of a sixth NHRA Mello Yello Pro Stock title (and seventh overall) at this weekend’s season-opening Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at historic Auto Club Pomona Raceway in Pomona, Calif. Jeg Jr. will once again be racing as a member of the Elite Motorsports team.

Last season, Jeg Jr. finished at the No. 2 ranked driver in the Pro Stock class. He finished in the top ten for the 18th time in his career, which began in 1997.

Jeg Coughlin Jr. is once again racing as a teammate to two-time world champ Erica Enders. The Elite team also includes Pro Stock racers Alex Laughlin and Rodger Brogdon. Jeg Jr.’s crew chief will be multi-talented Rickie Jones, who has extensive experience as a driver, chassis builder, and tuner. The Elite team also includes crew chiefs Rick Jones, Mark Ingersoll and Brian “Lump” Self, who regularly share data.

At last year’s Pomona opener, Jeg Jr. qualified No. 10 in the field and lost a close round one battle to teammate Erica Enders.

All told, Jeg Jr. has six wins and seven runner-up finishes in Pro Stock competition in Pomona. He won the season-opening Winternationals in 1999 and 2000 and the season-ending Auto Club Finals in 1995, 2005, and 2007. He also won the special 50th anniversary event held in Pomona during the summer of 2001 as part of NHRA’s golden anniversary celebration.

In 1998, Jeg Jr. made his first Pro Stock start at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona at the Winternationals and reached the final round. A year later, Jeg Jr. defeated his older brother, Troy in the final, to win his first Winternationals Pro Stock title. The Coughlin brothers also raced in the final of the 1999 Denver event, where Jeg Jr. also claimed the win in that event.

In addition to his Pro Stock wins, Jeg Jr. was also a runner-up in the Super Stock class in Pomona during the 1995 Winternationals.

In 18 appearances at the Winternationals, Jeg Jr. has qualified in the top half of the field 13 times including a best of No. 2 (2000, 2008, and 2010).

In 18 career appearances at the Winternationals, Jeg Jr. has a 27-15 record in Pro Stock competition. His record is 63-32 in all events at Auto Club Pomona Raceway

Of his 27 round wins at the Winternationals, seven have come via a starting line holeshot. With 103 holeshot wins in his career, Jeg. Jr is the all-time leader among NHRA professional competitors.

Jeg Jr.’s best elapsed time in a Pro Stock car is 6.484 seconds and his best speed is 214.62 mph, both recorded in Gainesville in 2014.

Jeg Jr. is a five-time NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock champion. He earned season titles in 2000, 2002, 2007-2008 and 2013. As a sportsman driver, Jeg Jr. also claimed the NHRA Super Gas championship in 1992.

Including Auto Club Pomona Raceway, Jeg Coughlin Jr. has won at least one NHRA national event at 24 different facilities making him the all-time leader in that category. The only current venues on the NHRA Mello Yello tour where he has not won are the tracks in Norwalk and Epping.

Jeg Jr. is the only driver to win national event titles in seven different categories. He has won in Pro Stock, Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas and Top Dragster.

Jeg Jr. is the only professional racer in history to win a national event title from all 16 starting spots. During his Indy win in 2000, Jeg qualified No. 16.

With 61 Pro Stock wins in his career, Jeg Jr. ranks fourth all-time among Pro Stock drivers. Only Warren Johnson (97), Greg Anderson (91), and the late Bob Glidden (85) and have more titles.

In 429 career Pro Stock races, Jeg Jr. has reached the final round 107 times, recording 61 wins. Including his 19 sportsman victories, Jeg Jr. has won a total of 80 times, good for ninth place on NHRA's all-time list. During his career, Jeg Jr. has appeared in 132 final rounds, 107 as a professional and 25 as a sportsman racer.

During his Pro Stock career, Jeg Jr. has competed in 429 events and has a round-win record of 643-352. He has red-lighted just 24 times and failed to qualify just 16 times.

Overall, the Coughlin family, including John, Troy, Mike, Jeg Jr. and Troy Jr. have combined for 121 NHRA national event victories since 1990. The Coughlin's have won in 11 different eliminators including Pro Stock, Pro Stock Truck, Pro Mod, Top Alcohol Dragster, Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, Top Sportsman and Top Dragster.

TEAM JEGS - By the Numbers (Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals Edition)

7 - Different classes where Jeg Coughlin Jr. has won at least one NHRA national event title (the only driver to do so)

9 - Pomona wins for the Coughlin family (six by Jeg Jr, two by Mike, and one by John Coughlin).

11 - Number of classes where the Coughlin family has earned an NHRA national event victory

13 - Final rounds in Pro Stock in Pomona for Jeg Coughlin Jr.

103 - Holeshot wins by Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the Pro Stock class (tops among NHRA pro drivers)

121 -Combined NHRA national event victories for the Coughlin family

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