May 13, 2019

Virginia Motorsports Park (Richmond, Va.) May 17-19

Following a six-week break in the schedule, Jeg Coughlin Jr. will continue his pursuit of a sixth NHRA Mello Yello Pro Stock title (and seventh overall) at this weekend’s Virginia NHRA Nationals in Richmond, Va. Jeg Jr. will once again be racing as a member of the Elite Motorsports team.

Jeg Jr. will be joined in Richmond by his wife, Samantha, who will be racing the JEGS.com dragster in the Super Comp category.

Earlier this year in Phoenix, Jeg won his 62nd Pro Stock event and 81st overall when he defeated Matt Hartford in the final round. The final round represented the 1,000th round of professional competition for Jeg Jr.

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.

After the first four events of the season, Jeg Jr. enters this week’s event at the No. 6 ranked driver in the Pro Stock class.

Jeg Coughlin Jr. has raced in the Pro Stock class four times in Richmond including a win at the 2000 event. That year, he qualified No. 3 and defeated Jim Yates in the final round.

Last year, in NHRA’s long awaited return to Richmond, Jeg Jr. drove to the Super Comp title in hi JEGS.com dragster.

In four career appearances at Virginia Motorsports Park, Jeg Jr. has a round win record of 7-2 in Pro Stock competition.

Including Virginia Motorsports Park, 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.’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.

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 62 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 433 career Pro Stock races, Jeg Jr. has reached the final round 108 times, recording 62 wins. Including his 19 sportsman victories, Jeg Jr. has won a total of 81 times, good for ninth place on NHRA's all-time list. During his career, Jeg Jr. has appeared in 133 final rounds, 108 as a professional and 25 as a sportsman racer.

During his Pro Stock career, Jeg Jr. has competed in 433 events and has a round-win record of 647-355. He has red-lighted just 24 times and failed to qualify just 16 times.

Samantha Coughlin is a former NHRA national event champion. She won the Super Comp title at the 2009 Norwalk event.

Samantha is the daughter of former NHRA Super Comp national champion Al Kenny and the brother of multi-time Divisional champ, Jason Kenny.

Overall, the Coughlin family, including John, Troy, Mike, Jeg Jr. and Troy Jr. have combined for 122 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 (NHRA Virginia Nationals edition)

2 - Win for Jeg Coughlin Jr. in Richmond (Pro Stock and Super Comp)

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

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

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

122 - Combined NHRA national event victories for the Coughlin family

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