NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

A lot has changed in the drag racing world in the last three decades, especially in the Pro Stock class, where technology has been known to move at light speed. One thing that has been almost a constant over the years is the presence of Jeg Coughlin Jr., who made his debut late in the 1997 season and is competing in his 496th event as a professional this weekend in Las Vegas.

After five Pro Stock championships and 88 wins across a record seven categories, Coughlin is as competitive as he’s ever been, and to that end, he’s still enjoying life as a full-time pro in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

“From the time I was a teenager, most of my life has been consumed by running the family business [JEGS Mail Order] and racing. It’s pretty much the only life I’ve ever known. I think that’s a big part of what keeps me out here.

“I mean, I’ve taken a few breaks along the way for various reasons, most recently at the end of 2020 when I stepped away. I had a young family, and that was a priority. Then, at the end of 2021, JEGS was sold and that freed me up to come back and when Richard [Freeman, Elite team owner] called me, I had a hard time saying no.

Since his return, there have been bright spots, especially the 2024 season where Coughlin, carrying the very unfamiliar [to him] colors of SCAG Power Equipment, posted wins in Las Vegas, Bristol, Seattle, and Dallas. This year, it's no secret that the Elite team has faced an uphill climb, and for all his past success, Coughlin has not been immune to those challenges. Regardless, he’s got a runner-up finish and a pair of semifinals to his credit, including a final four showing at the most recent event in Dallas.

The struggles of the Elite team are well documented, but Coughlin remains rock steady. He is again the class leader in reaction times, a distinction he’s carried for much of his career. Through the first 16 events of the season, Coughlin’s average light is a .022, and he’s got well over 100 holeshot wins during his career.

“These cars have changed a lot since I first started driving in Pro Stock,” said Coughlin. “Obviously, we’ve gone from 6.90s to 6.40s but the fields are also much tighter. You used to have 35-40 cars and there was a lot of pressure just to qualify, but the spread between cars has gotten much tighter.

“As for [reaction times] the LED [Christmas Tree] lights have made a big difference, and for me personally, I’ve worked on my mindset and internal discipline probably more in the last 10 months than the previous 20 years. I have a simulator that I built that does a good job of duplicating the conditions in a Pro Stock car and I just work on things like blocking out external noise. “

Coughlin admits that it’s frustrating to leave first against the majority of his opponents only to cross the finish line second, but he’s optimistic that the Elite crew has turned the corner.

“I’m not proud that we’re winless this season but that does not deter us from moving forward,” Coughlin said. “Nobody stops working and even this weekend, we’ve got a new combination in three of our five house cars. We’re just trying to move the needle and it’s working.”

On the home front, things are also a bit different for Coughlin since his family sold the JEGS Mail Order business in late 2021. Coughlin still lives in Ohio and spends a lot of time with his wife, Samantha, and their daughter, Carlie. He also dabbles in real estate and spends time at the race car shop he shares with his brothers.

“I still have a structured life,” he says. “but I don’t feel the pressure to be in a certain place at a certain time. It’s actually really nice.

When it comes to the 2026 season, Coughlin is nothing if not optimistic. The Elite team has steadily improved their program in the second half of the season and there is no reason to think they won’t have a productive off-season. Coughlin has also recently announced that he’s returning to the familiar yellow and black JEGS.com colors that he’s been associated with for most of his career. Coughlin will race in yellow and black while his nephew, Troy Jr., will carry the black and yellow scheme that he's worn this season.

“I’m excited about that,” Coughlin said. “I’ve had a great run with SCAG and I’ve gotten close with Randy [Glade] and honestly, SCAG is a family business in much the way JEGS is so I always felt at home here. I’ve learned a lot from Randy and he may still be involved on some level, but when JEGS decided that they wanted to increase their involvement, it was a natural fit. I started driving a yellow and black car when I was 15 and that’s what most people associate me with.

I would love to win one of these last two races this season, but moving forward, I think that being back in a JEGS car next year will be a nice shot in the arm.”