Coughlin arrives at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to reclaim title; Pro Stock Showdown, Supreme Sportsman Series Friday and Saturday
The bright yellow JEGS.com rig was the first to arrive at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this morning. Its owner, five-time NHRA Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin, is in town to tune up for the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and reclaim his Las Vegas Pro Stock Showdown title.
The Ohio-based racer is no stranger to The Strip at LVMS’ victory lane celebrations. He captured the inaugural NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock trophy here in 2000 and has won in Las Vegas three more times since then. The personable and popular Coughlin also won the 2008 preseason Las Vegas Pro Stock Showdown.
He was defeated in the final round of the 2009 Las Vegas Pro Stock Showdown by Allen Johnson. “It all starts this weekend in Vegas,” Jeg said. “This is an important test for all of us and it really gets you up to speed for Pomona. We've won the Vegas Showdown in the past and we'd love to do it again.”
Coughlin will be fine-tuning his reworked JEGS.com Chevrolet Cobalt Pro Stock car and a new JEGS.com Dodge Challenger Stock Eliminator hot rod at the fifth annual Las Vegas Pro Stock Showdown.
“I'm excited to get back in a race car and get that feeling back,” Coughlin said. “This will actually be the third test of the off-season for the team but my buddy Richie Stevens filled in for me before so this will be my first time back in the cockpit since last November. It definitely gets your blood pumping."
Coughlin's Challenger Drag Pack racer also will keep him busy at numerous races this year, and he'll be an active supporter of fiancée Samantha Kenny's Super Comp efforts as well.
“We're going to be at the drag strip a lot this year and that suits us well because we love racing,” Coughlin said. “My nephew Troy Jr. will be racing with us at times and his dad, my brother Troy Sr., is running all 10 Pro Mod races so it will be a real family affair in 2010. Of course, Pop will be around quite a bit as well.”
The weekend’s races will be aired live on Internet TV at: http://widgets.clearspring.com/cscallback/urlexchange/4803272b42fa86ae/facebook.html?x=5U7EYcBqwm7CO8RrljjIb5E83W2Sb8NhkzqWOsdhxjjJbMF0xGHAasJuwjvHapZtyGDFbg.
- In the Supreme Sportsman Series, all purses will be based on a minimum of 64 cars entered in each class. Purse will be pro-rated for each car under the 64-cars-per-class entry.
- Super Comp and Super Gas will be an all-run field, with random pairs for the first round.
Stock/Super Stock Combo will be a maximum 128-car field, laddered for the first round, based on qualifying on the current NHRA index.
- Top Sportsman and Top Dragster will be a maximum 128-car field, laddered for the first round based on quickest E.T.
- Drivers may enter multiple classes with the same car. Three qualifying sessions will be contested on Friday to set the field for Saturday eliminations.
For more information, please call The Strip’s office at (702) 632-8213 or visit www.LVMS.com. Follow LVMS on Facebook and Twitter.
