The annual North Central Division Lucas Oil Series event at National Trail Raceway will once again feature a host of familiar yellow and black race cars as the JEGS Mail Order team descends on their home track en masse. The event, which is the fifth of six events on the 2010 NHRA North Central Division schedule, will include  John Coughlin racing in Comp and Top Dragster, Troy Coughlin Jr. in Super Comp, and no less than three JEGS entries in the Jr. Dragster class with cousins Cody and Jack Coughlin, being joined by their niece, McKenna Brown.
           
“We will be very busy this weekend, that’s for sure,” said John Coughlin, the reigning Division 3 Top Dragster champion. “I’m pretty excited to be racing here at National Trail Raceway again. This is our home track and our team has always done well here. We recently made some changes to my Comp car in an effort to get it to go straighter and make it more consistent. Our engine builder, Jeff Taylor, along with our crew, Greg Cody, Tony Collier and Rick Rossiter have been working with my dad [Jeg Sr.] and they have made a lot of improvements to this car. We not only worked on the chassis but we’ve also found more horsepower so I’m really excited to try it out. We’re going to test on Wednesday before the race so we should be very well prepared.

The annual North Central Division Lucas Oil Series event at National Trail Raceway will once again feature a host of familiar yellow and black race cars as the JEGS Mail Order team descends on their home track en masse. The event, which is the fifth of six events on the 2010 NHRA North Central Division schedule, will include  John Coughlin racing in Comp and Top Dragster, Troy Coughlin Jr. in Super Comp, and no less than three JEGS entries in the Jr. Dragster class with cousins Cody and Jack Coughlin, being joined by their niece, McKenna Brown.
           
“We will be very busy this weekend, that’s for sure,” said John Coughlin, the reigning Division 3 Top Dragster champion. “I’m pretty excited to be racing here at National Trail Raceway again. This is our home track and our team has always done well here. We recently made some changes to my Comp car in an effort to get it to go straighter and make it more consistent. Our engine builder, Jeff Taylor, along with our crew, Greg Cody, Tony Collier and Rick Rossiter have been working with my dad [Jeg Sr.] and they have made a lot of improvements to this car. We not only worked on the chassis but we’ve also found more horsepower so I’m really excited to try it out. We’re going to test on Wednesday before the race so we should be very well prepared.
           
“My Top Dragster is always good,” John noted. “I just need some luck with that car. We did send the engine out to be freshened so we should be good to go there as well.”
           
In addition to the Comp and Top Dragster titles, John Coughlin will have the opportunity to win a third race this weekend as he’ll also be competing in the JEGS Top Dragster Shootout, which has been postponed several times by bad weather. The special event, which is open to the eighth quickest qualifiers, was originally scheduled for last year’s JEGS NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals in Columbus, and was later moved to Route 66 Raceway, where is was again postponed due to rain.
           
“We’ve waited almost a year for this race so hopefully we’ll get it done this time,” said John. “We’re going to have a lot of family and friends and JEGS associates out here this weekend and we’d like to give them something to cheer for.”
           
Third-generation racer Troy T.J. Coughlin will also continue his pursuit of the Super Comp title behind the wheel of his JEGS.com dragster. Following a successful outing at the most recent event in Stanton, Mich., Coughlin is now ranked in the top ten in the national Super Comp standings and he is fifth in the Division 3 standings. T.J. is also hoping to qualify for the JEGS Allstars event next summer in Joliet and a strong showing at his home track would certainly boost his chances.
           
“We’ve done just about everything this year but win a race, said T.J. “Maybe now it’s time. I feel like I’m driving well and I have a very good race car. It just all needs to come together at the same time. I’ve been winning a lot of rounds, which has obviously, helped me in the points, but what I really need to do is finish the deal and win a race.”
           
Family patriarch Jeg Coughlin Sr. won the Pro Comp title at the 1976 NHRA divisional event at National Trail Raceway while John claimed the Super Stock title in 2002 and his brother, Mike won the Top Sportsman title in 2007. The Coughlin family also has numerous wins and final round appearances at the NHRA JEGS Northern SPORTSnationals, which is currently held in Columbus, and the NHRA Springnationals, which was held in Columbus from 1972 to 2006.