Jim Oberhofer has seen just about everything in drag racing, and little surprises him.

But the Vice-President of Operations Kalitta Motorsports was pleasantly surprised when he engaged in conversation with Troy Coughlin Jr., the newest Top Fuel driver in the Ypsilanti, Mich.-headquartered organization.

“The thing that I’ve gotten out of talking to T.J. is his professionalism, his desire, his passion for drag racing,” Oberhofer said. “He was telling me a couple weeks ago that when he was a kid he used to, instead of reading books, he’d read the NHRA media guides. He knew more stuff about what we’ve done with Doug Kalitta’s car than I did as far as racing or Scott Kalitta. So he really strikes me as someone who appreciates the history of the sport of NHRA drag racing.”

The idea alone of merging two iconic drag-racing family names, Kalitta and Coughlin, excited Oberhofer, who said he was “very honored and kind of blown away that this could possibly happen” when the 26-year-old former Pro Mod driver approached him.

It’s happening, this association between the families who each have earned shelffuls of trophies and honors – starting in 2017 at selected races. Coughlin will join JR Todd and Doug Kalitta on the team’s Top Fuel side, with Del Worsham, Alexis DeJoria, and Paul Lee in the Funny Cars.

Details of Coughlin’s schedule aren’t complete, and Kalitta Motorsports hasn’t named his crew chief and his sponsor/s yet.

“I think he’s going to be really good,” Overhofer said, “and that’s why I hope that there’s somehow, someway between all the hard work and everybody at Jegs and Kalitta Motorsports, to work together, that we can somehow pull some funding together to run a whole year for him.”

All Coughlin – a true racer who also has competed and excelled in Jr. Dragsters and the Super Comp, Super Gas, and Top Dragster classes – wants is everything. He said his rookie-season goals depend on what his schedule turns out to be – “but if we can get to all of [the races], my goal would be rookie of the year and to win a Mello Yello world championship.”

If Oberhofer had to guess, he wouldn’t rule that out.

“I compare him a lot to Doug Kalitta from the aspect of very quiet, methodical, passionate. I believe he’s going to be a great Top Fuel driver,” he said. “The great thing is that he has driven pro mod cars which, as we’ve all seen over the last few years, they are the craziest things out there racing on the drag strip these days. Having that experience he’ll be able to react off certain situations that they had in those cars. It’ll definitely help him in these cars. This kid impresses me so much in so many ways.”

Worsham, who has a both a Top Fuel and Funny Car series crown to his credit, also has spoken highly of Coughlin, especially after providing the dragster in which the class newcomer made his first passes.

Said Worsham, “Man, this kid is awesome. He’s going to be really, really good when he gets that opportunity.”

The notion of driving in a Top Fuel dragster is something Coughlin said “kind of faded in and out. As a young kid, I would have said ‘Yeah, absolutely, that’s a goal.’ We’ve always just had a Pro Stock car and a Pro Mod car out there, so I just kind of fell into that. My grandfather stopped me one day [they work together at the family automotive mail-order giant at Delaware,Ohio] and said, ‘What do you think about a Top Fuel license?” I said, ‘OK. Cool. Let’s do it.’ ”

Grandpa Jeg Coughlin Sr., patriarch of the family that collectively has earned 111 NHRA national-event victories, raced dragsters in the 1970s as part of his versatile career.

“It’s a lot safer now, in my opinion at least. [Dragsters] are far safer than what he had,” Troy Coughlin Jr. said.

Selling himself to Oberhofer was relatively easy, but part of Coughlin’s appeal is his youth.

Said Oberhofer, “We need fresh blood in this sport. We need new faces. We need excitement.”

The boss is especially excited because, he said, “When I was a kid, I used to watch his grandfather race his Top Fuel cars, and it was always really cool to me. So to have the Jegs family, the Coughlin family, back in a Top Fuel car is so cool. I think it just adds so many things, because obviously Jegs has a company that supports NHRA drag racing on a tremendous level, not only with what they just do for the racers but how they come out and compete as a family. I just think it’s awesome to get all of this in one package.”

Coughlin, too, was sold on the family atmosphere at Kalitta Motorsports.

“I think No. 1 is the family feel. When you walk in you can just feel the family atmosphere. It’s very comforting and yet competitive,” he said. “It’s very history-rich, and I’ve always been a big fan of drag racing history. This is the place to enjoy that along with some competition. It’s the best choice.”

Oberhofer said his current drivers will help him learn the driving craft: “Once you’re part of the Kalitta racing family, it’s like you’re part of the mafia. They take care of you. That’s the way it goes.”