Troy Coughlin Sr., fresh from his third Pro Mod world championship title, has announced his retirement from racing in order to focus more of his time on family and JEGS Automotive, the mail order parts house that he co-owns with his three brothers. A national event winner in Pro Mod, Pro Stock and Super Gas, he’s not completely leaving racing, but outside of Sportsman ranks, he is done.
“I’ve been thinking about this for a while now and I’m certain I’m making the right choice,” Coughlin said. “I remember years ago when my dad (Jeg Coughlin Sr.) told us he was going to quit driving and we begged him not to because we loved racing with him so much. He simply said, ‘Some day you’ll understand.’ Now I do.
“I certainly wouldn’t have enjoyed any level of success without the support of my wife Julie and our kids, Meghan, Troy Jr., Paige and Kelly, my dad Jeg and his wife Sue, my mom Monica and her husband Glen, and of course my brothers, John, Mike and Jeg Jr.”
“When I sat my team down to tell them what I was doing they were so awesome. Steve Petty, Mike Rees and Kyle Pettis, they’ve been remarkable through the years and have done all the hard work to make me look good. They’ve also become family to me. The times we’ve spent together, both at the track but particularly away from racing when we’re just having fun, those are the memories that mean so much.”
Coughlin, Sr. has been in the game since his first victory in 1991 running Super Gas at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, but his best streak has been in the last six years. He’s either come first or second in Pro Mod points while earning eleven out of twelve wins since 2012. He’s also excelled in NMCA, where he won the Pro Street championship in 2009, and the Street Car Super Nationals, where he has won Outlaw Pro Mod in 2012, 2013 and 2015. Racing in Pro Stock, he won three times between 2001 and 2003, including the $50,000 Winston “No Bull” showdown, which was the largest single payout in Pro Stock history at the time.
“We put together a great racing resume and now I’m excited about moving forward, spending a bunch of time with my family,” Coughlin said. “With T.J. and Paige racing, that’ll keep me involved in the sport, which is very cool. I’ll just leave the driving to them.
“We also have a new CEO at JEGS, Jeff Hennion, and I’m eager to spend more time with him and my brothers as we take the company forward. As thankful as I am for everything that’s happened up until now, I’m equally excited about what the future holds.
“Steve Petty pointed out something really neat. He said, ‘Big daddy, you’re going out on top. Not many people get to do that so it’s really special.’ He’s right. I’ve been drag racing for a long time, some 32 years now, and I’ve far exceeded any dreams I could have had when I started. It’s been an incredibly fun ride and the success we’ve enjoyed over the years is something we’ll always cherish.”
I wonder if he will be back. I stopped at both Summit and Jegs this past October on a road trip. What a difference! Jegs is 1/4 the size show room of the original Summit location near Cleveland- not to mention Summit has stores in other places.
If he wants to increase business, he needs to revamp the search engine on their web site. I would love to buy from them but their search engine sucks- it is like Autozones. You must know the exact car you are looking for parts for to find anything fast. Hate to say it, but make it more like Summits. Do that and I will gladly buy more from Jegs.