Jeg Coughlin Jr. capitalized on a strong day at the starting line to pick up his first Pro Stock win of 2024 at the 4-wide Nationals at Las Vegas. (Photo: NHRA Media)
LAS VEGAS — Four wide racing can be risky business, but Jeg Coughlin Jr. did not need any luck this weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Coughlin picked up his first Pro Stock win of the season and his first win since 2020.
“It was epic, to say the least,” Coughlin said. “The whole weekend was great. Our car was great right out of the trailer.”
The win, Coughlin’s first at a 4-wide event, was his 66th career Pro Stock victory. His path to the winner’s circle was anything but a cake walk, as he had challenging quads in each round of the unique 4-wide format.
In the first quad of the day, Coughlin and his teammate David Cuadra blasted past Deric Kramer and Kenny Delco and into the second round. That second round matchup saw the two of them paired with teammate Erica Enders and Greg Anderson, the two of whom accounted for two of the three Pro Stock wins this year, and each of the past five Pro Stock championships. This time, it was Coughlin and Enders who moved on to the final quad of the day, which consisted of the two of them, along with Brandon Foster and Jerry Tucker.
In the final round of eliminations, Coughlin did what he had done all day and cut the best light of the quad before running a 6.615 second pass for the event win.
“Today we had three really good quads that we had to traverse our way through. Fortunately we had a really good car. I felt in a groove yesterday, really I felt in a groove all seven runs, from qualifying Friday to Saturday into Sunday.”
First Win for Jeg Coughlin’s Since 2020
Coughlin, who has won five Pro Stock championships in his career, stepped away from the driver’s seat in 2020 after the final race of that season, which was also held in Las Vegas. Last year, he returned to the seat in the fall race at Vegas, so it was only fitting that he earned his first Wally since his return there.
“I can attest, after being away for three years, to see a blinking win light is fantastic,” Coughlin said. “I’m really excited to be the champion of a 4-Wide. I’ve made some finals, just never been able to close the deal before now.”
Jeg Coughlin Jr. picked up his 66th Pro Stock win at Sunday’s 4-wide Nationals at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. (Photo: NHRA Media)
Jeg Coughlin’s Key to Success
One could forgive Coughlin if he were to slip up at the starting line after his three year hiatus, but he was anything but slow off the line. His .014 reaction time in the first round was his worst of the event, as he chopped the tree down with a .007 in the second round before a .013 final round showing.
“It’s a lot mental to be honest,” he said of his strong reaction times. “I have been on (my simulator) probably more in the last 90-100 days than I was in the last 15 years. And it’s necessary. There’s a lot of really good racers out here – a lot of really good cars – and you need to leave nothing on the table if you want to turn the win lights on.”
He said he had representatives from his sponsor Scag Power Equipment on site, and sharing the win with them was a special moment for him.
Couglin’s win moved him into fourth place in the NHRA Mission Drag Racing Series Pro Stock point standings. He will look to go back-to-back in another four-wide competition as the series travels to Concord, North Carolina, on Apr. 26-28.
