Mike Coughlin's soft-spoken and amicable demeanor belies a championship-caliber drag racer with a killer instinct for turning on win lights at drag strips across the country.
One of four racing sons of quarter-mile legend Jeg Coughlin Sr., Mike followed up his finest season to date in 2007 with another steady showing in Division 3 Top Sportsman competition in 2008, winning the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event in Indianapolis and finishing fifth overall despite entering just five events.
Business and family commitments kept Mike from properly defending the North Central Division Top Sportsman championship he won in '07 when he dominated the class in his JEGS Mail Order Chevy Cobalt with three event wins and the largest points total of any competitor in the division, regardless of class.
It appears Mike's off-track schedule is the only thing that can truly slow down his winning ways. It's pretty much been that way since he first climbed into a racecar.
Together with his brothers John, Troy, and Jeg Jr., Mike has helped push the family total to 12 championships and more than 100 major drag racing victories in the past two decades.
Prior to '07, one of Mike's most satisfying seasons came in1999 when he raced to the Pro Stock Truck title in Englishtown, N.J., to finally join his three brothers on a national event winner's podium. Later that season, Mike won NHRA’s longest-running and most prestigious event, the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, which helped him finish the year as one of the few competitors to qualify for every event.
In 2001, Mike won three Pro Stock Truck races in four final-round appearances to drive from 13th place to fourth by season's end, while establishing performance records for elapsed time and speed by driving his JEGS Mail Order Chevy S-10 to a 7.397-second run at 182.65 mph in Chicago. He capped the season by winning the final Pro Stock Truck event in history at the NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif.
Showing consistent racing prowess, Mike led the Pro Stock Truck class in reaction time average in three out of the four years the class existed.
Returning to his sportsman racing roots in 2002 with a Super Comp entry, Mike remained one of the most consistent drivers in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, routinely winning races and contending for the national title each year.
By 2006, he shifted gears to a much quicker six-second, 200-mph JEGS.com Chevy Cobalt for the new Top Sportsman class. Within a year, he was the D3 champion.
Mike and his wife Kriss reside in Delaware, Ohio with their sons, Jack and Clay, and their two boxers.
Fast Facts
DOB: January 23, 1966
Hometown: Delaware, Ohio
Wife: Kriss
Children: Jack (6), Clay (3)
Sponsor: JEGS Mail Order
Primary Car: 2006 Chevy Cobalt, Top Sportsman
Career National Wins: 12 (11 NHRA, 1 IHRA)
Career Divisional Wins: 7 (Super Comp, Top Sportsman)
Career #1 Qualifier: 4 (Pro Stock Truck)
Career Best ET: 6.762
Career Best Mph: 205.35 mph
Began Racing: 1985
First Career Win: 1989 Division 3 Lucas Oil Series event, Bowling
Green, Ky. (Super Comp)
1st NHRA national event win: 1999 NHRA Mopar Parts Nationals, Englishtown,
N.J. (Pro Stock Truck)
1st Sportsman national event win: 2002 NHRA Pontiac Excitement Nationals,
Columbus, Ohio (Super Comp)
Race Stats
Mike Championships
Year Event Location Class By Cls
2007 JEGS SPORTSnationals Columbus,OH Top Sportsman
2006 JEG'S Northern SPORTSnationals Columbus, OH Top Sportsman
2005 JEGS.com Cajun SPORTnationals Belle Rose, LA Super Comp
2003 Pontiac Excitement Nationals Columbus, OH Super Comp
2002 Pontiac Excitement Nationals Columbus, OH Super Comp
2001 AAA Winston Finals Pomona,CA Pro Stock Truck
2001 AutoZone Nationals Memphis, TN Pro Stock Truck
2001 U.S. Nationals Indianapolis,IN Pro Stock Truck
2000 AutoZone Nationals Memphis, TN Pro Stock Truck
1999 U.S. Nationals Indianapolis,IN Pro Stock Truck
1999 Mopar Parts Nationals Englishtown,NJ Pro Stock Truck
Mike Divisional Championships
Year Event Location Class By Cls
2007 Division III Champion Top Sportsman 1
Mike Divisional Wins
2008 Indianapolis Raceway Park Indianapolis, IN Top Sportsman 0
2007 National Trail Raceway Columbus, OH Top Sportsman 0
2007 Route 66 Raceway Joliet, IL Top Sportsman 0
2005 Route 66 Raceway Joliet, IL Super Comp 0
2003 Edgewater Sports Park Cleves, OH Super Comp
1996 Edgewater Sports Park Cleves, OH Super Comp
1994 Great Lakes Drag-O-Way Union Grove, WI Super Comp
1989 Beech Bend Raceway Bowling Green, KY Super Comp
Career Highlights
’08 Results
Won the Top Sportsman title at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series
event at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis
Finished 5th in the NHRA North Central Division Top Sportsman points
standings
’07 Results:
Won Division 3 Top Sportsman championship
Won two Division 3 Lucas Oil Series events (Chicago, Columbus) Was
joined in the Chicago winner's circle by his brother, John, who won
in Top Dragster.
Won the Top Sportsman title at the Jegs NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals,
posting his third consecutive SPORTSnationals victory and his fourth-straight
final round appearance.
Due to the strong season by Mike and his brother John, Team Jegs crew
members Tony Collier and Rick Rossiter were honored as the NHRA Division
3 Sportsman Mechanics of the Year.
’06 Results:
Made his debut in the new Top Sportsman class with a new Jegs.com
Chevy Cobalt
Won the Top Sportsman title at the Jegs NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals
after reaching the final for the second-straight year. It was the
tenth NHRA national event title of Mike's career
Despite a limited schedule, finished seventh in the NHRA Division
3 Top Sportsman standings.
’05 Results:
Drove his Jegs.com dragster to the Super Comp title at the Jegs NHRA
Cajun SPORTSnaitonals event in Belle Rose, La.,
Finished 8th in the 2005 NHRA Lucas Oil Division 3 championship in
Super Comp
Finished 11th in the 2005 NHRA Lucas Oil championship in Super Comp
out of a field of 222 positions.
Won NHRA Lucas Oil national event title in Super Comp at the JEGS.com
Cajun SPORTSnationals held at No Problem Raceway (Belle Rose, LA).
Runner-up in Super Comp at the inaugural JEGS Northern SPORTSnationals
held at National Trail Raceway (Hebron, OH).
Won Lucas Oil Division 3 event in Super Comp at Route 66 Raceway (Joliet,
IL)
Made special guest appearance on popular "Emeril Live" television
show with master chef Emeril Lagasse
’04 Results:
Finished 2nd in the 2004 NHRA Lucas Oil Division 3 championship in
Super Gas
Finished 35th in the 2004 NHRA Lucas Oil championship in Super Gas
out of a field of 1231 drivers
’03 Results:
Finished 7th in the 2003 NHRA Lucas Oil championship in Super Comp
Finished 11th in the 2003 NHRA Lucas Oil championship in Super Gas
Finished 3rd in the 2003 NHRA Lucas Oil Division 3 championship in
Super Comp
Finished 4th in the 2003 NHRA Lucas Oil Division 3 championship in
Super Gas
One NHRA Lucas Oil National Event win in Super Comp (Columbus, OH)
One NHRA Lucas Oil National Event runner-up in Super Gas (Chicago,
IL #2)
Two NHRA Lucas Oil Divisional wins in Super Comp (Edgewater, OH &
Columbus, OH)
Two NHRA Lucas Oil Divisional runner-up finishes in Super Gas (Chicago,
IL & Bowling Green, KY)
Shared in Coughlin family double win on Fathersday (John in Super
Stock & Mike in Super Comp) at home track (National Trail Raceway)
’02 Results:
Finished 10th in the 2002 NHRA Lucas Oil Championship in Super Comp
Won 1 NHRA national event (NHRA Pontiac Excitement Nationals, Columbus,
OH.)
’01 Results:
Set NHRA national record for Pro Stock Truck (NHRA Nationals, Joliet,
IL.) 7.379 second @ 182.65 mph
Qualified No. 1 three times in Pro Stock Truck.
Won US Nationals for 2nd time in career (Pro Stock Truck)
Winner of Final Pro Stock Truck race in the history of the class (Auto
Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, Pomona CA
Qualified for Holley Pro Stock Truck Dominator Duel
Ranked 1st in reaction time for Pro Stock Truck
’00 Results:
Finished 6th in the Pro Stock Truck NHRA Winston Championship
1 Win (AutoZone Nationals - Memphis, TN)
2 Runner-up (Moto1.net Nationals - Richmond, VA & Auto Club Finals
- Pomona, CA)
Reset career best ET & Mph
Qualified #1 for the U.S. Nationals
Qualified for Holley Pro Stock Truck Dominator Duel
Ranked 2nd in reaction time for Pro Stock Truck
’99 Results:
Finished 4th in NHRA Winston Championship
Two wins in Pro Stock Truck (Mopar Parts Nationals & 45th Annual
US Nationals)
Earned first career NHRA National Event victory
Qualified for every NHRA Pro Stock Truck race
Qualified for Holley Pro Stock Truck Dominator Duel
Ranked 1st in reaction time for Pro Stock Truck
’98 Results:
Finished 13th In NHRA Winston Championship
“Rookie” year in Pro Stock Truck
Began racing Pro Stock Truck at the Sears Craftsman Nationals
Ranked 1st in reaction time for Pro Stock Truck
’97 Results:
Finished 2nd in Division 3 Super Comp standings
One NHRA Lucas Oil Divisional runner-up in Super Comp (Indianapolis,
IN)
One JEGS Allstars Race runner-up finish in Super Comp (Columbus, OH)
’96 Results:
Finished 4th in Division 3 Super Comp standings
One NHRA Lucas Oil Divisional win in Super Comp (Edgewater, OH)
’95 Results:
Competed in Super Comp & Super Gas
’94 Results:
Finished 3rd in Division 3 Super Comp standings
Won Super Comp at Great Lakes Dragway Lucas Oil Series event
’93 Results:
Competed in Super Comp
’92 Results:
One NHRA national event runner-up in Super Comp (Englishtown, NJ)
’91 Results:
One IHRA national event win in Top Sportsman (Ethanol Sportsman Nationals)
’90 Results:
One JEGS Allstars Race runner-up finish in Super Comp (Columbus,
OH)
’89 Results:
Finished 5th in Division 3 Super Comp standings
Won Super Comp at Beech Bend Raceway Lucas Oil Series event
’88 Results:
Competed in Super Gas
’87 Results:
Competed in Super Gas
Won the Fall Classic at National Trail Raceway in Street
’86 Results:
Competed in Super Gas
’85 Results:
Competed in Super Gas
Personal
Works for family owned business, JEGS Automotive/JEGS Mail Order.
Older brother John races Top Dragster and Super Stock. Troy competes in Pro Street and younger brother Jeg Jr competes in NHRA Pro Stock, where he is a four-time national champion.
Enjoys spending time with his family and dogs, water skiing, classic/muscle
cars, tinkering with car audio systems, and bowling.
Drivers:
John Coughlin
Troy Coughlin
Mike Coughlin
Jeg Coughlin Jr.
Troy Coughlin Jr.
Cody Coughlin
