Dirt
One Step Back, Two Steps Forward
Troy Coughlin Jr. pauses Top Fuel dreams to return to Sportsman roots
By Josh Hachat
five NHRA national event wins in Super Gas and
Super Comp, and he has meshed quickly with
McPhillips and his team. His reaction times con-
tinue to improve and the team has posted solid
numbers all year, qualifying No. 4 in Charlotte
with a 5.248 at 276.80 mph. Coughlin, who also
raced NHRA Pro Mod with his dad in 2015, fell to
eventual winner Megan Meyer in a duel between
two rising stars in the semifinals, taking plenty
of positives away from the weekend.
“We’re in a great place and Rich and the boys
are a blast to race with,” Coughlin says. “They’re
all competitors and they all want to win as bad as
I want to. I love the way they race. They want to
win worse than they want to go 280 or 290 (mph).”
Coughlin continues to work on the simulator
to improve on the starting line, also relying on a
few tips legendary team owner and former driver
Connie Kalitta shared with him a season ago. In
fact, Coughlin has plenty of places to seek out
advice on a given race week, patterning as much
as he can from his uncle, five-time Pro Stock
world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr., when it comes
to mindset and preparation. McPhillips’ mindset
has also allowed Coughlin to take several steps
forward as a driver.
“I like the approach and everybody has a role
that’s defined on the team,” Coughlin says. “They
know the track, know the conditions and it’s
quite impressive. He goes up there trying to win
the round and it makes my job so much easier,
and it’s easier to focus. It’s definitely all mesh-
ing together.”
It’s an encouraging sign for Coughlin, who also
finds himself in the position of being a teacher
this season. Just like he learned from his dad
and Jeg, he’s teaching his sister, Paige, who made
her NHRA national event debut in Super Comp
at zMAX Dragway. In that sense, it’s almost al-
ready come full circle for Troy Jr., a matter that
seems impossible considering he won’t turn 30
until 2020.
But while he’s offering tips to his sister, Troy
Jr. continues to chase his lofty aspirations with
a vengeance. The goal this season is to run 15-16
Top Alcohol Dragster events and compete for
Lucas Oil world and regional championships,
while also racing in 5-10 high-dollar bracket races.
It all makes for a busy and adventurous 2018
season for Coughlin, but it speaks to his passion
for the sport, his competitiveness and willing-
ness to improve.
He views 2018 as a chance to take a major step
forward, focused solely on success in the sports-
man ranks this year. But Coughlin also knows that
success this year can pay tremendous dividends
down the road when it comes to future goals.
“I do enjoy bracket racing and I do like the Top
Alcohol Dragster class,” Coughlin says. “I’ve got
some big, lofty goals this year and beyond. I strive
to get back in a Top Fuel car someday when the
time is right and when the stars align marketing-
wise. It could be a year, it could be two or three
years, but the goal is to get back, win races and
compete for a championship.”
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Issue 133
F
rom a confidence level that ad-
mittedly was a zero at the tail end of
last season, Troy Coughlin Jr. is in a far
different place in 2018. His confidence
is back, his focus has returned and, perhaps most
importantly, the 27-year-old standout is having
fun and enjoying success again.
Troy Jr., son of three-time NHRA Pro Mod
champion Troy Coughlin, made his Top Alco-
hol Dragster debut earlier this year with Rich
McPhillips Racing, and has also jumped ba ck in
his JEGS.com Super Comp dragster. He’s found
success in both, winning $20,000 at the SFG
Powerball of Bracket Racing at Carolina Dragway
in his Super Comp dragster, and advancing to
the semifinals in Top Alcohol Dragster at zMAX
Dragway in Charlotte.
It’s a far cry from where Coughlin was last
August when he left his Top Fuel ride with Ka-
litta Motorsports after a challenge-filled rook-
ie campaign.
“It’s been nice. Bracket racing has helped me
regain my focus on winning races and putting
my best foot forward,” Coughlin says. “It’s re-
ally getting back into my old habits of having to
drive to win, knowing what my car is going to run,
knowing how to get that focus and get in the zone.
“The car was great, I kept my focus and we got
a few healthy breaks. It’s a tough sport and it’s
the ability to get focused and get yourself under
control that makes the difference. I was confident
and I felt good.”
It was a tough decision to step away from his
first Top Fuel ride after 17 events last year, espe-
cially considering how much he valued the oppor-
tunity to work with the Kalitta team, but it is also
one that Coughlin believed was the right move.
Racing in Top Alcohol Dragster allows the suc-
cessful sportsman racer to grab not only experi-
ence with a talented tuner like McPhillips, but
it also enables the former Drag Illustrated 30
Under 30 honoree an opportunity to regain his
confidence competing a high level in a powerful
dragster. The goal to drive a Top Fuel car remains,
but Coughlin is patient and more than willing
to put in the work to further improve his skills.
“Making consistent laps in the Top Fuel cars is
so challenging,” Coughlin freely admits “It was a
hard decision, but there were small things I didn’t
have right. You really have to get good experience
and make a lot of runs in those cars. They drive
you and you’re trying to keep it out of trouble. I
think I could have done a much better job, asking
drivers better questions and making better moves.
I felt it was best to make that decision and come
back to it eventually.
“I just want to keep learning. My confidence is
definitely gaining and going in the right direction.”
A strong start in Top Alcohol Dragster has pro-
vided a huge mental boost for Coughlin, who has