OTH PAIGE Coughlin and Johnny Tolisano come from families deeply rooted in the sport of drag racing . And as their professional careers have intertwined , working for each other both on and off the track , so have the personal lives of the recently engaged couple .

Tolisano ’ s career began in the Jr . Dragster ranks , where he won five track championships at Palm Beach International Raceway and was crowned the 2014 IHRA Jr . Dragster champion . At that point , he moved up to bracket racing , running Box , No Box , and Quick 16 Dragster at PBIR , where he won another five track championships — including all three categories in the same season . Tolisano currently runs the 7.0 Index class at No Prep Kings , where he won nearly 20 races in 2024 .

When he ’ s not traveling with Coughlin on the NPK circuit , Tolisano — now 28 — operates J & J Racing Engines in Jupiter , Florida . His father started the business in 1992 , and Johnny began working there a few years later . At the age of 20 , Johnny officially took over the business from his father , who now — at the age of 79 — works for him .

“ There was probably a two- or three-year window where it was rough , but we worked through it ,” Tolisano says regarding he and his father switching roles . “ Since taking over , I ’ ve slowly been upgrading things and stepping into the future . He started off by teaching me , and now I ’ m teaching him the new stuff . At the end of the day , he is extremely proud of what it is now .”

What it is now is a business building anywhere between 100-150 engines a year . It has grown to the point where Tolisano plans to expand the shop by roughly 70 %, allowing him to have a dedicated assembly room , as well as separate areas to stock plenty of parts inventory .

“ I ’ d like to eventually get to the point where when somebody calls , I can pull everything off the shelf and have it done in 48 hours ,” says Tolisano . “ I can do every single machine process on an engine : crank balancing , cylinder heads , all the block work . There ’ s pretty much nothing I can ’ t do .”

Meanwhile , Coughlin ’ s family has a rich history in drag racing — both in NHRA and big-money bracket racing — with JEGS , one of the most recognizable names in motorsports . At one point , Paige thought she might go that route as well . But a chance trip to National Trail Raceway to watch No Prep Kings immediately changed her mind , and she began work on her 1992 Camaro named “ Golden Child .”

“ I really like doing my own thing ,” says Coughlin . “ I feel like I get to branch out . I ’ m still a Coughlin , but I get to do it my own way and make a name for Paige instead of being ‘ Troy ’ s daughter ’ or ‘ TJ ’ s little sister .’ I get that all the time , but I like being Paige . It ’ s a lot of fun being able to do this on a personal level with my dad , Justin Beaver , Mike Reese , and Johnny . We have a great time and I ’ m really proud of that .”

The 24-year-old Coughlin is equally proud of earning her NPK Invitational spot the “ right way ,” paying her dues like everyone else instead of using her last name to jump right in . She began her NPK career in 2023 racing in the Futures class .

In just her fourth event , she won in Bowling Green , Kentucky . Shortly thereafter , she was called up to the Invitational .

She recently completed her first full season in the Invitational , making huge strides as the year progressed . She finished the regular season 10th in points , earning her a coveted spot in the No Prep Elite playoffs . She only got better from there , and was rewarded with her very first Invitational final round at the season finale in Ennis , Texas . And although she lost to Shawn “ Murder Nova ” Ellington , she ended the year 7th in points , with a ton of momentum heading into 2025 .

“ Coming over here was probably one of the best decisions I ’ ve ever made ,” Coughlin says . “ I ’ m extremely proud of how far we ’ ve come . I have learned so much about driving a car like this . And being able to work with my dad makes me have a whole other level of respect for the kind of driving that he did years ago in Pro Mod . I have nothing against NHRA , but I ’ m really glad we made the change .”

While Tolisano works as the team manager for Coughlin at every NPK event , Paige in turn works as an accountant and bookkeeper at Johnny ’ s engine shop throughout the week . The arrangement has allowed them to share their passion for the sport every day of the week , an opportunity they both feel blessed to have .

“ It ’ s honestly a blast ,” says Tolisano . “ I wouldn ’ t change it for anything . I mean , this is my life . It ’ s been my life forever . We are so heavily involved between the businesses that I don ’ t think it ever stops for us . We joke that I work for her three and a half days a week and she works for me three and a half days a week .”

While there is no official wedding date set , the two are hoping to get married in the summer of 2026 . They joke that with their hectic schedules , the biggest issue is finding a weekend where either one or both of them aren ’ t racing .

“ With our schedule , you never know ,” jokes Coughlin . “ And sometimes it ’ s a blast that way , but when it comes to planning a wedding , I ’ m a little nervous about it . But if that ’ s the worst problem we have , we ’ ve got it made . At the end of the day , we ’ ll figure it out .”

As the couple continues to plan their future together , their primary goal is to continue expanding upon the success of both their business and racing program . Whether it ’ s expanding the J & J Racing Engines facility or improving on a Top 10 finish in NPK , they are excited about moving forward together .

“ I actually understand now how to run a well-oiled machine as far as my business goes ,” Tolisano says . “ I ’ m extremely fortunate to find somebody driven the same way I ’ m driven . If we keep moving forward where we ’ re comfortable and still do everything we love to do , I don ’ t see a much better future than that .”

“ We complement each other in all the right ways ,” adds Coughlin . “ We need that . It motivates you to keep going and be the best version of yourself . I think that ’ s where we really balance each other out and just keep pushing each other . I ’ m so excited to see what ’ s in store for us because it ’ s going to be badass .” – CRAIG COOK DI

130 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 191