Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Elite Motorsports owner Richard Freeman are back at it again this year as Coughlin looks to add to an already decorated NHRA Pro Stock résumé that is difficult to match.
After rejoining the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series tour for the full slate last year for the first time since 2020, Coughlin would undergo a year filled with firsts.
Looking back, his storied Pro Stock career is highlighted by competing in his family-owned machine with the familiar black and yellow-painted, JEGS-sponsored race car. Though retirement following the 2020 season in order to focus on the family business became the priority as Coughlin put his helmet down — for the time being.
The acquisition of JEGS by a third-party buyer in 2022 opened Coughlin’s schedule and intrigue in a return.
In 2023, Coughlin and Freeman reconnected as the five-time Pro Stock champion competed in the final two races of the season, which reignited a spark.
That swung the door open for a full-time return last year, a unique scenario that Coughlin had never been in before in his over quarter-of-a-century career.
“It was one of the first times I really had gone under a full campaign with a non-family-owned team, non-family-sponsored team, etc,” Coughlin said.
“So for me, it was a lot less hats to wear and I really came to enjoy that. Just coming in as a driver and kind of a team cheerleader. I’ve (got) so many teammates that one of us doesn’t get you, the next one will. That’s kind of the beauty of it.
“I really enjoy all my teammates before I came in, during and still. So that’s kind of fun. Makes it a lot more fun.”
Fun was certainly had throughout the season from a performance perspective.
Four victories throughout the season, including a win in the Texas Fall Nationals during the Countdown to the Championship garnered Coughlin a fifth-place finish in the standings.
It was definitely nothing to be ashamed of in his first full-time stint in years. A successful 2024 campaign led to Freeman and Elite asking for Coughlin to return to the team once , something he doesn’t take lightly.
“That’s pretty cool. I mean, I’m not gonna lie, it’s flattering, if you will,” Coughlin began. “Richard and I have been friends since the early 2000s. We often said we were going to race together at some point in time. I did drive one of his cars in 2006 just for one race, a competition eliminator car or something.
“He’s a wheeler dealer. Most of the folks in our industry know that he buys and sells a lot of race teams and race cars and trailers and all the spare parts. He had bought a car from the East Coast, truck, trailer cars, spare motors and he drug it to Indy for the biggest race the year, the U.S. Nationals.
“Asked me to come in and drive it and man, we were doing really well with it,” Coughlin continued. “I think he told me after I won the second round, he says, ‘Hey, I just sold your car.’ Already sold it before we left the race track, which was pretty cool.
“That’s all we planned on doing anyways. But, fast-forward another 10 years from there, we kind of joined forces. JEGS did as a family sponsor and me as a driver and we raced together from ’16 to 2020.”
The Freeman-Coughlin connection isn’t the only aspect that was crucial in his return. Without JEGS as a primary partner for the first time in his career last season, Coughlin was added to the ever-growing SCAG Racing banner.
Spearheaded by CEO Randy Gloede and President Maria Oldenburg, SCAG has become an integral part of the sport in recent years.
SCAG Power Equipment also backs Top Fuel driver Justin Ashley, Funny Car drivers Daniel Wilkerson and Dave Richards, along with Pro Stock champion Erica Enders.
“The family that I’m associated with, not just Elite Motorsports, but the entire SCAG Power Equipment family is really, really nice,” Coughlin began.
“Randy and his entire team went to Wisconsin and Mayville to their headquarters and we went through about four or five of their eight or nine facilities in that area. I recall calling my brother on the way to the airport, it just seemed like such a family business.
“This is no small business. They do near a billion-and-a-half in sales and employ close to 2,000 people. But to have that feeling at such a level made me want to get back to work.
“It’s been Randy and SCAG, Maria and the entire family have made it real easy to work for because I enjoy that type of environment. And so here we are.”
It’s perhaps the perfect situation that fell into Coughlin’s lap in what was initially supposed to be his time to slow down.
With one race complete at the famed NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway earlier this month, Coughlin enjoyed a semifinal appearance as he is third in the standings.
A sixth Pro Stock title is certainly a possibility, given Coughlin’s history and Elite’s superb equipment.
While it’s too early to tell when Coughlin will decide to fully call it a career, he’s content with however that reality may shake out.
“I don’t have a timeline in mind,” Coughlin smiled. “When we put this program together, we talked about maybe doing it for, ‘Let’s do it for a year, maybe two years.’ I candidly said to both Richard and Randy, both, I said, ‘Listen, this can be at will. If for some reason we don’t want to do this tomorrow, there’s no feelings hurt here.’
“I’ve had an amazing career out here. I’ve enjoyed the hell out of it. If it’s something we want to do for a year or two or three, then I’ll be 100 percent in. So, now I’m all in.”
