JEGS.com driver Troy Coughlin capped off a stellar weekend for the famed Coughlin family with a thrilling victory in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series event Sunday presented by Mid Atlantic Energy Service. The win, Coughlin’s first of the season, came not long after his brother, Mike, won in Top Sportsman.
Mike Coughlin (near lane) and John Hochstedler
Mike Coughlin ended a five-year drought at NHRA national events with a final-round victory over John Hochstedler. Coughlin had a .037 light to Hochstedler’s .084. Hochstedler had the slower dial-in, so Coughlin’s pass of 6.816 seconds on a 6.72 dial ran down Hochstedler’s 7.040 on a 6.98 dial.
“Any time one of us wins it is sweet,” Troy Coughlin said. “I was standing down at the finish line when Mikey’s win light came on. I’m like, ‘Wow!’ I was jumping up and down ecstatic. I couldn’t wait to get up here and have our crack at it, too.”
Coughlin earned the Pro Mod victory with a holeshot over Von Smith in the final round. Coughlin ripped off a .018-second reaction time, getting a .107-second advantage on the starting line.
Coughlin’s pass of 5.940 seconds at 250.92 mph was more than enough to hold off Smith’s run of 5.920 at 243.99 mph
Troy Coughlin (near lane) and Von Smith
“Von is fast,” Coughlin said. “He was faster than us and was driving a little bit better, so we knew we had to dig deep and get it tuned up a little bit. The track looked like it was going to take it. I was backing up from the burnout and I said, ‘Let’s try and leave with him because I know we can run with him.’
“When I put it in the second stage light, it was a little deep into it, so it probably killed another three-hundredths, but we had a good hot rod today, no doubt.”
Coughlin, the No. 6 qualifier, earned a holeshot win over Eric Latino in the first round Saturday before taking out Mike Janis in the second round Sunday. Coughlin’s run of 5.950 at 249.63 mph easily outdistanced Janis’ slowing pass of 6.599 seconds at 167.84 mph.
That put him up against Rickie Smith in the semifinals in a matchup of the two most recent Pro Mod champs. Coughlin left first again with a .045 light, and he outran Smith with a lap of 5.940 at 250.32 mph, beating Smith’s 5.946-second run at 245.94 mph.
Troy Coughlin
Smith had lane choice in the final, and Coughlin and his team, led by crew chief Steve Petty, were up to the task.
“Steve has done an awesome job on this thing all weekend,” Coughlin said. “He’s been keeping it consistent, keeping it fast, keeping it from having problems. He and Brian (Metzenhiem) and Kyle (Pettis) and Mike (Rees) were perfect. It was just a perfect weekend for us.”
And it came in his home state of Ohio, not far from JEGS headquarters in Delaware, Ohio.
“We’ve got a ton of people up here from JEGS.com and a lot of friends,” Coughlin said. “My wife Julie’s family is from Cleveland. It’ll be a big party tonight. Doubling up with Mike, wow, what a weekend.”
(Photos courtesy JEGS; Click to enlarge)
PRO MODIFIED
ROUND ONE — Von Smith, Chevy Camaro, 5.923, 241.37 def. Bob Rahaim, Camaro, 5.972, 240.51; Steve Matusek, Camaro, 5.974, 245.90 def. Bill Glidden, Ford Mustang, 6.042, 230.33; Kevin Fiscus, Mustang, 5.932, 250.09 def. Clint Satterfield, Pontiac Firebird, 6.022, 242.02; Danny Rowe, Camaro, 5.907, 246.62 def. Kenny Lang, Camaro, 6.224, 196.59; Pete Farber, Dodge Daytona, 5.909, 247.75 def. Mike Castellana, Camaro, 6.045, 215.51; Mike Janis, Camaro, 5.983, 244.92 def. Gary Capano, Chevy Corvette, 5.966, 237.34; Troy Coughlin, Corvette, 5.952, 249.16 def. Eric Latino, Camaro, 5.933, 244.12; Rickie Smith, Camaro, 5.909, 246.57 def. Steven Whiteley, Camaro, 14.106, 76.42; QUARTERFINALS — Coughlin, 5.950, 249.63 def. Janis, 6.599, 167.84; R. Smith, 5.918, 247.07 def. Fiscus, 5.916, 250.97; Farber, 5.974, 246.93 def. Matusek, 6.011, 244.16; V. Smith, 5.939, 241.24 def. Rowe, 5.929, 247.57; SEMIFINALS — V. Smith, 5.911, 242.76 def. Farber, 8.541, 107.29; Coughlin, 5.940, 250.32 def. R. Smith, 5.946, 245.94; FINAL — Coughlin, 5.940, 250.92 def. V. Smith, 5.920, 243.99.
NORWALK, Ohio — Pro Modified point standings (top 10) following the Eighth annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, the sixth of 10 events in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series.
1. Rickie Smith, 414; 2. Mike Janis, 403; 3. Von Smith, 362; 4. Mike Castellana, 359; 5. Steve Matusek, 358; 6. Danny Rowe, 353; 7. Kevin Fiscus, 333; 8. Pete Farber, 319; 9. Troy Coughlin, 313; 10. Steven Whiteley, 238.
This story was originally published on July 8, 2014. 
