Both 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.
[Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in DI #191, the 30 Under 30 Issue, in November / December of 2024.]
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.”
This story was originally published on February 10, 2025. 
