Terry Coyle, one of the most respected tuners and crew chiefs in the world of outlaw Pro Modified racing, passed away Wednesday, October 2nd, in a car crash in his native Kentucky. He was 61.
[Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in DI #191, the 30 Under 30 Issue, in November / December of 2024.]
Coyle started drag racing at Kentucky Dragway in Clay City, but he also raced extensively at London Dragway, where he still holds the track record. A retired Production Engineer Specialist at Toyota Motor Manufacturing in Georgetown, Coyle developed a strong reputation as a tuner and driver in the Pro Modified ranks, with a specialty in mechanical fuel injection.
With more than 40 years in the sport, Coyle tuned for numerous drivers in different Pro Modified classes and series, including NHRA Pro Mod, ADRL Pro Extreme, PDRA Pro Extreme and Pro Boost, and Piedmont Dragway’s Big Dog Shootout series. Many Pro Mod fans know Coyle from the days of Pro Extreme, when he tuned Terry Leggett to numerous wins and eighth-mile passes in the low 3.50s and even high 3.40s.
One of Coyle’s most recent accomplishments was working with Jamie Chappell to help him find the winner’s circle in the Big Dog series. Driving his Coyle-tuned, supercharged “War Eagle” ’63 Corvette, Chappell won the $20,000-to-win Big Dog Shootout Allstars event last fall.
“He was more than a tuner to us. He was a true friend,” Chappell wrote in a Facebook post. “We have never met anyone like Terry; so down to earth, so nice to everybody, and so smart. Terry was instrumental for us becoming friends with Justin Carmack and Robbie Matthews. When Chuck Ford called me that Sunday and told me to call Terry Coyle, I thought, ‘He won’t have time for me or take my call,’ but right the opposite, we met a true friend.”
Justin Carmack, founder of Carmack Engineering, counted Coyle as a longtime mentor and friend. They worked together on several teams, including Chappell’s.
“Well, buddy, none of us was ready for you to leave,” Carmack said in a Facebook post. “However, sometimes that’s not our decision. I’ll be forever grateful for the Terry Coyle School of Mechanical Fuel Injection you have taught me over the years. I’ll do my best to hold the fort down and keep pushing to get our new products to life, buddy.”
Coyle earned the respect of his fellow tuners and drivers, especially those younger than him, as he was known for sharing his knowledge and expertise with others.
“Terry Coyle was a great man,” shared Stevie “Fast” Jackson. “He was a hardworking and tenacious racer and he knew how to use actual tools on a race car and not just a USB cord. I enjoyed our time racing together and he was a loyal friend and member of KTR [Killin Time Racing]. Every time Terry would smoke the tires, ‘Back up Terry’ would echo through the headsets, and to this day in the shop, it remains a phrase that reminds us all of him. Keep the hammer down, Terry Coyle.”
Beyond his tuning capabilities, Coyle was also a skilled driver in an Outlaw Dragster and a series of Pro Mod cars. He won multiple track championships at London Dragway, where he also lowered the track record countless times. He clearly made an impact at London Dragway and the other local tracks he frequented, like Kentucky Dragway and Edgewater Sports Park, as those tracks all shared tributes to him in the days following his passing.
“Terry was one of the greats,” said London Dragway’s tribute. “Not only a great race car driver, but a great friend to us here at London Dragway. He called weekly just to check in on Craig [Boone, track owner], just to talk as a friend would do. Terry Coyle drove the Chevelle owned by Jonathan Garrett and was currently our track record holder at 3.753. This is a devastating loss to whole the racing community and he will be forever missed here at London Dragway.”
This story was originally published on January 9, 2025. 
