Preview
NHRA
Coughlin, JEGS.com/Mopar team ready for upgraded Phoenix track
The NHRA circus heads west to Phoenix
Edited: Jun 1, 2018, 3:13 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
PHOENIX (Feb. 18) -- Jeg Coughlin Jr. and his JEGS.com/Mopar Dodge Pro Stock team are ready to attack upgraded Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park this weekend. The racetrack is now operated by Copper Train Development Partners in an agreement with the Gila River Indian Community, and numerous changes were made to the facility and the track.
Jeg Coughlin
Photo by: Todd Steitle
"They've made quite a bit of improvements," Coughlin said. "The track is under new management this year, which we're excited about. They've made a lot of improvements to the grounds, not just to the racetrack.
"They've worked on it quite a bit to improve some of its imperfections. We've got up to 10,000-horsepower cars going down a concrete-and-asphalt lane, so any imperfection is very easily seen. It looks like they made some improvements there."
Coughlin was one of a handful of Pro Stock drivers to test on the new surface, but while the five-time champion believes it gives his JEGS team a good starting point, it's not a decisive advantage.
"We got a little bit of a feel for it, but it'll be all for naught," Coughlin said. "It's going to be 180 degrees different when we get back out there. The Safety Safari is going to be rubbing on it the whole week leading into the race, and it'll be more like it was in Pomona (Calif.). It will most likely be a very good track, and we'll just see how the improvements look after NHRA gets done working on it."
During the test, Coughlin and J&J Racing teammate Allen Johnson made a dual pass for media in attendance at a press conference, and he then met with several journalists from the area.
"We had a good test there and we got to meet a lot of media," Coughlin said. "They're really excited about the new management effort there. They've got a lot of motorsports activity going on there, from boats to cars to off-road trucks to different community events. It's one of those facilities that's really active, and we enjoy coming to the market. There's a lot of great fans who come from Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, California. It's always fun to win there."
Coughlin is a two-time Pro Stock winner in Phoenix, but one of his best moments at the track happened 17 years ago in his Sportsman days.
"Probably my fondest memory was 1997, when we came into the race No. 2 in Comp points and needed to win the race to go back into the lead. We ended up winning the race, but that wasn't the end of it."
Coughlin didn't win the championship that year, but he has raced in plenty of pressure situations since then and is the defending Pro Stock champion. He went out in the second round in Pomona two weeks ago and would like to rebound with a better performance in Phoenix.
"My wife Samantha will be coming, so maybe that's what we need to get some good luck going," Coughlin said.
Team Jegs
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article NHRA Pro Stock driver Jason Line determined to keep winning for healing teammate Anderson
Next article Fast car cools Truex’s anxiety level
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Jeg Coughlin
Hight, Torrence are champions, Kalitta, Beckman take Pomona wins
NHRA
NHRA
Pomona II
Nov 18, 2019
Hight, Torrence are champions, Kalitta, Beckman take Pomona wins
Capps, Schumacher score their first wins of 2018
NHRA
NHRA
Bristol
Jun 18, 2018
Capps, Schumacher score their first wins of 2018
Can Millican start a winning streak?
NHRA
NHRA
Norwalk
Jun 23, 2017
Can Millican start a winning streak?
Latest news
Sebastien Bourdais hopes latest WEC success will remind teams of his value
WEC
WEC WEC
Monza
Sebastien Bourdais hopes latest WEC success will remind teams of his value
"It's horribly painful" - Williams drops 2026 car upgrades to benefit 2027
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
1 h
"It's horribly painful" - Williams drops 2026 car upgrades to benefit 2027
Iker Lecuona felt significant differences between Ducati's GP25 and GP26
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Qatar GP
2 h
Iker Lecuona felt significant differences between Ducati's GP25 and GP26
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe