Thursday, October 28, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Racing's 'silly season' rumor: Coughlin to join new team

Ex-Pro Stock champ courted by Schumacher

By JEFF WOLF
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Racing's version of musical chairs for drivers, teams and sponsors is picking up tempo as the season comes to a close.

It's called the "silly season," and any rumor is grist for the mill.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend will be the hub of speculation as to how next year's lineup in the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series might change.

One story has two-time Pro Stock world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. leaving a team owned and operated by his family to join the drag racing empire of Don Schumacher Racing.

It sounds ludicrous that Coughlin, a member of one of the sport's most successful families, would seriously consider such an option.

But the rigors of helping to run the family auto business, which employs 400 in central Ohio, and the pressure of running a Pro Stock team could provide substance to the story.

"We have talked, but we haven't come to any final term or agreement," Coughlin said of discussions with Schumacher. "I don't put any weight on it one way or another. It's just too soon to tell."

Professional teams will begin setting up today during qualifying sessions for NHRA Sportsman categories in the fourth annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at the speedway's dragstrip.

Coughlin -- whose father, Jeg Sr., started the family business and once was a noted racer -- is clearly disappointed to be seventh in points and without an event title for the first time since he began competing in Pro Stock in 1997.

For now, the 34-year-old Coughlin sounds optimistic about his team as it heads into the last two events of the year. He won his first pole of the year in Dallas two races back and was the fastest car at the event.

"We've just chipped away at it, and the guys in the engine shop really refined the pieces inside the engine," Coughlin said.

That he's considering the move to Schumacher, where the Jeg's sponsorship would join him, hasn't deterred his crew's effort.

"We haven't stopped research in our shop," Coughlin said. "The guys have used stuff (rumors) in the air to find us additional horsepower."

Coughlin also has had to contend with the racing juggernaut that is Greg Anderson. Anderson, who clinched his second consecutive Pro Stock season title several weeks ago, has won 13 of this year's 21 races, and Anderson's rookie teammate, Jason Line, has won four others for the team owned by Las Vegan Ken Black.

If Coughlin joined Schumacher, he would be following the lead of 40-year-old brother Troy Coughlin, who competed in Pro Stock until midway through the season when he retired to spend more time with his family and the business.

"Going through the season, Jeg and I had a lot of ups and downs," Troy said. "There were times when Jeg was just barely qualifying in the field. The fun factor was going down and I just needed more time to be a dad again."

Troy Coughlin's retirement won't last for long, however. He will announce today that he will compete full time next year in the 12-race AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Shootout Series, which runs in conjunction with almost half of the NHRA pro tour events. The Jeg's-backed entry will be owned and operated by current Pro Mods points leader Mike Ashley, and Coughlin will join the team on race weekends.