Drag Racing Online - My First Time

"Meteoric" is the first word that comes to mind when 2000 Winston Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin, Jr.'s career is the subject. In 12 short years, the 30-year-old Columbus, Ohio native has won 12 NHRA Sportsman titles, won the 1992 Winston Super Gas crown, became the only driver to win in four categories in one season (1997-Pro Stock, Comp, Super Stock, and Super Gas), and captured 20 Pro Stock titles with 10 of those coming last year. In his 2000 campaign, Coughlin racked up seven wins in the first eight races, six of those consecutively. In just his second professional outing at the 1997 Matco Tools Supernationals, Coughlin captured his first pro win. What can you say? The guy's pretty good.

Following are Coughlin's recollections of his first dates with speed, off and on the track.

The first time I got behind the wheel and really went fast in a car was when I was 13 years old. I got in my brother Mike's '83 Mustang GT and drove it out to a more or less rural street in Dublin, Ohio where we lived. I hit a straight spot in the road and I got on the throttle and I remember really being thrilled at how the car launched in first gear, swappin' my feet, really going into the power bend.

I was just a kid and was probably sitting on phone books when I did it. Looking back on the deal, what I did was probably illegal and not a real good idea, but it did hook me into wanting to drive.

The next generation of Coughlin drivers? Jeg Sr. holds his grandson.

When I was 14 I entered my first drag race and this was at Mario County Dragway (Larue, Ohio). I was driving a moped in the motorcycle class and I was able to make it all the way to runner-up. I was able to get past tech and all, and I wound up racing some nine-second motorcycles.

A little later, I raced my brother's Z-28 at National Trails (Columbus) in Street Eliminator and that was my first race in a car. I won that race and we went on from there.