Troy Coughlin Jr. signs with Kalitta team for 2017

Both the Kalitta and Coughlin clans are among the family dynasties in NHRA, with Connie Kalitta, nephew Doug and late son Scott on their side of the fence; Jeg, his sons John, Troy, Mike and Jeg Jr, along with Troy Coughlin, Jr., on the other.

Now Troy Coughlin Jr. will join Kalitta Motorsports to drive the team’s third Top Fuel dragster, alongside Doug Kalitta and J.R. Todd.

Coughlin Jr., who drove in NHRA’s J&A Pro Mod series in 2015 and earned that category’s Rookie of the Year award, has spent the 2016 season racing NHRA’s Division 3’s Super Comp Lucas Oil Sportsman category and currently holds the points lead.

Coughlin Jr., 26, has also successfully raced in NHRA’s Jr Dragsters, Super Gas (2013 champ Division 3), and Top Dragster classes. A two-time U.S. Nationals winner, he started the process to gain his nitro license in November of 2015 and made three runs in Shawn Langdon’s Don Schumacher Racing dragster at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park outside Phoenix in early February of this year to achieve nitro-class licensing.

“I am very excited to be competing in the Top Fuel class with Kalitta Motorsports,” Coughlin Jr. commented. “Kalitta Motorsports has a lot of history and legacy in NHRA similar to my family’s.

He revealed that his first visit to the team’s Ypsilanti, Michigan race shop was the clincher.

“I noticed the family-type atmosphere and the extreme desire to win,” he said. “I knew this was the team I wanted to be involved with. I am studying hard and plan to hit the ground running and have a strong start to the 2017 season.”

At this time he has a limited schedule planned, but the team says it could be expanded with added sponsorship funding.

Jim Oberhofer, VP of operations at Kalitta Motorsports said that he was “thrilled to have Troy Jr. join our team. He has a ton of talent and passion for racing. The Coughlin and Kalitta names have a long track record of success in NHRA drag racing and we know Troy Jr. is going to help continue that tradition of success for years to come.”

Coughlin Jr. could be a contender for the 2017 AAA Road to the Future trophy as next season’s Rookie of the Year. That too would carry on a tradition, as in 1998 his uncle Jeg Coughlin, Jr. took that prize, as did three of his new teammates – Del Worsham (1991), Doug Kalitta (1998) and J.R. Todd (2006).

Coughlin Jr. has large shoes to fill on the family side. He’s the first Coughlin to compete in Top Fuel since his grandfather Jeg Sr. won races in the late 1970s and into the ’80s, his father is the reigning Pro Mod titleholder – his second championship – and uncles John, Mike and Jeg Coughlin Jr are all multi-time champions. Add up their Wally trophies and that’s 111 NHRA national event wins.

Kalitta Motorsports also revealed that Paul Lee, who will be driving a third Toyota Funny Car for them at Las Vegas and Pomona, will continue on a part-time basis in 2017.