Pro Stock’s Troy Coughlin Jr. looks to get 2024 Season On Track at NHRA Arizona Nationals

PHOENIX, AZ – April 3, 2024 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Pro Stock standout Troy Coughlin Jr. returns to Firebird Motorsports Park this weekend with hopes to capitalize on his success at last season’s NHRA Arizona Nationals.

Last year, Coughlin earned the first Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge race for the Pro Stock category, which came off a season-opening win in Gainesville. The specialty event, which provides a bonus purse and bonus championship points while also bringing competitive race to qualifying, kicked off at last year’s NHRA Arizona Nationals and has been a highlight to the Saturday schedule at all NHRA national events.

“It’s always an honor to be the first winner so to speak,” Coughlin said of his Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win. “I think we have all the confidence in the world to get after (an event win) in Phoenix.”

A strong weekend in Phoenix at this weekend’s 39th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals would do wonders for Coughlin and his JEGS.com / White Castle Pro Stock team. They are off to a slow start so far during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season with back-to-back first round loss in Gainesville and Pomona. But Coughlin hopes a big result in Phoenix can get the team on track moving into the thick of the season.

“You never want to start off the way we’ve started but it’s part of drag racing and it’s part of competition in general,” Coughlin said. “Setbacks are just set ups for comebacks. We have all the great people involved and wonderful partners as well as fantastic equipment. I can’t wait to keep going. We need to put it back in line and keep marching with it.”

Justin Ashley (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Camrie Caruso (Pro Stock) all collected Wally trophies in Phoenix in 2023. This year’s race will again be broadcast on FS1, including a special NHRA in 30: Pomona Finals show at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday and Arizona Nationals eliminations at 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday. It is the third of 20 races during the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and the final rounds of the NHRA Winternationals will also take part in Phoenix.

To get his first victory of the 2024 campaign, Coughlin will have to take down a stellar field in Pro Stock, including teammate and defending world champion Erica Enders, who is after her 50th career national event victory, Greg Anderson, Aaron Stanfield, Dallas Glenn and defending event winner Caruso, who rolled to her first career…