Cody Coughlin Posts His Best Finish in ARCA’s ZLOOP 150 at Kentucky
Joe Gibbs Development Driver Finishes Fourth in his 10th Start
SPARTA, KY – September 20, 2014 — Cody Coughlin posted his best finish to date in the ARCA Racing Series on Friday night with a fourth place finish in the ZLOOP 150 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky. He has finished in the top-five in his first two starts on 1.5-mile ovals.
“I am very happy with our run because we qualified well and it showed we had the speed when it counted,” Coughlin said after the race. “When the green flag dropped, we weren’t handling as well as we hoped, plus I am still a little green on these 1.5-mile ovals. But we showed we could fight through adversities and made real good adjustments in the pits. I am just really pleased with how the night went overall.”
The Joe Gibbs Racing Development driver highly praised his Venturini Motorsports crew for their hard work on the No. 55 JEGS Toyota Camry.
“We took an OK racecar and turned it into a top-five racecar,” Coughlin exclaimed. “I am really proud of Dave (Leiner, Crew Chief) and the guys for their hard work. Scott Wimmer (spotter) helped me a ton on the radio. I really appreciate their efforts.”
Coughlin started sixth in the 100-lap (150 miles) event. He ran in the top ten most of the night, falling back to 13th in the early going of the race. The team made adjustments on two different pit stops that really help him find the speed needed to get back to the front.
A caution flew on lap 72 and the call was made for Cody to stay out and gain track position. It proved to be the right call as he battled for third until the checkered flag flew giving him his best finish to date in ARCA Racing Series competition.
This finish gives him a lot of momentum for his next ARCA event on Friday, October 3rd at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. Earlier this month, he was the fastest in testing at the 1.5-mile oval.
“This gives us a lot of confidence going into Kansas, especially with having two top-five finishes on 1.5-mile ovals,” Coughlin said. “We will keep charging and get a win at one of these races.”
Coughlin had the support of his parents, John & Di, and his sister Kennedi. He also had additional support from his Team JEGS crew consisting of Kevin Hamlin, Team Manager and Dave Holt, crewmember.
“I am very blessed with the support I have from Team JEGS, Joe Gibbs Racing and Venturini Motorsports,” Coughlin said. “I really appreciate their help in my racing career.
“I also have to thank God for a safe race and watching over all of us tonight. I am very thankful of all of the opportunities he has bestowed on me.”
The ARCA 98.9 is scheduled for Friday, October 3rd at 7:30pm at Kansas Speedway. The race will air live on FOX Sports 2.
For more information on Cody Coughlin and Team JEGS, visit www.teamjegs.com and follow Cody on Twitter, @cody_coughlin. Follow Team JEGS on Twitter, @TeamJEGS and “Like” JEGS Performance on Facebook.
Sources: Kevin Ramsell, 51 Sports