Lights, Camera & Plenty of Action for Coughlin in Daytona
DAYTONA BEACH, FL – Friday’s NextEra Energy Resources 250 for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Daytona International Speedway (FL) was a wild one for all involved, but when the dust settled Cody Coughlin had passed more than a 100 trucks during the race and scored his best NASCAR finish to date.
Coughlin started the 100-lap race in the 17th position and finished 11th. In Friday’s kickoff to the 2017 season at Daytona, the Ohio native had 113 quality passes, according to NASCAR statistical reports, which ranked second among all drivers.
The 21-year-old driver sustained minor nose damage in a 17-truck crash on the second lap of the race. His ThorSport Racing team worked hard throughout the event to patch up the damage as best possible.
Even with the damage, Coughlin was able to race with the lead pack in the draft and at one point found himself as high up as sixth.
Coughlin was knocking on the door of a top-five result on a Green-White-Checkered finish before being caught up in a last-lap crash on the backstretch that saw his teammate Matt Crafton get airborne and flip before landing on all four wheels.
Coughlin managed to drive his damaged vehicle back to pit road after the crash. Coughlin was credited with an 11th place finish in his debut with ThorSport Racing.
“I thought we had a really strong JEGS.com/RIDE TV Toyota Tundra that sucked up really well in the draft,” said Coughlin, a Joe Gibbs Racing Development Driver. “Some guys got crossed up early in the race and caused a wreck and we got a bit of damage. My guys did an awesome job fixing it every time we came down pit road. We’d start at the rear of the field and then work our way back. I’m real confident that we could have scored a top five if it wasn’t for that wreck on the backstretch, but that’s kind of how things go here. You just have to expect that it’s going to happen.”
Overall, Coughlin said he was very happy with his first race for ThorSport Racing, even though it was an eventful one.
“Working with my new crew chief, Michael Shelton, was great this weekend. We got along great at the shop and that just carried over into our first race together. It was also great having Terry Cook on the roof spotting for me. He was a calming presence on the radio tonight, as well as a voice of encouragement. I’m really excited for the rest of the season working with the whole ThorSport team. I can’t thank Duke and Rhonda Thorson enough for giving me a chance to drive for them this season, and I also can’t thank God enough for keeping me safe tonight.”
Coughlin will be back on track on Saturday, March 4 in the Active Pest Control 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (GA) at 4:30 p.m. ET. He will be driving the JEGS.com no. 13 Toyota Tundra for ThorSport Racing as he continues his quest for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors.
For more information on Cody Coughlin and Team JEGS, visit codycoughlin.com and follow Cody on Twitter, @Cody_Coughlin. Follow Team JEGS on Twitter, @TeamJEGS, and “Like” JEGS Performance on Facebook. Follow ThorSport Racing on Twitter, @ThorSportRacing, and visit them online at ThorSport.com. If you need more information regarding ThorSport please contact Kate Fegley via email at kate.fegley@gmail.com. Any other inquiries for Cody Coughlin can be sent to Bob Dillner via email at bd51sports@gmail.com.
About JEGS Automotive, Inc.
In 1960, Jeg Coughlin Sr. founded JEGS as a small speed shop. It has grown into a high-performance powerhouse that includes a race team (Team JEGS), 250,000 square foot warehouse, retail store, mail order, nd website. The 350+ employees at JEGS still strongly believe and practice our simply business philosophy: Customer Care is #1. For more information about JEGS Automotive, Inc. visit JEGS.com.
About Ride Television Network, Inc.
Ride Television Network, Inc. is a privately held corporation based in Fort Worth, Texas. The company was formed in 2011 for the purpose of launching a 24-hour, high definition, television network. RIDE TV launched on October 1, 2014 in the United States and is now available internationally. The network features high-quality television programming showcasing both English and Western disciplines and lifestyles and includes live events, reality shows, talk shows, children’s programming, documentaries and more. For more information about RIDE TV, please visit www.ridetv.com.
About ThorSport Racing
ThorSport Racing, based in Sandusky, Ohio, is the longest-tenured NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team. ThorSport Racing, which has competed in the NCWTS since 1996, will run the No. 88 Menards Toyota Tundra driven by two-time NCWTS drivers’ champion Matt Crafton, the No. 13 JEGS/RIDE TV Toyota Tundra driven by Cody Coughlin, the No. 27 Tundra driven by Ben Rhodes, and the No. 98 RIDE TV/Champion Power Equipment/Jive Communications/Curb Records Toyota Tundra driven by Grant Enfinger. For more information visit www.ThorSport.com.
Sources: Bob Dillner/Cody Coughlin Racing PR