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Past Pro Stock World Champions Erica Enders and Jeg Coughlin Jr . Return to Chevrolet Camaros for 2017 Title Chase
By Rob Geiger
Elite Motorsports team owner Richard Freeman announced Thursday at the PRI Show that multi-time world champion drag racers Jeg Coughlin Jr . and Erica Enders will fight for the 2017 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock crown in a pair of RJ Racecars-built Chevrolet Camaros .
The move back to Chevrolet was widely anticipated as Freeman and Enders used the bowtie brand to capture the 2014 and 2015 titles for Elite Motorsports . Coughlin drove a Chevrolet to four of his five Pro Stock championships and also piloted a Chevy when he won the 1992 Super Gas world title .
“ It comes down to what works best for us ,” Freeman said . “ My brothers and I have just about always been GM guys . Our engines builders , Nick Ferri and Jake Hairston , have had their best success with GM motors . Our crew chiefs Rick Jones , Mark Ingersoll and Brian Self are very comfortable with Chevrolets . It ’ s a natural fit for us .
“ We want to get back to winning races and contending for championships and we feel Chevrolet gives us the best chance to do that at this point in time . We all know Pro Stock races come down to thousandths of seconds and as tough as the competition is out there you can ’ t give an inch .”
Under Freeman ’ s guidance , Jones and his son Rickie Jones , who left the team this offseason to start a family , tuned Enders to six victories in 2014 and nine more in 2015 , all with Chevy power propelling them down the track . Coughlin , a winner of a massive 76 national events , won 72 of his trophies with GM power .
“ The Camaro is a great car and one I ’ m very comfortable with as a driver ,” Coughlin said . “ Rick and Rickie build awesome race cars and getting the latest and greatest one out of their shop makes me feel like a kid at Christmas . I can ’ t wait to see
this yellow and black JEGS . com / Elite Camaro on the racetrack .
“ I know we ’ re all anxious to get back out there and prove ourselves . Drag racers are most certainly graded by their last event and we want to get back to the top of the class once again where we feel like we belong . There ’ s a mountain of experience at Elite Motorsports and I know we ’ re in for a big year ahead .”
It ’ s very possible Coughlin ’ s biggest rivals on the racetrack will be Elite Motorsports teammates Enders and Vincent Nobile , who returns to the team with his Mountain View Chevrolet .
“ The dream scenario is one of us is in the winner ’ s circle at every race ,” said Enders , the most prolific female in Pro Stock and one of only three women in the 65-year history of the NHRA to win a pro title . “ The KB Racing team dominated the field with their three cars this last season and we did a pretty good job ourselves in ’ 14 and ’ 15 so we know it can be done .
“ As Jeg said , our guys are really hungry to win again . I believe the move back to Chevrolet is by far the best one we could have made and we plan to show everyone that beginning in February in Pomona .” DI
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36 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 115