The ADRL is returning to Gateway Motorsports Park for the Gateway Drags IV presented by CarSafe for the first time since 2010. This is a track that has a lot of history and in the past we have run here in the heat, with temperatures in the high 70′s and low 80′s conditions should be good for the Pro Extreme Class. Mel Bush Motorsports driver Tommy D’Aprile is coming off of 2 straight finals, and is looking to continue the momentum during the St Louis event.

“I am excited about this event for many reasons, we have made 2 final round appearances, and have a car and crew capable of winning, we are returning to a track where we have many fans, and I have been asked to speak on Saturday morning by Racers for Christ.  I love racing but the opportunity to meet new people and share my beliefs is more important than almost anything except my children. Being able to combine my racing with speaking is just the best thing in the world,” said D’Aprile.

We made some changes to the car adding new headers from Pro Fab in Concord NC, adding them to the list of businesses that support Mel Bush Motorsports such as NGK Spark Plugs, Jeffers Pro Cars, Fire Core Spark Plug Wires

For More Information on Tommy D’Aprile follow him on Facebook

The American Drag Racing League (ADRL) will be presented free and live online at  www.ADRL.us  from start to finish during its highly-anticipated 2012 season. Working with Tyrant Productions for the 2012 ADRL Tour, the world’s premier eighth-mile drag racing league announced on Thursday that each of its 10 events will feature a live, high-quality stream, capturing every run of qualifying and each elimination match up.

Mooresville, N.C., May 30, 2012 –

“We are excited to bring out our Summit Racing Camaro in Englishtown,” said Anderson.  “It’s a tremendous looking car that drives and feels great, with really good visibility.  After two days of testing we’ve learned that it definitely has different performance characteristics from the car we’ve been running, but the one thing we can see already is that it has a lot of potential.

“It wants to run the big end of the race track as well as if not even better than our Pontiacs, and it’s just a matter of rubbing on it a little more to get the front half of the track right. We certainly expect a few bumps in the road as we sort out the chassis, but as far as this Camaro body goes they did a great job.  I’ve won a lot of races and championships in Pontiacs, but I can’t wait to run this first event in my new Chevrolet, doing what we can to put them back in the winner’s circle.”

As if giving Chevrolet’s legendary muscle car its first Pro Stock win since 2001 was not enough, Anderson will have several other reasons to do well this weekend.  Not only will his KB Racing team’s next victory be the 100^th of its relatively brief ten year history, but beloved team owners Ken and Judy Black will also be in attendance for the first time since the Las Vegas event two months ago.

“Ken continues to make remarkable progress, so he’s going to fly completely across the country to see us and witness the debut of the new Camaro,” said Anderson.  “So far, he’s only seen pictures of it, so he can’t wait to see it go down the track in person.  Besides, don’t forget that we also have the possibility of KB Racing’s 100^th win.

“We almost got it in Topeka two weeks ago, but maybe the racing gods decided they wanted Ken and Judy to be on hand for it to happen.  After all, there’s nothing we would rather have than to put our Summit Racing Camaro in the winner’s circle for our 100^th win with Ken Black in attendance.  That would be a storybook weekend, and it’s the goal we have going in to Englishtown.”

In a somewhat ironic twist, should Anderson score the multiple milestone win in the Garden State, it will come at the same track where he captured his team’s first Wally in 2002 behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Cavalier.  It was the first of the KB Racing’s team seven successive victories at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, spanning a period from 2002-2008, with Anderson the winner on four occasions.  Naturally, he hopes history will repeat itself this weekend.

“Raceway Park is one of my favorite tracks,” said Anderson.  “I’ve had a lot of final round appearances and a lot of winner’s circle celebrations there, so it’s naturally an event I look forward to every year.  It’s a sea-level type track where we always seem to have good air and a big barometer, making it one where the Pro Stock guys lick their chops, because given the right conditions, you could see records set – in fact, I set both ends of the national record there in 2003.  When you can run fast and have fun, as a race car driver you naturally get excited going there.  I’ve had a good relationship with Englishtown over the years, and look to continue it in a big way this weekend.”

Greg Anderson & the Summit Racing Camaro crew

By the Numbers – Old Bridge Township Raceway Park edition:

4 – a) Wins by Anderson in Englishtown coming into this weekend, which is tied with Bob Glidden and Warren Johnson for the most in Pro Stock history in New Jersey.

b) No. 1 qualifying performances by Anderson at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park.

5 – Final round appearances by Anderson in New Jersey, most recently in 2008.

5.57 – Average starting position for Greg in his previous 14 Raceway Park starts.

8 – Times Anderson has qualified in the top four positions in his previous 14 Englishtown starts.

25 – Elimination round wins by Greg in his previous 14 Raceway Park starts, versus 10 losses for a .714 win percentage.

Event Schedule (All Times Central):

            Friday, June 1:                     Two qualifying sessions at 3:45 & 6:15 p.m.

Saturday, June 2:                Two qualifying sessions at 12:00 noon & 2:30 p.m.

Sunday, June 3:                  Final eliminations starting with Top Fuel at 11:00 a.m.

Television Coverage (All coverage on ESPN2):

            Qualifying:                Saturday, June 2 –                          4:30 – 6:00 p.m.

Eliminations:             Sunday, June 3 –                4:30 – 7:00 p.m.

(All times Eastern)

Established in 1968, Summit Racing Equipment is the leading high performance parts and accessories company. Summit Racing offers the largest selection, lowest prices, and best customer service in the high performance industry via catalogs, Internet, and Retail Super Stores. The company is headquartered in Tallmadge, Ohio with retail locations in Tallmadge, Ohio; Sparks, Nevada; and McDonough, Georgia.  For more information, please visit www.summitracing.com.

“We started the year struggling,” elaborated Montecalvo, who ended 2011 with a strong second place finish, but is currently sitting eighth as the ADRL nears the halfway point of 2012. “Trying to learn this new car put us a few steps behind. We know this Camaro is a great car; we just needed to learn exactly what it wants. Now, we’re starting to get a handle on it, so we’re looking for St. Louis to be a turnaround race for us.

“With Gateway Motorsports Park having their new beginning this weekend, maybe it will be a good place for us to do the same with our season. We certainly hope so.”

The ADRL Gateway Drags will act as Gateway Motorsports Park’s grand reopening after the facility closed its doors for the 2011 season.

“We’re looking forward to this race as a chance to change the course of our season,” continued Montecalvo. “We’re heading into it with the mindset that it’s the first race of the year. We’re also looking forward to being in our new Pegasus trailer this weekend. The rig is absolutely gorgeous and the most well designed trailer I’ve seen. Larry at Pegasus did a phenomenal job. We’re overjoyed with it! So we’ll be improving our season in style this weekend.

“I’ve got a great team, and we know we have the power. With our new car blues behind us, we can get back to being a threat in XPS and giving our fans something to cheer for.”

“St. Louis is a very special place for our team. My father went to school here 35 years ago and lived with a family that took him in as their own son. So, in a way, the races that take place at Gateway are like being at home for my father.”

Mr. Eman’s familiarity with the area gives him a special fondness for the track. “As a matter of fact,” Trevor continued, “he remembers back in the day when the track was actually run in the opposite direction. My father has seen the track through many years. Being here for their grand re-opening will be especially meaningful for us. It’s a wonderful facility with rich history. We’re excited to see the track come back to life, and, needless to say, we are very happy to be racing back at Gateway.

“We were disappointed there wasn’t an event here last year because we love to come to this area early and spend a few extra days with my father’s friends, the Boushard family. Dad has many friends here that he grew up with, so when we come racing here he takes advantage of the opportunity to spend time with them.”

With the support of special friends and family, Team Aruba will be as close to home as you can get while over 2,000 miles away.

“Maybe we’ll enjoy a ‘home court’ advantage,” Eman joked. “With all our friends cheering us on and Gateway having their grand reopening, there is going to be a lot of excitement surrounding this weekend. And that might be just what we need to push us to the winner’s circle.”

“It was Father’s Day and my dad Jeg Sr., son T.J., and daughter Meghan were here with me, so pulling off that win under those circumstances was pretty darn special,” Coughlin said. “It was also my first win in a Pro Mod car, which added another dimension to the celebration. Overall, it was probably the most satisfying single day of racing I’ve ever had, and I’ll never forget it.”

With a Wally trophy on the line this time through, Coughlin returns to Old Bridge as part of the NHRA Pro Mod Series presented by ProCare Rx, which will be running at this weekend’s 43rd annual Toyota NHRA SuperNationals.

“Pro Mods haven’t raced in five weeks so I’m sure everyone did the same thing we did, which was go home and get their racecars serviced and ready for the summer months,” Coughlin said. “Although it’s not supposed to be too hot this weekend, we went and tested in Atlanta to get a good baseline tune-up for the summer months. It was really hot there and our car responded well, relative to the conditions.

“Steve (Petty, crew chief) and the guys just about have this JEGS.com Camaro figured out and we think we know what to do with the turbocharger. Englishtown will be a really good chance to find out exactly where we are in relation to everyone else.”

If Coughlin has his way, he’ll create more good memories, like his win on Father’s Day, rather than the forgettable trip he made down the Old Bridge strip in 1997.

“I remember beating Warren Johnson in the first round and I was pumped up,” Coughlin said. “We had George Marnell next and were running a good race when the car turned right on me and went over onto it’s roof. The good news was no one got hurt and I managed to stay away from George, but the car wasn’t as shiny when they flipped it back over.

“We know what to do. We need a good hit in the first qualifying session Friday and then we’ll go from there. We only get three qualifying attempts in Pro Mod so it’s important not to waste any of them. If we want to celebrating again this weekend, we’re going to have to be perfect, just like we were back in 2005. We’re ready.”

Pro Mod qualifying begins with two sessions at 3:15 and 5:30 p.m. Friday, followed by a final qualifying round at 1:45 p.m. Saturday. The first round of eliminations is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. Saturday and will resume with the quarterfinals at 12:15 p.m. Sunday.

NEW ALEXANDRIA, Pa. (May 29, 2012) – The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) Nitro Jam series returns to Pittsburgh Raceway Park in Pittsburgh, Pa. on June 1-2 for the Pittsburgh Nitro Jam.

This year’s Pittsburgh Nitro Jam features multiple professional and sportsman classes spread over the two-day weekend. The 2012 Pittsburgh Nitro Jam will feature professional competition in Pro Fuel Dragster, AMSOIL Prostalgia™ Nitro Funny Car, Nitro Harley and Fuel Altered. The event will also feature multiple exhibitions including the 30,000 horsepower Shockwave jet-powered semi and the return of the legendary Grave Digger monster truck.

The weekend will also include a double Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Tour presented by AMSOIL event with competition in Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, Super Stock, Stock, Quick Rod, Super Rod and Hot Rod. Pro-Am points will be awarded Saturday and Sunday and winners during Saturday’s Nitro Jam portion of the weekend will earn a spot in the year-end Summit Racing Equipment Tournament of Champions presented by AMSOIL.

This is the fourth race of the 2012 IHRA Nitro Jam season with championship points on the line in all professional classes. A spot in the year-end Summit Racing Equipment Tournament of Champions is on the line for racers in the sportsman classes on Saturday.

WHAT: The Pittsburgh Nitro Jam is the fourth race of the 2012 IHRA Nitro Jam season.

The event will include four professional classes including Pro Fuel Dragster, AMSOIL Prostalgia™ Nitro Funny Car, Fuel Altered and Nitro Harley, multiple sportsman classes including Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, Super Stock, Stock, Quick Rod, Super Rod and Hot Rod and thrilling exhibitions including Grave Digger, the Shockwave jet-powered semi and more.

WHEN: Friday-Saturday, June 1-2

WHERE: Pittsburgh Raceway Park – 538 Stone Jug Road, New Alexandria, PA 15670

TICKETS: Available at the gate day of show or in advance at www.nitrojam.com. Tickets are $25 for adults day of show ($5 off in advance) and $10 for kids ages 6-12. Children 5 and under are free.

CONTACT: Call Pittsburgh Raceway Park at (724) 668-7600 or visit www.nitrojam.com orwww.pittsburghracewaypark.com. For media requests, contact Larry Crum with IHRA Communications at (304) 812-0104 or at lcrum@feldinc.com.

SCHEDULE (Subject to change; all times local)

FRIDAY: Spectator gates open @ 2 p.m.; FanFest Pit Party @ 6:30 p.m.; Nitro Jam @ 8 p.m.

SATURDAY: Sportsman Racing @ 9 a.m.; Spectator gates open @ 2 p.m.; FanFest Pit Party @ 5:30 p.m.; Nitro Jam @ 7 p.m.

SUNDAY: Sportsman Racing @ 9 p.m.

2011 PITTSBURGH NITRO JAM WINNERS: Pro Fuel – Robin Samsel (Fri) & Mike Manners (Sat); Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car – Peter Gallen (Fri) & Mike McIntire (Sat); Nitro Harley – Jay Turner (Fri) & Mike Scott (Sun)

2011 PITTSBURGH PRO-AM WINNERS: Top Sportsman – Mike Sowards & Doug Gbur; Top Dragster – Will Crawford & Josh Rietscha; Super Stock – Pete D’Agnolo & Craig Marshall; Stock – Jim Boburka & Brent Darroch; Quick Rod – Kathy Fisher & Jeremy Mason; Super Rod – David Moore (2); Hot Rod – Ricky Roe & Greg Fowler

IMPORTANT LINKS: PITTSBURGH NITRO JAM PREVIEW   PITTSBURGH NITRO JAM EVENT PAGE  PITTSBURGH NITRO JAM TICKETS

After the first eight rounds, Jeg Coughlin Jr. is ranked 13th in the NHRA Full Throttle points standings.

Jeg Coughlin Jr. is a four-time NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock champion. He earned season titles in 2000, 2002, 2007 and 2008. As a sportsman driver, Jeg Jr also claimed the NHRA Super Gas championship in 1992.

Jeg Coughlin Jr. is a four-time winner of the Englishtown event. He won the Super Gas title in 1997 and also claimed Pro Stock wins in 1998, 2000 and 2009. In 1998 and 2009 he defeated Mike Edwards in the final round and stopped Greg Anderson in 2000. In addition, Jeg Jr has two runner-up finishes in Pro Stock in 2002 and 2007.

In 12 career appearances at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park , Jeg Coughlin Jr. has a 25-9 record in Pro Stock eliminations.

During his hiatus from Pro Stock racing in 2011, Jeg Jr returned to his roots and spent much of the year racing in various sportsman classes. He enjoyed tremendous success, winning the Super Comp title at the JEGS NHRA Pacific SPORTSnationals in Fontana , Calif. , and numerous major E.T. bracket racing titles.

At the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event last April in Las Vegas , Jeg Jr scored his 68th career national event title when he drove his JEGS.com dragster to the Super Comp title.

In 291 career Pro Stock races, Jeg has reached the final round 85 times, recording 52 wins. Including his 16 sportsman victories, Jeg has won a total of 68 times, good for tenth place on NHRA’s all time wins list. During his career, Jeg has appeared in 106 final rounds, 85 as a professional and 21 as a sportsman racer.

In 2010, his most recent season in Pro Stock competition, Jeg Coughlin Jr. won four Pro Stock races in seven final round appearances. He also claimed a win in the Top Dragster class at the St. Louis event.

Jeg Jr’s best elapsed time in a Pro Stock car is 6.520-seconds and his best speed is 212.29-mph both recorded at the inaugural Four-Wide Nationals in Concord , N.C. in 2010.

Coughlin’s JEGS.com / Mopar Dodge Avenger is powered by Mopar Hemi engines supplied by JNR Racing, the JEGS in-house engine program founded by JEGS, Nick Ferri , and Roy Simmons. Former FIA European Drag Racing champion Tomi Laine is Jeg Jr’s crew chief in 2012.

Jeg Jr is the only driver in the 61-year history of NHRA to win national event titles in six different categories. He has won in Pro Stock, Comp, Super Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, and Top Dragster.

Jeg Jr has qualified in the top half of the field in nine of his 12 appearances in Englishtown including a best of No. 1 in 2000. He has qualified No. 1 17 times in his career.

With 52-career Pro Stock wins, Jeg Jr ranks fourth all-time among Pro Stock drivers. Only
Warren Johnson (96), Bob Glidden (85) and Greg Anderson (73) have more titles.

Troy Coughlin will be racing his turbocharged Camaro in the NHRA Pro Mod series presented by Pro Care Rx. After three of ten rounds, Troy is ranked No 10 in the Pro Mod standings.

Troy Coughlin will also be in action in Englishtown as the NHRA Pro Mod series presented by Pro Care Rx makes its fourth stop of the 2012 season. Troy is currently ranked tenth in the Pro Mod standings.

Troy’s JEGS.com Camaro is tuned by noted turbocharger expert Steve Petty. At the season-opening event in Gainesville , Troy Sr. posted the top speed of the event with a career-best 256.26 mph speed. He is officially the fastest member of the Coughlin family, eclipsing the performance of his father, Jeg Sr., who raced in the Top Fuel class in the early 1980s.

Troy Coughlin has won NHRA national event titles in three classes; Pro Stock, Pro Mod, and Super Gas. His last Pro Mod title came at the Englishtown, N.J. event in 2005.

Troy also posted a runner-up finish in Pro Stock at the 2000 NHRA Gatornationals, falling to Warren Johnson in the final.

Team JEGS – By the Numbers
Toyota NHRA Supernationals Edition

6 National event victories for the Coughlin brothers at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park (three by Jeg Jr., one by Troy and one by Mike)

9 Number of classes where the Coughlin family has earned an NHRA national event victory

92 NHRA national event victories for the Coughlin family

477 Career round wins for Jeg Coughlin Jr. in Pro Stock (against just 224 losses)