Cody Coughlin Earns First NCWTS Top 10 at Pocono

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer

For the first time in his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career Cody Coughlin has earned at Top 10 finish. Only at the end of the race did Coughlin finally break into the Top 10 in the Overton’s 150 at Pocono Raceway.

Strategy proved to be key at 2.5-mile ‘The Tricky Triangle,’ as many crew chiefs, including Coughlin’s, elected to pit before the end of Stage 2. Michael Shelton positioned Coughlin’s No. 13 JEGS Toyota Tundra for a better finish at the end of the race. Despite the track-position gain between the end of Stages 2 and 3, Coughlin fell back on the restart.

Coughlin had to avoid not one, but two separate incidents. The biggest moment for the Delaware, Ohio native came as he had to avoid the spinning trucks of Noah Gragson and Kaz Grala on a restart. Somehow Coughlin missed both trucks as they slammed the outside wall in turn one.

He also squeaked through an earlier incident that wiped out Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series regular Kyle Busch, who won the first two stages of the race.

Coughlin’s first Top 10 comes in his 24th career start in the Truck Series. His previous best finish was 11th twice, in the season-opener earlier this year at Daytona, and last week on the dirt at Eldora.

Coughlin, the 2016 Champion of both the CRA Super Series and the CRA JEGS All-Stars Tour, now sits 13th in the Truck Series Standings. He is now 121 points behind the cutoff, currently held by fellow Toyota Racing driver Ryan Truex, for the Playoffs and 263 points behind Championship Point leader Christopher Bell.

Now Coughlin, Shelton, and the entire No. 13 ThorSport Racing team will look to carry their momentum into Michigan International Speedway for the LTi Printing 200 on Saturday, August 12.