Paige Coughlin Unhurt in MWDRS Pro Mod Crash

Third-generation drag racing standout Paige Coughlin was unhurt in a qualifying accident at the Mid-West Drag Racing Series Doubleheader Smackdown at Flying H Dragstrip in Odessa, Missouri on Saturday.

Coughlin, driving her supercharged JEGS Camaro out of reigning Winter Series champion Peter Norton’s Hurricane Motorsports table, was on a solo run in the second qualifier when the parachute became entangled in the wheelie bars at the conclusion of a 3.590 second, 209.73 mph pass, turning the car sideways and onto its roof in the shutdown area. Paige, daughter of veteran Pro Stock, Pro Modified, and sportsman racing star Troy Coughlin, emerged from the car and, in true racing fashion, quickly asked about the incremental times on her run.

“Not a scratch on me,” Paige said after the incident. “I’m incredibly thankful to be OK. I’ve never experienced anything like this before, and it certainly puts into perspective just how important every piece of safety equipment and every person on the safety team truly is.”

“I’m extremely grateful for the safety team at Flying H Dragstrip and how quickly they responded after the accident. I’m also thankful that we had the right safety equipment in place. My Simpson head-and-neck restraint, Stilo helmet and Stroud safety belts all did exactly what they were designed to do. My Stilo helmet didn’t even have a scratch on it.”

“During the incident, the parachute became tangled in the wheelie bar, but thankfully, everything else in place from a safety standpoint did its job when I needed it most.,” she adds. “There are a lot of people who work behind the scenes to make sure we can race these cars as safely as possible, and after experiencing something like this firsthand, I have an entirely new appreciation for all of them.

“Thank you to the Flying H Dragstrip safety team, the Midwest Drag Racing Series, my team, our partners and everyone who has reached out to check on me. I’m incredibly grateful. I’d also like to personally thank Team Hurricane Motorsports, Rickie Jones, Justin Beaver, Johnny Tolisano, and my dad for being the absolute best crew I could ask for. I’m incredibly grateful to have each of you in my corner.”

Despite not debuting with the Mid-West Drag Racing Series until its second event at Martin, Michigan, Coughlin entered Odessa 12th in the Pro Modified points standings. Her best result in her first season in the sport’s premier doorslammer category — after cutting her teeth in the Street Outlaws No Prep Kings series — was a semifinal appearance at the IHRA’s Pro Mod Mania in early June.