This might be the closest statement of confirmation yet regarding Cody Coughlin’s departure from KB Titan Racing. Championship crew chief and former Pro Stock standout Dave Connolly will take over the seat of the KB Titan Racing Chevrolet Camaro for the final two events of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season, beginning with next week’s Dodge NHRA Nevada Nationals.
Connolly, a 26-time Pro Stock winner, steps in behind the wheel of the Camaro previously driven by Coughlin, marking his first full national event appearance since June. The team confirmed he will compete at both Las Vegas and Pomona.
“The guys have trusted me with the wheel, and we’re going to go out there, have some fun, and see what we can do with it,” Connolly said. The Jerry Haas-built Camaro has been one of the top-performing cars in the KB Titan fleet this year, with 11 top-half qualifying efforts, a No. 1 start at the New England Nationals, and a final-round appearance at Maple Grove Raceway.
Connolly said the short-term driver change allows the team to test additional setups under race conditions. “We’ve tested the wheels off of this car,” he said. “This will give us the opportunity to implement some of the things we’ve been working on all season to make the car even better.”
A proven multi-class racer, Connolly has collected national and divisional wins in Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Street, and Top Dragster, along with three Top Fuel final-round appearances. His driving career and tuning acumen have made him one of the sport’s most versatile figures.
After transitioning to a crew chief role, Connolly led Tanner Gray to the 2017 NHRA Rookie of the Year title and the 2018 Pro Stock world championship. He joined the KB Titan Racing program in 2019, working alongside Rob Downing and Nate VanWassenhove to guide Greg Anderson to championships in 2021 and 2024.
Connolly, who co-owns Competitive Suspension with Million Dollar Drag Race promoter Jennifer Folk, remains active in competition outside his tuning duties. He last drove at the New England Nationals in June, substituting for Eric Latino. Connolly qualified seventh, advanced past Greg Stanfield in the opening round, and turned in one of the quickest runs of the session before bowing out to Anderson.
“As a whole, we’ve had a great year at KB Titan and won a lot of races,” Connolly said. “It looks like it’s going to be between Greg Anderson or Dallas Glenn for the championship, but there are still a lot of people shuffling for positions. We’ll see if we can knock out some Elite cars along the way and mix it up with these guys.”
Heading into Las Vegas, Glenn leads the Pro Stock standings by 60 points over Anderson, with KB Titan-powered Matt Hartford sitting third. Teammates Cory Reed and Latino rank fifth and sixth, while Coughlin holds the No. 8 position, and Deric Kramer trails the top 10 by just three points.
Connolly said the chance to return to the driver’s seat brings a renewed sense of focus. “I don’t get to drive a Pro Stock car much anymore — my last full season was 2014 — but I was very fortunate to have that opportunity,” he said. “Anytime I get to drive now, it’s a lot more relaxed, but I’m still competitive. I want to win.”
