This season has been a struggle for NHRA Pro Stock driver T.J. Coughlin at least numbers-wise.

Coughlin is ninth in the points standings with a 4-4 elimination round record.

However, Coughlin, who drives a Camaro for Richard Freeman’s Elite Motorsports team, is a glass-half full guy when he talks about the season.

“I'd say we're learning,” Coughlin said. “For certain, there's a lot of growth opportunity within the camp and we're learning a new chassis from Rick Jones' Race Cars, RJ Race Cars, and Quarter-Max. And it's taken time. And Pro Stock is such a challenging class, and these chassis are a work of art.

“These things are incredible and the work that the crew chiefs and my guys go through just to make this thing competitive, is absolutely impressive.”

Coughlin said he began the 2022 season with the Camaro he drove during the 2021 season.

“We didn't get the new car until about Las Vegas Four Wide time (April 1-3),” Coughlin said. “It takes time to gel to our program, and we need to make it competitive. And we have all the right ingredients and all the right people. And I've got 110% faith in all the people that we have at Elite Motorsports.”

During the five-week break in NHRA’s Pro Stock class before the drivers competed at the New England Nationals in Epping, N.H., June 3-5, Coughlin did some testing.

“We made seven runs in Tulsa (Okla.),” Coughlin said. “Again, it is just learning process and just seeing what this car wants, trying to get it to do more what Erica's (Enders) car does. And we're just figuring out what it wants. So, we're just trying to learn the suspension and kind of go from there and get competitive.”

Enders, Coughlin’s teammate at Elite Motorsports, is leading the points standings and has won three races in a row.

“My chassis and Bo (Butner’s) are the newest chassis (on the Elite Motorsports team),” Coughlin said. “We're all RJ Cars.”

Coughlin is keeping his season so far in perspective.

“Well drag racing and anything in competition, there's always going to be competitive problem solving,” he said. “And there's always going to... Anything worth having is not going to be easy, and there's always going to be frustration. So, I've always been a believer in growth happens in the valleys, not the peaks.

“So, we're going to learn something. And you really learn a lot about yourself as a competitor when you're not doing it as well. And it's about working together as a group, and finding solutions, and being the best, you can be.”

The task at hand is getting his helping his team get ready for the Thunder Valley Nationals, June 17-19, the next race on the NHRA schedule.

“I think we're just going to work on our package, and fine tune, and really put our faith in Mark Ingersoll, and the brain trust at Elite Motorsports, and really everybody at Elite Motorsports. All my guys, I can't thank enough. They're absolutely fantastic guys.”

Coughlin said Bristol does invite some good memories to him.

“That’s a beautiful facility and probably one of the coolest tracks on the circuit,” Coughlin said. “There's a lot of history there. If you like drag racing history, that's one of the spots. Especially for door slammer racing. I have a lot of great memories there. My dad won his first Pro Stock Race there in 2000. He won the Winston Showdown there in 2000. He beat Mark Pawuk in the final. I remember it was my 10th birthday that next day. I'll never forget, that was just the coolest thing getting to see that.”

Troy Jr. will be making personal history in Bristol as it will be the first time he will compete in Pro Stock at the track.

“I'm looking forward just to show up there,” Troy Jr. “I've only run the Pro Mod Car and a Top Fuel (dragster) there, and Super Gas, Super Comp, Top Dragster, and lot of bracket racing, but no Pro Stock. You're definitely busy in the Pro Stock race. It's all fun.

“I like the preciseness of the Pro Stock Car. A couple things, I like the preciseness, I like the challenge of the Pro Stock car having to be so finesse and flawless. I also really like the family tradition. My dad did it, his dad did it. My Uncle Jeg did it for years. And Uncle Mike and Uncle John ran the Pro Stock trucks. I really like family history and always had a lot of pride for that.”