Troy Coughlin Jr. has accomplished a lot in his young career.

Few of those accomplishments, however, quite stack up to what he achieved on Saturday.

Already enjoying a banner year entering this weekend’s Auto Club NHRA Finals, Coughlin added to his hits list his second career No. 1 qualifier and his first at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona on Saturday as he overtook Greg Anderson to pace the field entering final eliminations on Sunday.

“There is nothing else like being here. I have loved drag racing since I could walk, since I can remember really, but to be low qualifier here at Auto Club is definitely going to be on the top of my list as far as professional career goes,” Coughlin said. “Today we made two really nice, clean runs down the 1320 here at Pomona. Hats off to everybody at Elite Motorsports, the engine shop, everybody in the pits. Everybody works so well together and there is a lot of passion, which makes having success so much fun.”

Coughlin drove his Jegs.com Chevrolet Camaro to the top of the field during session three, just nipping Friday’s provisional top qualifier Anderson by one thousandth of a second. Coughlin wrestled his machine to a 6.508-second pass at 210.80 mph for his first top qualifier award of the season.

Anderson slipped one spot to second with a 6.509 at 211.00 mph, while Dallas Glenn is third with a 6.514 at 210.77 mph. Aaron Stanfield (6.524) and Deric Kramer (6.526) round out the top five.

Erica Enders, who wrapped up her fifth Pro Stock championship two weeks ago in Las Vegas, qualified ninth.

Saturday’s strong session was no fluke for Coughlin as all four of his passes this weekend have fallen in the top three of the session, a testament to the work this team has put in away from the track.

“The guys in the dyno room, they’re pushing every day. For them, it is seven days a week, so hats off to them,” Coughlin said. “This is 100% their work and everybody at Elite Motorsports. That’s what makes racing here so much fun.”

Coughlin has enjoyed a breakout year in 2022, earning his first two career wins among five final rounds, leaving him and fellow Elite Motorsports teammates Enders and Stanfield as the top three drivers in points. Coughlin is currently third in points, but can overtake his teammate for second if it plays out on Sunday.

“It would be pretty cool (to finish second). I think the real highlight is me, Erica and Aaron all being one, two, three. I think that also says even more about the group we have here. Everybody cares and everybody is passionate,” Coughlin said. “That feeling of winning, that is the addiction. I can’t wait for tomorrow. I wish we could make four or five more runs right now.”

While the championship is already secured for Enders, Coughlin knows there is still plenty to be gained on Sunday if he can take a weekend of quick runs and a win into the offseason.

“I think that definitely adds a level of excitement, but tomorrow is a different day. You can have the fastest car here and not cross (the finish line) first. Tomorrow is about four great executions and we will take them one at a time,” Coughlin said.

Coughlin will face Shane Tucker in round one on Sunday.