Story By: SARA SLAUGHTER / ELITE MOTORSPORTS – COLUMBUS, OH – Troy Coughlin Jr., driver of the JEGS.com / White Castle Pro Stock car for Elite Motorsports, was inducted into the White Castle Cravers Hall of Fame Wednesday at the White Castle Headquarters in Columbus, Ohio.
Troy Jr., a Central Ohio native, was inducted as a “Craver Extraordinaire,” the title White Castle bestows upon well-known people who have demonstrated their passion for and commitment to the White Castle brand.
“I’m beyond honored to be inducted into the White Castle Cravers Hall of Fame,” said Troy Jr., who was inducted in recognition of his life-long love of White Castle. “White Castle is one of my favorite brands in the world, not only because I love their Sliders, but also because it’s based in my hometown of Columbus and it’s a multi-generational, family business that I can relate to. It’s a great recognizable brand with a ton of excitement around it. To get to be inducted and to get to be here at headquarters and ride the slide, it was a majestic day, and it’ll be a day that I remember my entire life.”
Troy Jr.’s White Castle crave dates back to his days in NHRA Jr. Dragsters. After competing in races, his dad, three-time Pro Mod world champion Troy Sr., would drive his dually truck with Troy’s dragster in the back through a White Castle drive-thru, picking up sliders to enjoy on the ride home, regardless if Troy Jr. won or lost.
White Castle is owned and operated by members of the Ingram family, whose patriarch Billy Ingram founded the business in 1921, establishing the first fast-food burger chain in the U.S. The Cravers Hall of Fame was created in 2001 and now has a total of 275 dedicated White Castle fans who have been inducted. A few notable inductees include rocker Alice Cooper, designer Telfar Clemens, TV personality Adam Richman, and actors Kal Penn and John Cho.