Jeg Coughlin Sr.

Like most of the people involved in the sport of drag racing, Jeg Coughlin Sr. began his involvement in the sport during his high school years. His first effort behind the wheel was in a 1936 Ford five-window coupe which doubled as a daily driver and a week end racer. In 1959 he entered a blown Chevrolet powered 1955 Chevy 2-door sedan in D/Gas as his first participation in a national event and went home with the class trophy. From that humble beginning Jeg went on to become a dominant force in a variety of cars in as many different classes.

In 1960 he opened the doors to Jeg’s Automotive, Inc. in Columbus, Ohio. Over the past fifty plus years the company has evolved into Jeg’s High Performance and has become one of the largest and most successful mail order speed equipment businesses in the world. Nearly three decades after Jeg’s original speed shop was born, he helped his four sons, John, Troy, Mike and Jeg Jr., purchase the operation and under their collective guidance the small family business continues to be a dominant force within the performance industry and the racing world.

While building his business into what it is today, Jeg was also busy on the race track. Over the years he has participated in Top Fuel Dragsters, Top Alcohol Dragsters and Funny Cars, Pro Stock, A/Gas Supercharged C/S, D/Gas Supercharged C/S, C Stock, C Gas, Modified Eliminator, Pro Comp and Super Eliminator. The results of all of his participation reads like something out of a movie. He notched four NHRA North Central Division championships, three in AA/Fuel Dragster in 1977, 1978, and 1979 and one in Pro Comp in 1976. He also accumulated a total of thirty NHRA divisional wins that includes eleven consecutive victories in Top alcohol Dragster, six in Pro Comp, four in AA/Fuel Dragster one in Super Eliminator with the rest spread out over the various remaining classes he participated in.

Jeg Sr’s career isn’t just high-lighted with his on track victories, he is a member of the Hot Rod Magazine Hall of Fame, the NHRA North Central Division Hall of Fame, the Olentangy Business Hall of Fame in Powell, OH and in 2002 received Car Craft Magazines highest award, the Ollie Award. On top of all of these awards, Jeg was named the Ernst & Young master Entrepreneur of the Year recipient in 2002. He and his family also created the privately funded JEGS Foundation for Cancer Research and the "Racing for Research" program which has raised several million dollars for cancer research since its inception.

Jeg Sr’s off track activities also include supporting his children and grandchildren in their many activities. His four boys each actively compete in drag racing, John in Comp & Top Dragster, Troy in Pro Mod, Mike in Top Sportsman and 5-time NHRA Champion Jeg Jr. racing in a variety of different classes but most visible in Pro Stock. Now the third generation of Coughlin’s can be found competing in Super Comp, Late Model, Jr Dragsters and quarter midgets and planning for even greater things. As a side note, the Coughlin clan’s activities aren’t limited to racing, they are also into golf, ice skating, horse riding and stick& ball sports so Jeg Sr. has established a well rounded legacy.