JEGS To Again Support Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge

DELAWARE, October 23, 2009: For the second year in a row, JEGS High Performance will have a big presence at the Lucas Oil Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge presented by Whelen Engineering, which takes place Jan. 8-10 at the Olympic course on historic Mount Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid, N.Y.

Five-time world champion drag racer Jeg Coughlin Jr. will participate in the race in his JEGS.com-branded bobsled. This will mark Coughlin's third Bodine Bobsled Challenge and his second with JEGS.com as one of the event's corporate sponsors.

"Feeding off the success of our U.S. athletes is something everyone at JEGS Mail Order takes a lot of pride in, especially with the Olympic Games in Vancouver coming up this winter," Coughlin said. "What Geoff Bodine has done for USA Bobsledding is nothing short of amazing and we're exceptionally proud to be a part of his effort."

The Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge raises money for the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project, a collaborative effort between NASCAR legend Bodine and Chassis Dynamics to make the best bobsleds in the world for U.S. athletes. Since the start of the project, USA Bobsledders have gone from also-rans to top contenders on the world stage that routinely wins medals at the world championships and the Olympics.

"It is very refreshing to have an American company like JEGS Automotive to be involved with our 'Made in America' Bobsled Project," Bodine said. "Jeg Coughlin and his family represent America in both racing and business in a gold medal fashion. We are proud they are associated with our efforts."

For the past four years, the Lucas Oil Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge has pitted a team of NASCAR drivers against a group of NHRA pros. There are two events held over the weekend. The first features all of the participating drivers racing against the clock, regardless of their racing affiliation. The second lines up the best NHRA drivers against the top NASCAR pros. In 2008, Coughlin came in third in the timed portion of the race.

"It's a very intense experience," said Coughlin, a 61-time national event winner on the NHRA tour. "All of my racing experience is straight line stuff and when you get in this thing and start heading down the hill you're going into and out of turns every few seconds. It's very fast, and it's a pretty rugged ride. You feel it in your body.

"Since we've been involved with this deal I've had a lot of fans ask me what it's like. I guess the closest thing you can relate it to is sledding down a hill when you're a kid. You don't have any brakes and the less steering you do the quicker you're going to run. Plus, there's an element of danger that keeps the heart rate up. It's crazy, but so much fun."

Team NHRA will consist of Coughlin, Morgan Lucas, Shawn Langdon, and a yet-to-be-named driver. Team NASCAR will be led by Geoff Bodine, his brother Todd Bodine, and rookie sensation Joey Logano, and several others that will be announced soon.

This year's event, which is free to attend, will take place in between Team USA training runs as the group prepares for Vancouver.

"We're actually heading up to Vancouver in February to support the team," Coughlin said. "I've never been to the Olympics before so I'm really excited about the trip. Hopefully, the funding we've raised with the Bodine Challenge will put the guys and girls on Team USA over the top and we'll see them win some more medals."