CAGNAZZI RACING TO PARTNER WITH JEG'S AND SLAMMERS FOR 2007

Three-time NHRA champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. announced Friday he will return to the POWERade Drag Racing Series full-time in 2007 behind the wheel of a second Slammers Ultimate Milk Chevrolet Cobalt. Coughlin, a 47-time national event winner, will be driving for Victor Cagnazzi.

"Our goal is to win championships," said the 36-year-old Coughlin, who won Pro Stock titles in 2000 and 2002. "We strongly feel we are capable of doing just that and I couldn't be more excited. Victor is a great guy, he's running a top-notch organization, and the talent he's assembled is second-to-none. I'm proud to become a member of the Slammer's Ultimate Milk Team.

"I've worked with a couple of his guys (Roy Simmons and Nick Ferri) in the past and I certainly know (chassis builder) Todd Bevis and (engine builders) Joe Hornick and Steve Johns. We've all seen what they've done with their cars and their current success with Evan Knoll's Torco Fuels/Skull Gear car driven by Dave Connolly. It's obvious they can put a competitive car on the racetrack."

"We couldn't be more excited to have a person like Jeg to represent Slammers Ultimate Milk," said Bravo! Foods Internationals CEO Roy Warren. "Slammers is 'Milk With An Attitude' and Jeg has a great winning attitude both on and off the track."

After running under the family's JEGS Mail Order umbrella for most of his career, Coughlin spent the 2005 season driving for Don Schumacher Racing, which was highlighted by a race win at the season finale in Pomona, Calif. Coughlin took this year off from Pro Stock but still managed to win several high-dollar bracket races around the country. He'll begin testing a custom-built Cagnazzi Cobalt next week at Virginia Motorsports Park.

"I got fitted for the car a few months ago and it's ready to run," Coughlin said. "We plan to test prior to running the last three national events this year in Richmond (Va.), Las Vegas, and Pomona.

"We've actually been talking about doing this for some time. I've been racer friends with Victor since the early '90s when he was the first guy I knew of to use his RacePak computer system with a laptop. I wanted to learn how to do that so I went to him then. We've been friends ever since.

"Victor knew I was taking a year off so it gave us time to put a deal together. Slammers and Bravo are having a record year and they attribute a significant portion of that to their racing program. The thought was that two cars will be better than one. I'm excited to enhance what they already have."

Coughlin said his family's company will be offering Slammers Ultimate Milk products through JEGS Mail Order's 1-800-345-4545 phone number and JEGS.com. The system Slammers has to sterilize and bottle their product allows this milk to be stored and shipped without refrigeration through the JEGS distribution network. Customers will now be able to order a twelve-pack and have it in their hands within two days.
 
"We're excited about the partnership and I know the associates at JEGS will be happy," Coughlin said. "They like to watch us run on ESPN2 and do well.

"I've met with Roy Warren, Mike Edwards, Ben Patipa, and many others and I really like the family feel in their organization. I think that's a crucial element when you're going to spend as much time together as it takes to run this tour. Both Victor and Roy are solid guys and we've all gotten along so well throughout this process. It's been very exciting.

"The next step is to get up and running and get these two Slammers Ultimate Milk Cobalts in the winner's circle as often as possible."

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