At last year’s Mac Tools Gatornationals, the Coughlin family announced an ongoing effort to generate money for cancer research and to raise awareness of how to prevent and deal with a disease that affects so many people.
This year at the 35th annual Mac Tools Gatornationals the Coughlin brothers will proudly display a special paint scheme to help promote cancer research in a fun and memorable way.
The “Racing For Cancer Research” ribbon will cover the hood and trunk areas on each of the Jeg’s Mail Order vehicles and the phrase “Racing For Cancer Research” will boldly be displayed on each racecar.
There will also be a PSA mobile screening unit on the midway at the Mac Tools Gatornationals. The PSA test is a simple blood test and will be administered free of charge. Dr. Ronald Wheeler has partnered with the Jeg’s Foundation to provide this simple procedure.
Jeg and Troy Coughlin will run Jeg’s Foundation logos on their Jeg’s Mail Order Cavaliers in Gainesville. 
“The NHRA has been extremely supportive of what we are trying to do,” said Jeg’s Director of Motorsports and Media Scott Woodruff. “We are looking at continuing to reach out to people. I think providing a service like this in a fan friendly environment will go a long way. Fans shouldn’t be surprised if they bump into some of the biggest names in NHRA Drag Racing having the same simple test done on them. We think it will be that powerful.”
Jeg Coughlin and his wife Karen established the Jeg’s Foundation, with the assistance and commitment of the entire Coughlin family, to honor several family members whose fight against cancer has been the source of inspiration and courage for others. The foundation supports innovative research and treatments for patients as well as educational efforts to help the public become more aware of the early signs and symptoms of cancer and how they might make healthier choices to protect themselves from developing the disease.
“This is such an important cause for my husband, myself, and the entire Coughlin family,” Karen said. “It’s been six years since I was treated for cancer. I was able to experience first hand the impact of innovative treatment and care. Almost everyone has a family member or friend affected by cancer. The important thing to remember is that there are almost nine million people alive today who have successfully fought the disease, and we want that number to grow.”
Jeg, a two-time NHRA POWERade Pro Stock champion, and his father and three older brothers direct the operations of the family’s growing second-generation business Jeg’s Automotive. The family business was founded in 1960 by Jeg Coughlin Sr. and caters to performance enthusiasts worldwide who share the same passion for improving the performance and looks of their vehicles.
The Coughlin’s are hoping to increase visibility of their work through the creation of a ribbon that symbolizes the Jeg’s Foundation efforts. The perky, multicolored ribbon reflects a racing theme, and is emblazoned on all Jeg’s team cars and uniforms.
Jeg and Troy Coughlin compete in Pro Stock, which is considered to be NHRA’s most competitive professional class. The two brothers drive identical looking yellow and black Jeg’s Mail Order Chevy Cavaliers that run 6.7 seconds at over 204 mph in the quarter mile.
John and Mike Coughlin race in the NHRA Lucas Oil Sportsman Drag Racing Series. John drives a Super Stock Chevy Cavalier. Mike handles double duty driving in Super Comp and Super Gas.
Team Jeg’s chef Nicky Morse, a cancer survivor, helped the Jeg’s Foudation raise $1.4 million for cancer research at Wolfgang Puck’s 2003 Five Star Sensation. 
“We are really excited to celebrate our one-year anniversary of the foundation at the Mac Tools Gatornationals,” Woodruff said. “Having the Racing for Cancer Research ribbons take over our cars this coming weekend is great. I think it’s a great way to build awareness and one that will be hard to forget. Using the stage of NHRA POWERade Drag Racing is a powerful way to make what we think will be a lasting impression and hopefully make a difference in people’s lives.”
There has never been any question that the Coughlin family is passionate about racing and winning. They also have a strong passion about trying to make a difference in people’s lives. In just a very short time, the Jeg’s Foundation’s “Racing for Cancer Research” has already begun to make quite an impact.
“Our whole life has been a challenge,” said Jeg Coughlin Sr. “The ‘Racing for Cancer’ program went together well with our business and our race team. Racing is all about research and development. It’s the same with cancer research. There’s a lot of R&D involved. The researchers need a lot of money to find a cure, but once they find something that does work it’s just like a miracle.”
Members of the Coughlin family have made several personal visits to the institutions where they are trying to help make a difference in the lives of cancer patients, researchers, and families that are dealing with the dreaded disease.
Jeg’s championship car from 2002 has been used to create awareness at the annual OSU Cancer Survivor Day celebration at Ohio State University Stadium. The car has also spent time in the lobby of The Ireland Cancer Center/Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital. Children who are patients at the hospital enjoyed seeing the car and talking with Jeg about his experiences.
In conjunction with the Jeg’s Foundation, world-renowned Chef Wolfgang Puck invited 35 of the world’s finest culinary artists to help with the fight against cancer last year. Team Jeg’s Chef Nicky Morse was given a special invitation from Wolfgang Puck to join this elite group to participate at the Five Star Sensation fund raising event for the Ireland Cancer Center at University Hospitals of Cleveland. The event helped raise over $1.4 million.
“We’ve been blessed,” John said. “We’ve been fortunate in life with health, with our family, business, and racing. To me, and I can speak for all us, it feels good to be able to give back. And that’s exactly what we’re doing.”
Mike (pictured, in his Super Gas car) and John Coughlin will run Jeg’s Foundation logos on their Lucas Oil Sportsman Series entrys in Gainesville. 
Jeg’s contributes a portion of all of its race winnings and corporate profits to two of the nation’s finest cancer-fighting facilities: the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute in Columbus, Ohio, and the Ireland Cancer Center in Cleveland. With unfailing commitment and a self-styled “Racing for Cancer Research” logo, Jeg’s is bringing cancer education and awareness to NHRA POWERade Drag Racing fans everywhere.
“It’s amazing,” Jeg Sr. said. “You’ll be at the racetrack and somebody will come in and say ‘this is what happened to my dad or mom.’ They start tearing up, and I feel the same way, because I know what I went through, and what Karen’s has gone through, and Nicky, our chef, has had some incidents with cancer. It’s pretty serious.”
“We are honored to have The Jeg’s Foundation be a part of The James Team,” says Dr. David Schuller, executive director of The James and deputy director of Ohio State University’s Comprehensive Cancer Center. “Their support and dedication are a source of inspiration to all of us who are working so hard to reach the goal we all strive for, a cure for cancer.”
“We at the Ireland Cancer Center are excited about our partnership with the Jeg’s Foundation,” said Dr. Jim Wilson, director of The Ireland Cancer Center. “This is a partnership we are excited about and can see the synergies are creating awareness for cancer research in a mainstream way.”
The National Cancer Institute (NCI), “the nation’s investment in cancer research,” supports scientific discovery and its application in clinical practice through NCI-funded research in the U.S. and around the world. By stimulating the generation of new knowledge and tools and encouraging collaborations among researchers in a myriad on NCI-supported initiatives, the NCI works toward its goal “to achieve a future when all cancers are uncommon and easily treated.”
“I think the important thing is that the cancer societies go on,” Jeg Sr. said. “They continue with their research and development, and how can they do that without people like us who come to the table with some money and some ideas? It’s not just Jeg’s. It’s millions and millions of people. I don’t really feel as though we’re going to be the people who fix the world. But I do believe that between Jeg’s and the rest of the people who are interested in the same thing that we’re interested in we can fix a lot of cancer problems.”
“It’s still a very scary disease, but the bottom line is the research and development that’s happening hourly across this world every day is moving toward what we all look for, a cure,” Jeg said. “When I think of cancer, I’m thinking more of hope.”
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