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Pro Stock champ Coughlin to honor NORAD's 50th anniversary in Denver

DELAWARE, Ohio (July 3) -- Reigning Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. will don a specially-designed racing helmet for the upcoming Mile-High NHRA Nationals to honor the 50th anniversary of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which is located in nearby Colorado Springs, Colo.

Noted helmet artist Jason Beam was contracted to paint the helmet, which will be presented to Lieutenant General Charlie Bouchard of the Canadian Armed Forces, NORAD's Deputy Commander. General Bouchard, the highest ranking Canadian Officer on U.S. soil, is slated to be the honorary starter of the Mile-High NHRA Nationals.

"Much like the North American Aerospace Defense Command team, world champion driver Jeg Coughlin Jr. and his racing team are committed to excellence," Lieutenant General Bouchard said. "NORAD and Jeg are also both in the business of high performance and we share working in an area where there is no room for error.

"I would like to thank Jeg for honoring the 50th anniversary of the NORAD agreement between the United States and Canada. Seeing him wear the NORAD logo at the Mile-High Nationals is a nice gesture. It is a pleasure to host him in Colorado Springs and I look forward to showing him our facility."

A 52-time national event winner with four championships to his credit, Coughlin will be signing autographs and meeting with various American and Canadian service personnel at NORAD and Peterson Air Force Base on July 14, the Monday after the national event at Bandimere Speedway.

"This is our way of saying thanks to the men and women of NORAD, both Canadian and American, who have dedicated their lives to protecting our two countries," Coughlin said. "Brian Lihani (a retired Lt. Col. from the U.S. Air Force) has been a friend of Team JEGS and the NHRA, for that matter, for quite awhile and he organized this whole deal.

"As they do every year when the NHRA comes to town, NORAD is opening its doors to us for a private tour of the facility and I'm really excited to meet Lieutenant General Charlie Bouchard and see the inner workings of his place. I've heard it's a must-see deal and I'm bringing little Jeggy with me so he can see it as well. It should be fun.

"It's always great to meet our military heroes in person and spend time with them. I really enjoy hearing all the stories they have to tell. We have some amazing people protecting our way off of life and NORAD is at the center of it all."