Here it is late in the springtime and I've been on the racetrack exactly one time this year, at the JEGS Cajun SPORTSnationals in Louisiana. It's been a little strange.

Stepping away from the pro ranks allows me to have a selective schedule, but even I admit it's a little odd to go this long without tearing down the quarter-mile with a little more regularity.

We recently finished three racecars here at the shop – two dragsters we'll use primarily in bracket races and in Super Comp and a 1957 Corvette roadster for Super Gas. The cars turned out fantastic and early indications from testing and Belle Rose tell us they're running perfectly and responding well to everything we're wanting from them. Pretty soon I'll be entering some real hardcore bracket races with stakes ranging anywhere from $10,000; $20,000; to even $50,000, and, when there's that kind of money on the line, all the major players are sure to be there. That means I need to be ready and I'd better have my driving in top form.

When I'm not actually racing at the track, I try to stay sharp with a great simulator we have. I've been practicing quite a bit because I need my racing instincts to be sharp when I line up for the first time in competition. At those high-dollar bracket races, you're just as likely to face a world champ in the first round as you are in the finals. Trust me, there are no gimmes.

I'm excited about the prospects, and I'm also ready to get back out there and hang with a lot of my old sportsman buddies. One of the biggest reasons I took a break from the pro circuit was to race with my friends and have some good times like we did back in the day when I was working my way up. I look forward to making a bunch of new memories with some new and old friends this summer.

On the professional side of things, me and my brothers have partnered with Nick Ferri and Roy Simmons to start a company that will build and lease Pro Stock engines to a select group of clients. We've worked with Nick and Roy in the past and we've had great success together. Those two also have proven themselves on their own and I believe the world championships they've racked up speak volumes about their combined talents. I'm proud to work with them again.

Our goal is simple to say but tough to do – we want to build motors that are capable of running at the front of the class, while also providing the customer service and support we offer our customers at JEGS Mail Order. We will stand behind everything we do 100 percent and we will guarantee our client's complete satisfaction. It's a new approach, but one we believe will work, and we can't wait to get our first customer in the fold.

The engine shop will be based in the suburbs of Charlotte, where Roy and Nick live, but like anything else we have at JEGS Mail Order, we will be able to reach customers around the world, if necessary.

On the personal front, I continue to be amazed at the progress my son 14-year-old son Jeg III has made with his golfing career. Allowing me to be a proud papa for a moment, I'm happy to report that J3 won his first tournament recently at the spectacular golf course at Duke University. He played extremely well, handled the pressure like a pro, and most importantly had a bunch of fun with his buddies.

It's an overwhelming feeling for a parent to see their child develop, not only as an athlete, but as a person, a student and a son. Golf is a tough game, as anyone who's tried to swing a club will tell you, but J3 is doing great and he's very serious about practicing and getting better. I am stunned at the talent level of the young men he plays against. It's pretty darn impressive to say the least. Ah, to be 14 and limber again!

My beautiful bride-to-be Samantha Kenny is hard at work racing her Super Comp dragster and planning our upcoming wedding. We're looking at an August date here in Delaware, Ohio, and we know it'll be here before you can blink an eye so there's lots of work to be done. It will be a great day and I can't wait to make her my bride.

I will be at the races a lot this summer, so please find me and say hello. The interaction I have with the fans and the friendships I've made with our supporters are very important to me and I miss seeing everyone.


Jeg Jr.