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By day, Coast CEO Eric R. Gustafson’s life revolves around beef and pork. On weekends, he’s “Goose” – the titular head of the R&E Racing team, a fixture and perennial winner on the PDRA and NHRA drag racing circuits. Competitive racing is literally in Coast’s DNA (“R&E” being short for Ron and Eric, the late patriarch of the family), with drivers Jason Lee, Eric Gustafson, Cameron Hensley, and a team of automotive aces feeding Coast’s 3500-horsepower, record-shattering ’69 Noonan Hemi ProCharger Pro Mod Camaro. As the saying goes, “Goose Cooks.”
Two of the quickest drivers in qualifying, No. 1 qualifier Jimmy Taylor and No. 4 qualifier Eric Gustafson, met up in the opening round. Taylor moved first in his twin-turbo Xtreme Racing Engines ’69 Camaro, but he slowed to a 3.611 at 218.16 while Gustafson laid down low E.T. of the event, a 3.543 at 211.30, to get the win in his ProCharged Coast Packing Company “Lard Machine” ’69 Camaro.
After two years away from the driver’s seat, Eric Gustafson made a powerful return to Pro Modified competition at the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals presented by Motion Raceworks, quickly proving that the time away has done nothing to hinder his performance.
Coast Packing Co. race team owner Eric Gustafson has confirmed that longtime driver and tuner Jason Lee will not be competing at the upcoming U.S. Street Nationals presented by M&M Transmission due to a lingering health issue. A world-championship caliber talent in doorslammer drag racing, Lee and his family continue to pursue a resolution, but the team has opted to sideline the screw-blown Camaro until Lee makes a full recovery.
As the fourth-generation CEO of Coast Packing, Eric Gustafson is well accustomed to leading from the front—whether in the boardroom or behind the wheel of a high-horsepower doorslammer. While business responsibilities kept him out of the driver’s seat at the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals, Gustafson isn’t just watching from the sidelines. His longtime passion for drag racing still burns bright, and he’s eager to return to the driver’s seat in the coming months to represent both Coast Packing and his deeply competitive spirit.
Drag Illustrated is proud to announce that Coast Packing has joined the 2025 Drag Illustrated Winter Series as an Associate Sponsor. Coast Packing, led by CEO Eric Gustafson, has long been a supporter of door-car drag racing, bringing both competitive spirit and industry know-how to the Pro Mod community. Although Gustafson missed the first Winter Series event – the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals – and will sit out the upcoming U.S. Street Nationals, he’s set to climb back behind the wheel of his Pro Mod for the series finale, the World Series of Pro Mod.
…Lee, driving Eric Gustafson’s screw-blown Coast Packing Company ’20 Camaro, qualified No. 9 before cutting a .005 light and running a 3.614 at 209.01 to take out Mike DiDomenico and his 3.606 on a holeshot. He powered past Steding in the second round with a 3.657 at 207.05, while Steding had to lift to a 4.292 to finish second in the championship standings. Lee then advanced to the final round when his 3.64 at 208.88 beat spring Virginia winner Spencer Hyde and his 3.658 in the semis.
After winning the 2020 NMCA Xtreme Pro Mod championship, Eric Gustafson took a planned hiatus from driving to focus on business and family. He put the team in the capable hands of his crew chief Cameron Hensley and co-crew chief/tuner Jason Lee, who took over driving duties for the next few years.
The past few months have been a thrilling roller coaster for ProCharger and racers, showcasing the sheer power, precision, and determination that ProCharger-equipped vehicles bring to the track. One clear highlight was the Jason Lee first career NHRA Pro Mod win a Brainerd (read more below). From major events we have attended to awe-inspiring victories, the automotive world has witnessed the undeniable dominance of ProCharger.
Coast Packing’s R&E Racing is known for hitting the strip with a real screamer – a ’69 Noonan Hemi ProCharger Pro Mod Camaro, which continues to shatter records at stops on the NCMA and PDRA drag racing circuits. Powering the Camaro is a crew seasoned in pushing the machine to speeds in excess of 210 mph: Jason Lee, Cameron Hensley, John Urgo, Patrick Barnhill, Tim Lyons, Nick “Dumbo” Strohbeen, Ben Liedel, the team at Lyons Custom Motorsports and Coast CEO Eric R. “Goose” Gustafson.
