R&E Racing

Drag Illustrated Winter Series presented by J&A Service championship contender Eric Gustafson added 32 points to his tally Friday night when he locked down the No. 1 qualifier position at the Winter Series finale, the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod presented by Red Line Oil. In the first of three Friday qualifying sessions at Bradenton Motorsports Park, Gustafson threw down a 3.553-second pass at 211.16 mph to lead the second-quickest 32-car field in eighth-mile Pro Mod history.

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.