Gene Coleman
from Menominee is one of the most successful Upper Peninsula drivers, and
designer and manufacturer of racing components. His Coleman Racing Products
is one of the most respected racing parts suppliers in the nation.
Coleman started racing in 1964, and
still sets behind the wheel on occasion. He won four track championships at
Norway Speedway (1986, 1987, 1989, and 1991).
His career started out in the coupes,
which evolved into the modifieds, and then switched to the Late Models when
they became popular in the U.P. Over the years he’s raced at 41 different
tracks in six states and Ontario. After graduating from Memoninee High
School in 1961, he began working in the family garage. His ability to build
from scratch soon caught the eye of local businessmen and they hired him to
subcontract. His first car was a 1956 Dodge, and he built two more in short
order. He then bought a used modified. His first experience was on dirt
tracks. In 1965 Coleman quit his job to start his own shop, which has grown
over the years.
He bought another Frings car. This
time an asphalt supermodified and found the asphalt tracks more to his
liking. The supermodified required a lot of traveling, so in 1976 he
purchased a Late Model. He went on to be the Rookie of the Year in the “Red,
White, and Blue” series. He traveled to Wisconsin Int’l Raceway weekly and
finished third in the final points in 1977.
Then in 1980 he purchased a USAC
Stock Car from Larry Phillips. He finished 14th against such future stars as
Rusty, Mike & Kenny Wallace, Joe Ruttman, Alan Kulwicki, Ken Schrader, Bob
Schacht and Dick Trickle. He expanded his business in 1980, and his first
catalog was printed. That original four-page catalog has since grown into a
224 pages.
With his business growing rapidly, he
switched to racing on the local level winning his first track championship
in 1986. He has raced in numerous ARTGO and ASA events.
In the early 1990’s his main
concentration was as a car owner versus a driver. He hired several drivers.
The chemistry clicked in 1994 with Kevin Cywinski. Cywinski finished second
in ARTGO points. The next year they won the ARTGO championship completing an
amazing 99.84% of all laps that season.
Gene’s greatest racing
accomplishments have not occurred as a driver but, rather, as an innovator.
His venture into manufacturing race car parts came about because he saw
needs and developed the component to meet those needs. Coleman Racing
Products innovations include: push button steering quick releases, aluminum
drive shafts, directional vane brake rotors, monoball ball joints, internal
axle seals for 9” Ford differentials, and brake actuated safety ignition
kill switches. He owns two patents: one for a quick release fan hub and the
other for a product to be released this Fall. The one person shop has grown
to employ 50 people and the family garage has become a 50,000 square foot
facility.
Gene has stepped away from the
day-to-day running of the operation to spend more time with his wife Donna,
their three children, and three grandchildren.
