Pomona shows promise for Rodger Brogdon
ProtectTheHarvest.com Pro Stock driver Rodger Brogdon is already focused on winning the championship.
Rodger Brogdon
Michael C. Johnson
POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 9) - It may only be the first race of the 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season, but ProtectTheHarvest.com Pro Stock driver Rodger Brogdon is already focused on winning the championship.
With a first round match-up against No. 8 qualifier and defending Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr., pressure was on Brogdon at the start for his Chevy Camaro to pull off the upset at the Circle K Winternationals on Sunday at Auto Club Raceway.
Brogdon, the No. 9 qualifier, gave Coughlin a run for his money, having him beat at the 300-foot mark. But Brogdon came up short at the finish line after his car began to slide to the right, and he had to get out of the throttle to keep it off the wall.Coughlin captured the first-round win with a run of 6.568 seconds at 211.66 mph while Brogdon was forced to slow and finished with a 7.147-second pass at 148.30 mph.
"We came to Pomona not knowing what to really expect from our car," Brogdon said. "We had Coughlin beat at the halfway mark but came up a little short. This shows that we definitely made progress over the off-season. There are a lot of positives that came out of this weekend."
Brogdon's early exit in the season-opener hasn't dampened his spirits. With his sights set on the ultimate title of 2014 Pro Stock champion, Brogdon knows he will have to beat Coughlin - and all the other Pro Stock stars - to get there. But after a thrilling race in Pomona, Brogdon can smell the upset coming in the form of a Wally trophy and an even bigger prize at the end of the season.
"We will get him before the year is over," Brogdon said. "He may be up one win on us now, but by the end of the year I hope I will be one ahead of him."
Brogdon will look to take this new-found confidence from Pomona and carry it over to the next race, the Carquest Auto Parts NHRA Nationals on Feb. 21-23 at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park.
Rodger Brogdon
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