Championship Drag Racing

Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals
Phoenix, AZ
(February 23-25)

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Driver Profile

Rodger Brogdon Protect The Harvest Chevy Camaro

Phoenix, prerace: After a successful test session this past weekend in Houston, Pro Stock rookie Rodger Brogdon is anxious to return to Firebird International Raceway for the Checker Schuck’s Kragen NHRA Nationals, the second stop on the 2007 NHRA POWERade tour.

The anticipation is high for several reasons, including a recent win at this event in the Comp eliminator category. Combine that with engine builder David Nickens' past success at this facility along with running the fastest speed ever for a NHRA Pro Stock car in testing at Houston last Friday and you can understand why this former Comp eliminator stand-out is raring to go.

“We tested last week during the divisional race in Houston for a couple of reasons,” said Brogdon. “We had some different set-ups we wanted to try on the car and I needed the seat time. I’ve made over a thousand laps in my Comp cars, but have less than 20 full laps in this Pro Stock ride. Each and every lap I make now allows me to feel more comfortable inside the car.

"The opportunity to test some different components and chassis configurations also showed us what this Dodge Stratus does and doesn’t like in the way we set the car up for race day. With the horsepower that Nickens is providing right now, my team just has to find the right combination to put it all to use, and last weeks testing continued to teach this team how to do just that.

“The guys on my team may not be household names to everyone yet, but I’ll match them up to any team out there for their hard work and dedication. With Pete (Smallwood), Dustin (Stricker), and Paul (Brogdon) taking care of the clutch, car, and chassis set-up and Scott (DeSpain) and Nickens masterminding the engine combination, I think we can run with the rest of this field. Give me eight more laps in the car this weekend and we might just be on to something.

“The engine that ran 210 mph is the engine we use for testing. The atmospheric and track conditions we encountered at Houston last week were certainly outstanding, but how many teams can say the fastest engine in the country has been put back in the trailer, so that their race day bullet can be put back in the car. Just knowing we have that kind of power in reserve raises the anticipation level just that much higher.”

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