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Local legend Rodger Brogdon ready to nail down NHRA victory in his ‘backyard’

HOUSTON, TX – It could be argued that Pro Stock veteran Rodger Brogdon has made more passes down Royal Roger Brogdon - HoustonPurple Raceway than any other professional driver in the NHRA. That’s because the Tomball native lives and works in the Greater Houston area and routinely tests at the venerable facility in nearby Baytown.

Now, the owner of the city’s top roofing contractor, RoofTec, is hoping his breadth of track knowledge yields a big win in front of his friends, family, and throng of vocal supporters packing the grandstands at the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA SpringNationals.

“It would take a while to add up all the runs we’ve made down this dragstrip,” Brogdon said. “Between the many years I raced at the Sportsman level on through to my time as a pro, plus add in all the testing we’ve done — gosh, it’s got to be in the thousands. I sure feel comfortable out there. It’s like my own backyard.”

Enjoying the power of a new engine-leasing program with Elite Performance, Brogdon already has a victory under his belt this season, having taken the trophy in Phoenix in a crucial final-round battle with fellow Houstonian Erica Enders. Now, he’d like to add another pelt to the wall, this time in front of all his loyal supporters.

“Sure it would mean a lot winning here,” Brogdon said. “Gosh, these things are so hard to win they’re darn special no matter where you are, but to do it at this track considering the history we’ve had here, that would be very cool.”

Brogdon has every right to be optimistic. He qualified in the top half of the elimination grid with a best pass of 6.557 at 211.79 mph. He’ll open eliminations with the advantage of lane choice opposite Jonathan Gray, who qualified ninth with a 6.561 at 211.33 mph.

“He’s a young racer but he’s really good, and they obviously have good horsepower over there,” Brogdon said. “Shoot, all these guys and girls are good out here. Almost every round of Pro Stock is decided by a fraction of a second, especially on race day. I know if I do my job behind the wheel and we limit our mistakes, we can advance.

“We have a built-in cheering section with everyone from work and the shop, plus all our friends from Dynamic. We’re gong to have fun either way, but I can tell you it’s a lot more fun when you win.”

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