Brogdon optimistic after NHRA Midwest Nationals

ST. LOUIS – Pro Stock driver Rodger Brogdon was more than ready to play head games during the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park Sunday.

Trying to get the extra advantage during the first round, Brogdon nudged the Owens Corning Camaro deep into the staging area. Quick to drop the clutch, he triggered the red-light by just eight-thousandths to hand the win over to Vincent Nobile, who cut a killer .012 reaction time.

“I figure I had to be .020 on the tree or better to win,” Brogdon said. “I might have popped it in there a bit deep though without really meaning to and I had my engine a little too high as well. I knew I was deeper than I had been all weekend, but that still didn’t kill me overall. It maybe killed my run by five-thousandths if we estimated correctly.”

Still making a solid pass of 6.567 seconds at 211.33 in the first round, Brogdon isn’t discouraged at the horsepower his Owens Corning Camaro is making.

“The car is fast but just not running how we want it,” Brogdon said. “It still needs a lot of work, in my opinion, especially through the 330 mark. We were two-hundredths off alone in the 60-foot part of the track compared to the fastest cars that round.

“If we can fix that issue I feel like we’ll be competitive again. That first part of the run is the most crucial.”

Brogdon knows he has the equipment to be competitive; the delicate balance of car setup is preventing him from showing that. Wanting to change that outcome, he plans to spend an extra day at Gateway Motorsports Park to test.

“I think we might stay here another day to test,” Brogdon said. “Those extra passes could really make the difference in our performance the next race. I think 100 percent of the team would agree with me that we need to stay to improve the initial 330-foot times.

“It could be anything from the car shock setup, gear ratio, leaving the starting line, tires, weight distribution, anything really. There are just so many variables and you can’t just change 10 of them at once. You have to change a thing or two at a time to have a chance at figuring out the issue.”

Brogdon will look to put in extra time on the track to better prepare for the NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, Oct. 2-5, in Reading, Pa.