Reading winner Brogdon ready for more excitement in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS – Owens Corning Pro Stock driver Rodger Brogdon has experienced the gamut of emotions during the 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.

Coming off a stunning victory three weeks ago, Brogdon is on a high as he prepares for the NHRA Toyota Nationals this weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

That win came during a roller-coaster season that has seen Brogdon skip races, change engine builders, and buy out business partner Steve Kent.

“It’s not over yet,” Brogdon said. “I’ve still got two races to go and there’s no telling what’s going to happen. It would be nice to go win those two, and it wouldn’t surprise me. It wouldn’t surprise me to get my butt beat in the first round or I could win both races.

“That’s the up-and-down season we’ve been having. Of course, I’d much prefer to win the next two. That’s the plan going out there, but there’s nothing in this sport that surprises me.”

Brogdon invested heavily in his race team before the 2013 season, moving to a new shop in the Houston area, where his successful roofing business is based. Racing Pro Stock is a Herculean challenge, as Brogdon has found out the last couple of seasons, but the win in Reading was a shot in the arm for he and his entire team.

“We had a couple guys in victory lane who weren’t with us when we won the Bristol race (in 2013), so that was really, really good for them,” Brogdon said. “It was great for all of us. They asked me in the pressroom how it compared to Bristol, which was my first win. I told them I didn’t think any one is bigger than your first Wally, but it was a big deal.”

The win was also the first with Owens Corning as primary sponsor of Brogdon’s Chevrolet Camaro.

“It’s really good for Owens Corning, too,” Brogdon said. “Everybody there is really excited, and we’ve been able to introduce those guys to NHRA drag racing. We’ve tried to make sure they understand how hard this class is and what an accomplishment it is to win one of these things.”

Pro Stock qualifying sessions are scheduled for 1 and 4 p.m., Friday and Saturday. Eliminations begin at noon, Sunday. ESPN2 will carry all qualifying and elimination action.