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$50,000 North-South Big Dog Shootout
Same day coverage from Piedmont Dragway's Big Dog Shootout
by Brian Wood
Photos by Gary Rowe, Raceworks.com

Saturday Report - Revenge is Sweet! Team South Takes Back the Big Dog

(10-10-2004) - Todd Tutterow, last year’s runner-up in the $50,000 North vs. South BIG DOG Shootout, brought Piedmont Dragway’s beloved plaster mascot back home to North Carolina when he defeated Team North representative Tony Gentile in the final round.

The big race couldn’t have been better scripted, as for the second year in a row it came down to a North vs. South shootout. Last year Tutterow lost to Marc Dantoni in the final round, but this time around he wouldn’t be denied, laying down an impressive 4.194, 176.05 to easily handle the 4.464, 141.57 effort of Gentile.

The partisan Piedmont crowd were predictably thrilled with the victory earned by their local hero, which knotted the series up at one win apiece.

Eliminations Results from Saturday:

ROUND 1

North : Bill Meadows : Win : 4.455 @ 159.57 mph
-vs- South : Donnie Krusinski : 5.424 @ 94.51 mph

South : Leonard Pate : Win : 4.394 @ 167.19 mph
-vs- North : Jim Teachman : 4.403 @ 163.57 mph

North : Tony Gentile : Win : 4.411 @ 161.17 mph
-vs- South : Darin Wilkins : 6.719 @ 46.00 mph

South : Ronnie Gardner : Win : 4.371 @ 167.94 mph
-vs- North : Kevin McCurdy : 4.628 @ 161.63 mph

North : Randy Jewell : Win : 4.464 @ 159.97 mph : Single Pass

North: Marc Dantoni : Win : 4.391 @ 169.74 mph
-vs- South : Charles Harris : 4.467 @ 159.54 mph

South : William Brown : Win : 4.483 @ 160.17 mph
-vs- North : Pat Musi : 4.570 @ 164.86 mph
(Upset City! Brown became the South's hero taking out Musi in the first round) Man you should have heard the local crowd!! Musi shook and took a hard left heading near the center line backing out to save it.)

South : Todd Tutterow : Win : 4.198 @ 174.99 mph
-vs- North : Hank Hill : 5.887 @ 85.34 mph
(Hill stole a huge starting line advantage, but just not enough for Tutterow's second 4.19 blast of the weekend. Todd's car was very straight and smooth down Broadway!)

ROUND 2

South : William Brown : Win : 4.409 @ 162.16 mph
-vs- North : Bill Meadows : Red light : 4.484 @ 160.31
(Meadows gave it away of the tree by going red, Brown continues on to the semis!)

North : Tony Gentile : Win : 4.363 @ 167.25 mph
-vs- North : Randy Jewell : 4.457 @ 160.31 mph
(Great side-by-side race for both Northern cars)

North : Marc Dantoni : Win : 4.329 @ 171.26 mph
-vs- South : Ronnie Gardner : Gardner popped the nitrous after the ambers came on, the same thing that happened to him at this race one year ago. A small fire in the hood scoop but nothing major.

South : Todd Tutterow : Win : 4.227 @ 175.09 mph
-vs- South : Leonard Pate : Red light : 4.350 @ 168.26 mph

ROUND 3
North : Tony Gentile : Win : 4.417 @ 164.62 mph
-vs- South : William Brown : 4.433 @ 168.09 mph

South : Todd Tutterow : Win : 4.191 @ 49.14 mph
-vs- North : Marc Dantoni : 4.639 @ 167.94 mph
(Dantoni had a bit of tire shake soon after the launch, Tutterow was smooth with the advantage from 80 ft. on.)

FINALS

South : Todd Tutterow : Win : 4.194 @ 176.05 mph
-vs- North : Tony Gentile : 4.464 @ 141.57 mph

South’s Tutterow Leads the Pack at Big Dog Shootout; Musi Top Man for Team North

(10-8-2004) - After three sessions of qualifying for the $50,000 winner-take-all North vs. South Big Dog Shootout, local favorite Todd Tutterow was positioned at the top of the provisional field for Team South on the strength of a track record-setting performance. Tutterow paced his supercharged Mustang to a mark of 4.191, 176.05 to lead the way, followed by rival Pat Musi, who placed his New Jersey-based EFI and nitrous powered Firebird at the top of the Team North list at 4.289, 171.46

The event, held at North Carolina’s Piedmont Dragway, was won last year by Marc Dantoni, who represented the Musi-led Team North. With so much cash and pride on the line, the intensity levels at this event traditionally push normal boundaries, making for some heated action, both on the track and in the pits.

Evidence of this was the spectacular crash that took place during qualifying last night, when the S-10 of Ricky Young crossed the track just past the tree and broadsided the Camaro driven by Jr. Ward. Neither driver was injured, but both vehicles suffered serious damage.

There will be one more session of qualifying when the event resumes on Saturday, and then the real fight will begin as the elimination rounds kick off.

After three sessions of qualifying, the results were:

Team South

#1 - Todd Tutterow : 4.191 @ 176.05 mph
#2 - Rick Moore : 4.380 @ 172.54 mph
#3 - Ronnie Gardner : 4.362 @ 168.47 mph
#4 - Donnie Krusinski : 4.387 @ 166.26
#5 - Darren Wilkins : 4.459 @ 161.34 mph
#6 - Charles Harris : 4.485 @ 161.75
#7 - William Brown : 4.498 @ 157.59 mph
#8 - Mark Ingle : 4.505 @ 159.57

Not Qualified as of Yet:

#9 - Leonard Pate : 4.548
#10 - Mark Lineberrier : 4.580
#11 - Rocky Raynor : 4.673
#12 - Doc Bilbrey : 4.686
#13 - Mike Watkins : 4.781
#14 - Jimmy Reams : 4.821
#15 - John Larson : 4.862
#16 - Rodney Patterson : 5.829
#17 - Wayne Bates : 7.171
#18 - Jr Ward : 8.829
#19 - Keith Floyd : 9.802

Team North

#1 - Pat Musi : 4.289 @ 171.46 mph
#2 - Marc Dantoni : 4.338 @ 169.65
#3 - Bill Meadows : 4.415 @ 161.60 mph
#4 - Kevin McCurdy : 4.418 @ 168.67 mph
#5 - Jim Teachman : 4.441 @ 164.41 mph
#6 - Tony Gentile : 4.441 @ 159.46 mph
#7 - Randy Jewell : 4.471 @ 156.34 mph
#8 - Hank Hill : 4.975 @ 112.16 mph