 |
||||||||||
| Monty
Joe Bogan, Jr.
Drag racing has seen its share of stars over the years. There are drivers that always seem to get the lucky break or overcome insurmountable odds time and time again to rise to the top. More than a few of their competitors shake their heads when surveying the points standings, or the results from the latest big event, to see some blessed individual’s name in bold print yet again. They wonder how they got there, and how they stay on top. To quote the TV show Diary, “You think you know, but you have no idea.”
Scientists argue over the root of skill: nature or nuture? Maybe she’s
born with it; maybe its Maybelline. It’s the same in racing. Is
a driver born with some genetic predisposition to reacting to a set
of lights, or is it a learned skill? The answer is a resounding yes
to both. There’s hard work and determination, but there are some
answers in the gene pool as well. Hey, if the Maybelline chick isn’t
so pretty, there’s only so much that the makeup is going to do
for her. “Dad used to race, but then his eyes got bad, and he put me in the car,” explained Bogan. “I started out racing at Dunn-Benson Dragstrip in his ’67 Nova. It was a D/Econo Modified with a Jerico. My first pass, I ran in the 6.20’s [eighth-mile]. When I came back, dad asked me what I was doing. I thought you had to let of the gas like a regular stick car. After that, I ran 5.80’s. I went about as fast then as I’m going now.”
a
d v e r t i s e m e n t
Bogan didn’t slide into the winner’s circle right off the bat, but he kept up with the learning curve admirably. “Did I win right away? Lord, no! I was 15! We were tough on that
car, too. We were tearing up transmissions left and right.” Later, Bogan got the opportunity to drive a Super Stock convertible ’67 Camaro for Larry Bradley. He won the first race out with it, and proceeded to knock down a total of eight events in a row. The team realized that they could win, and that there were no GM 502 crate motors running in the still young IHRA Crate Motor classes. Bradley had contacts within GM Performance Parts, and the rest, as they say, is history. Bogan’s first year in Stock was 1999, and the youngster won the first five events of the season, handily wrapping up the World Championship. At the same time, Bogan was still driving in Modified, and was only kept away from that title due to the similar domination by Anthony Bertozzi. Following the 1999 Championship season, Bogan finally had the opportunity to meet his benefactor, Gary Penn, from GM Performance Parts. “Gary’s a great guy. He comes to the races all the time,
and is a really strong supporter. He’s just fun, too. He tells
jokes with big words that I don’t get, but he’s funny,”
chuckled Bogan. “Gary’s working on one of those Fastest
Street Car deals for himself right now. I might get a chance to drive
that car a little when he gets it done. That’d be something else.
My lawnmower has bigger tires than what they run. It’s crazy.”
Click to visit our sponsor's website
“The more you drive, the better you get. If you have the car set up right, anybody can cut a light. I’ve probably matured the most over the years in top end racing. Driving the stripe is hard, but I keep working on it, and I think I’ve really improved there in the last few years.” Although he has driven in a number of classes, Bogan’s favorite is the GM Performance Parts Top Stock class. For an accomplished “shoe polish” racer, one might think otherwise, but the heads-up racing has him hooked. “I love Top Stock, as long as I’m winning! If I’m not winning, I hate it,” he joked. “You have got to have money, but it’s fun making things go fast. I hope it stays around. They’ve got to keep the horsepower factors in line, but if they can do that, the class is going to continue to be around, and be great.” Top Stock may someday act as a stepping stone to Bogan’s ultimate goal. “My dream has always been to run Pro Stock. I wish WJ would just
retire, so I could drive,” he laughed. “For now, I just
hope to do well for GM Performance Parts, and try to keep winning.” Click to visit our sponsor's website
Outside of racing, Bogan has a reputation as a partier. He is basically IHRA’s version of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. At the Milan Pro-Am event, he stayed out with some fellow racers into the wee hours of the morning. “Anthony [Bertozzi] and I didn’t get back until about five in the morning,” he laughed. An eye witness reported Bogan strapped into his car in the lanes first thing the next morning, obviously exhausted, and eyes half shut. He proceeded to roll off a .505 light. “How does he DO that?” “If you can’t have fun, there’s no use going!” grinned Bogan.
a d v e r t i s e m e n t
Click to visit our sponsor's website |
||||||||||
© Competitionplus 2004