BROGDON MAKES FIRST TEST LAPS
Thu, 2007-01-18 07:58
They say every adventure begins with a first step. For Rodger Brogdon
the first steps in his pro stock career came this past week as the team
ventured to Houston Raceway Park for some obligatory new car check out
laps as well as the laps needed to complete the licensing runs for
Brogdon’s pro stock license.
Taking advantage of some 70 degree January weather, the team was able to get some laps completed down the newly resurfaced track at HRP. With the favorable weather, the track was prepped and Rodger and his new Jerry Haas Dodge Stratus started the process of driver becoming one with the car. Initial hits were short launches to make sure the chassis and wheelie bar settings were on target. As the day progressed, so did the distance down the track and by late in the day, Brogdon was ready to see just how well the team could do in its first full lap down the track. They say every adventure begins with a first step. For Rodger Brogdon the first steps in his pro stock career came this past week as the team ventured to Houston Raceway Park for some obligatory new car check out laps as well as the laps needed to complete the licensing runs for Brogdon’s pro stock license.
Taking advantage of some 70 degree January weather, the team was able to get some laps completed down the newly resurfaced track at HRP. With the favorable weather, the track was prepped and Rodger and his new Jerry Haas Dodge Stratus started the process of driver becoming one with the car. Initial hits were short launches to make sure the chassis and wheelie bar settings were on target. As the day progressed, so did the distance down the track and by late in the day, Brogdon was ready to see just how well the team could do in its first full lap down the track.
On the new smooth surface that Houston has installed, Brogdon turned the Mopar loose and let the David Nickens horsepower start to show it’s stuff. With the car obviously still in test mode and on a track that was still “coming in” Brogdon sailed through the finish line with a 6.72 lap at 207 miles an hour. As Rodger said “I know this track, we’ve tested here many days from sunup to sundown. There is an area down track where about the time you think you should lift, the car settles back down and just goes. I probably should have gotten off the throttle in a brand new car, but everything else had been so positive, I just had to stay with it.”
“We were good to the sixty foot timer, yet I know I was too quick on the 1-2 shift. In the Super Mod car we ran in comp, the 1-2 shift came quicker than what we need in the pro stock, so that’s one area that I know we left some numbers on the table. Couple that with the fact that the car was good, but still nowhere near where it’ll be on race day, and I’d say we are looking real good to start things off here in 2007.” “I do know one thing though” Rodger continued, “running 207 miles an hour, sure is sweet.”
For Brogdon, the test laps will continue right up to the opening race at Pomona. This weekend will see more runs down track in testing in the southeast, and plans call for joining the rest of the pro stock contingent for the Pro Stock Superbowl coming up in just a couple of weeks at the strip in Las Vegas. Then it will be onto Pomona to start the 2007 POWERade championship points chase. With the potential that this teamed has shown so far in early testing, there just might be a new kid on the block to contend with in 2007.
Taking advantage of some 70 degree January weather, the team was able to get some laps completed down the newly resurfaced track at HRP. With the favorable weather, the track was prepped and Rodger and his new Jerry Haas Dodge Stratus started the process of driver becoming one with the car. Initial hits were short launches to make sure the chassis and wheelie bar settings were on target. As the day progressed, so did the distance down the track and by late in the day, Brogdon was ready to see just how well the team could do in its first full lap down the track. They say every adventure begins with a first step. For Rodger Brogdon the first steps in his pro stock career came this past week as the team ventured to Houston Raceway Park for some obligatory new car check out laps as well as the laps needed to complete the licensing runs for Brogdon’s pro stock license.
Taking advantage of some 70 degree January weather, the team was able to get some laps completed down the newly resurfaced track at HRP. With the favorable weather, the track was prepped and Rodger and his new Jerry Haas Dodge Stratus started the process of driver becoming one with the car. Initial hits were short launches to make sure the chassis and wheelie bar settings were on target. As the day progressed, so did the distance down the track and by late in the day, Brogdon was ready to see just how well the team could do in its first full lap down the track.
On the new smooth surface that Houston has installed, Brogdon turned the Mopar loose and let the David Nickens horsepower start to show it’s stuff. With the car obviously still in test mode and on a track that was still “coming in” Brogdon sailed through the finish line with a 6.72 lap at 207 miles an hour. As Rodger said “I know this track, we’ve tested here many days from sunup to sundown. There is an area down track where about the time you think you should lift, the car settles back down and just goes. I probably should have gotten off the throttle in a brand new car, but everything else had been so positive, I just had to stay with it.”
“We were good to the sixty foot timer, yet I know I was too quick on the 1-2 shift. In the Super Mod car we ran in comp, the 1-2 shift came quicker than what we need in the pro stock, so that’s one area that I know we left some numbers on the table. Couple that with the fact that the car was good, but still nowhere near where it’ll be on race day, and I’d say we are looking real good to start things off here in 2007.” “I do know one thing though” Rodger continued, “running 207 miles an hour, sure is sweet.”
For Brogdon, the test laps will continue right up to the opening race at Pomona. This weekend will see more runs down track in testing in the southeast, and plans call for joining the rest of the pro stock contingent for the Pro Stock Superbowl coming up in just a couple of weeks at the strip in Las Vegas. Then it will be onto Pomona to start the 2007 POWERade championship points chase. With the potential that this teamed has shown so far in early testing, there just might be a new kid on the block to contend with in 2007.
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