RONNIE GARDNER WINS PIEDMONT BIG DOG
Sat, 2008-06-07 07:29
Piedmont Dragway presented a scorcher of an event yesterday, as the facility's
trademark Big Dog series assembled a thriller show, even as temperatures soared
into the mid 90's. Almost as hot as the June sun, the red hot Ronnie Gardner
collected win number 2 last night, with the running of Big Dog's third event for
2008.
Gardner, once a dominate force in Big Dog during the
late 1990's and years following, went winless in 2007 as competition became
brutal with 7 different winners in 8 events last season. Driving for car owner
Jack Gaddy, Gardner is enjoying his best series start in years - winning the
season-opener - followed by last night's display of power and
consistency.
Repeating his qualifying performance from last month,
Gardner once again solidly muscled his way into the show with a #2 spot on the
qualifying sheet, as 23 capable race cars were trying to fight their way into
the 8-car roster that made up the main event. Gardner stopped the clocks with
a 4.28, 173mph on his best attempt through two rounds of
qualifying.
Just as dusk was settling over the North Carolina skies,
Big Dog's elite began lining up in the staging lanes for the round one
eliminator. Gardner's Jack Gaddy-owned 1968 Camaro was indeed a picture of
consistency throughout the event, but Gardner himself was no slouch either.
Through 3 rounds of competition, Gardner was first out of the gate in
all 3 flashes of the Christmas tree.
Gardner rolled to the line to face Burlington's Travis
Harvey in the opening round. Gardner's 4.27, 173mph pulled away from Harvey's
out of the groove 5.70 et. Gardner then held off Thomasville's Andy Beal in the
semis, when Beal's Camaro slowed to a 5.52 et. Gardner drove to his best numbers
of the night on this pass, stopping the timers at 4.24, 174 mph.
Gardner then faced Big Dog's man on the rise, Darrin
Hoyle, competing in the series for only his third event. Hoyle, very impressive
in qualifying, landed his Cobalt in the top spot, then took out New York's Chris
Rini, and Mad Dawg winner Gilmer Hinshaw en route to the finals against Ronnie
Gardner.
Hoyle drifted in and out of the groove against Gardner,
slowing to a 5.62 et. Gardner, meanwhile, was hooked up and hammer down,
streaking to the finish line with a 4.28, 169mph. "It feels good to pick up
another win tonight", said Prime Time chassis builder Ronnie Gardner. This was
Gardner's 28th career Big Dog win, 25 of which came while steering Glen Redman's
Superman Corvette, widely regarded as the winningest car to ever compete in Big
Dog.
For those who've been following the excitement of this
series, it was simply understood that ORSCA Limited Street star, Darrin Hoyle
would figured this game out quick. Shocking to some, however, was learning that
Hoyle's way of "figuring it out" would consist of swapping his mammoth
762 engine, for a 632 built 6 years. Ironically, the engine has been between the
frame rails of everything from his Limited Street Camaro, to a friend's drag
radial Ford Fairmont. "I wouldn't say I've figured it out, laughed Darrin Hoyle,
I'm just a little closer than I was." Hoyle's belief is that the 632 is a tried
and true combination, and the Taylorsville, NC car dealer has high hopes
for continued success in the southeastern heads-up scene.
Despite brutal temperatures yesterday, the usual
standing room only following of Big Dog completely filled the grandstands. Big
Dog action returns to Piedmont on July 3.
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