ATLANTA (May 14) - ProtectTheHarvest.com Pro Stock driver Rodger Brogdon hopes all of his questions are answered this weekend during the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway.
After a difficult start to the season, Brogdon has wondered what is wrong, whether it's his race car or the in-house engines that power his Chevrolet.
This weekend, though, Brogdon should get some answers because his Camaro will be powered by an engine from another competitive Pro Stock organization.
"We should be faster this weekend, for sure," Brogdon said. "We think that about 90 percent of our issues have been engine related, basic horsepower, and maybe 10 percent car management. This weekend should finalize any decisions we make. I expect to go fast and be in the top five or six."
Brogdon started his own engine program before the 2013 season, but after winning in Bristol, Tenn., last year, he hasn't progressed as much as he thought. The team hired veteran Jeff Perley as crew chief for this season, but the struggles mysteriously continued.
Brogdon, however, hopes the struggles, and any internal squabbles, will end with a proven, competitive race engine.
"I've had concerns because the engine guys might thing the problem is with car management and the car-management guys think the problem is with the engines," Brogdon said. "We'll get rid of a lot of the questions between the guys because after this weekend we should know 90 percent about what's going on.
"We're pretty sure it's the engine, and even the engine guys have come around some on that."
Plus, having another engine in the car has the added bonus of giving his in-house program time to focus on research and development, instead of also having to worry about servicing engines at the track.
"They've made some improvements in the last three or four weeks," Brogdon said. "When we're on the road, we take two or three guys out of our engine shop to work on the car at the track, so a lot of stuff doesn't get done. Another bonus about getting an engine for this weekend is those guys can work uninterrupted for a week."
Pro Stock qualifying sessions are scheduled for 4:15 and 6:30 p.m., Friday, and 12:30 and 3:15 p.m., Saturday. Eliminations begin at noon, Sunday. ESPN2 will carry qualifying highlights from 6-8 p.m., Saturday, and elimination action from 9 p.m.-midnight, Sunday.
