David Campbell weathers the storm; wins Big Dog thriller
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<br><font color="Navy">"It was a struggle all night, but we just kept on hammering" - David Campbell</font>
<p>(9-05-08)Julian, NC - There's a long list of reasons why David Campbell should not have won Piedmont Dragway's Big Dog shootout last night, but fortunately for Campbell, nobody told him his chances weren't looking too promising. When you've got a car that simply won't settle down you're suppose to lose, right? Ok, how about when your wheelie bars break, that ought end your night for sure hadn't it? Alright, suppose you somehow manage to slip a few tackles and escape the prior list set backs. Suddenly you find yourself in the finals - going up against the #1 qualifier - after narrowly making the field yourself. How good could your chances possibly be to pull this thing out?
David Campbell's trio of win lights last night at Piedmont equaled much more than just a win, or even the coveted Big Dog trophy. Campbell's "keep hamming" - "run it out the back door" - "never say die effort" is a classic example of the determination and thrill of drag racing. It's why we love it and it's what keeps us coming back for more.
Out of a massive field of 23 fast doorslammers, Campbell and his Pontiac Grand Am slid into the 8-car main event with a 4.30 @ 171mph; good enough for the #7 slot. Campbell's under the gun night of racing started right off the bat when he rolled to the line to face #2 qualifier, Brian Williams. Realistically, a hole-shot would sure come in handy, and that's exactly what Campbell got. Out of the gate with a .025, Campbell's 4.28 held off Williams' quicker 4.27 et.
Campbell caught a break in round two when J.D. Goad's Lumina broke at the starting line. For Campbell, the timing couldn't have been better. Although his single pass registered a respectable 4.317 @ 170mph, in Big Dog competition those numbers are ripe for the picking, and wouldn't even have made the field if we were still in qualifying.
With grandstands still packed, fans stood to their feet as Campbell rolled to the line for a final showdown with heavily favored Darrin Hoyle, the event's #1 qualifier. Campbell and Hoyle, each with ex-Pro Stock hardware, inched their way into the staging beams after sending clouds of thick, burnout smoke into the night sky. If David Campbell had another hole-shot in the bank, now would be a good time to cash it in as he faced a tough Darrin Hoyle. Tree flashes yellow and both cars react, with Campbell dead late out of the gate. A moment later, David's wheelie bars broke right underneath him as he's trying to catch Hoyle.
Campbell's Pontiac shakes and dances as it labors toward the finish line. Suddenly, at half track Hoyle's in trouble, his Chevy Cobalt bouncing around as he's fighting to keep the car glued and in the groove. In the closing moments, and with only a few feet of race track in front of him, Campbell streaked past Hoyle as the two thundered through the traps. The final numbers reflect a close and exciting race: David Campbell .113 rt - 4.36 @ 170mph. Darrin Hoyle .042 rt - 4.44 @ 160mph.
Campbell's win on Thursday night marked his first Big Dog trophy of 2008, and also the first time he's put his Grand Am - once campaigned by Greg Anderson - into the Big Dog winner's circle. "It was a struggle all night, but we just kept on hammering," laughed Campbell, who was thrilled with victory, but exhausted from his day of adversity. Additional wins for Campbell this season include an open field Quick-8 in Knoxville, TN, followed by a victory at Roxboro while competing in the East Coast Pro Glide series. David Campbell will be back in action Sept 27, with plans to compete in Dunn-Benson Drag Strip's final Top Dawg series event of 2008.
In Piedmont Dragway's consolation race, Chris Rini's all night driving from New York paid off when he scored some gas money in his good looking Dodge Stratus. Rini escaped a hole shot from Tony Wilson in round one, got past Tracy Cockman in the semis and then left on Joel Douglas in the finals to win Piedmont's consolation race for cars qualified 9-16. Rini's 4.36, held off a 4.34 from Douglas.
Catch the popular Big Dog series in action again on October 2. For more information about Big Dog and other scheduled events, please visit -Piedmont Dragway - The Proud Home of IHRA Drag Racing, Bracket Racing, The Big Dog ShootOut and More!!
Story and photo by:
Van Abernethy Press Releases
<p style="width:300px;float:right;font-weight:bold;padding-right:0px;">
<img src="http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii284/writevan/BigDog9-4-08303.jpg"
<br><font color="Navy">"It was a struggle all night, but we just kept on hammering" - David Campbell</font>
<p>(9-05-08)Julian, NC - There's a long list of reasons why David Campbell should not have won Piedmont Dragway's Big Dog shootout last night, but fortunately for Campbell, nobody told him his chances weren't looking too promising. When you've got a car that simply won't settle down you're suppose to lose, right? Ok, how about when your wheelie bars break, that ought end your night for sure hadn't it? Alright, suppose you somehow manage to slip a few tackles and escape the prior list set backs. Suddenly you find yourself in the finals - going up against the #1 qualifier - after narrowly making the field yourself. How good could your chances possibly be to pull this thing out?
David Campbell's trio of win lights last night at Piedmont equaled much more than just a win, or even the coveted Big Dog trophy. Campbell's "keep hamming" - "run it out the back door" - "never say die effort" is a classic example of the determination and thrill of drag racing. It's why we love it and it's what keeps us coming back for more.
Out of a massive field of 23 fast doorslammers, Campbell and his Pontiac Grand Am slid into the 8-car main event with a 4.30 @ 171mph; good enough for the #7 slot. Campbell's under the gun night of racing started right off the bat when he rolled to the line to face #2 qualifier, Brian Williams. Realistically, a hole-shot would sure come in handy, and that's exactly what Campbell got. Out of the gate with a .025, Campbell's 4.28 held off Williams' quicker 4.27 et.
Campbell caught a break in round two when J.D. Goad's Lumina broke at the starting line. For Campbell, the timing couldn't have been better. Although his single pass registered a respectable 4.317 @ 170mph, in Big Dog competition those numbers are ripe for the picking, and wouldn't even have made the field if we were still in qualifying.
With grandstands still packed, fans stood to their feet as Campbell rolled to the line for a final showdown with heavily favored Darrin Hoyle, the event's #1 qualifier. Campbell and Hoyle, each with ex-Pro Stock hardware, inched their way into the staging beams after sending clouds of thick, burnout smoke into the night sky. If David Campbell had another hole-shot in the bank, now would be a good time to cash it in as he faced a tough Darrin Hoyle. Tree flashes yellow and both cars react, with Campbell dead late out of the gate. A moment later, David's wheelie bars broke right underneath him as he's trying to catch Hoyle.
Campbell's Pontiac shakes and dances as it labors toward the finish line. Suddenly, at half track Hoyle's in trouble, his Chevy Cobalt bouncing around as he's fighting to keep the car glued and in the groove. In the closing moments, and with only a few feet of race track in front of him, Campbell streaked past Hoyle as the two thundered through the traps. The final numbers reflect a close and exciting race: David Campbell .113 rt - 4.36 @ 170mph. Darrin Hoyle .042 rt - 4.44 @ 160mph.
Campbell's win on Thursday night marked his first Big Dog trophy of 2008, and also the first time he's put his Grand Am - once campaigned by Greg Anderson - into the Big Dog winner's circle. "It was a struggle all night, but we just kept on hammering," laughed Campbell, who was thrilled with victory, but exhausted from his day of adversity. Additional wins for Campbell this season include an open field Quick-8 in Knoxville, TN, followed by a victory at Roxboro while competing in the East Coast Pro Glide series. David Campbell will be back in action Sept 27, with plans to compete in Dunn-Benson Drag Strip's final Top Dawg series event of 2008.
In Piedmont Dragway's consolation race, Chris Rini's all night driving from New York paid off when he scored some gas money in his good looking Dodge Stratus. Rini escaped a hole shot from Tony Wilson in round one, got past Tracy Cockman in the semis and then left on Joel Douglas in the finals to win Piedmont's consolation race for cars qualified 9-16. Rini's 4.36, held off a 4.34 from Douglas.
Catch the popular Big Dog series in action again on October 2. For more information about Big Dog and other scheduled events, please visit -Piedmont Dragway - The Proud Home of IHRA Drag Racing, Bracket Racing, The Big Dog ShootOut and More!!
Story and photo by:
Van Abernethy Press Releases
