BIG DOG
A disappointed Junior Ward being towed back to the pits with an oil sprayed windshield. Above, everybody pitches in on the clean-up. A week after the race Junior told us, “it dropped a valve on that pass... we are going to build a Hemi!
Back at the trailer everyone worked on cleaning the engine and surrounding areas of oil, it’s literally everywhere. This race is so short that there is no time for any repairs, so while a quick inspection reveals a loose rocker arm and dropped pushrod, we will only know what the full damage is when we get back to the shop. There are a lot of empty feelings while accessing the situation. There are no words to exchange, we all know this is it. But to add a positive twist to the day, it is Sonny Leonard’s birthday and there is cake and food served up reviving the team around the trailer. It’s packing time, we’re heading home early and hit the road close to 7:00pm. The race will continue into the evening and the grandstands will shortly be packed with eager spectators as the sun sets and the cooler evening air comes in. The good news for this team is that this was just their first race of what’s going to be a very long racing weekend. As we arrive back home in Virginia, we all help get the Corvette out of the trailer and load Jim Oddy’s Gasser into it. Unfortunately, the trip ends
44
Visit Us Online at www.rpm-mag.com
there for me, but some of the guys are heading straight away to Ohio, and by Sunday that weekend I had heard they won that race with Junior at the wheel! As for my new Pro Mod memories? Unfortunately we left too early to see much of the crowd, but even in our short time there my Pro Mod fire was ignited once again, and the Big Dog Shootout is definitely the place to keep it burning. The track is certainly wider than I envisioned and the entire facility blew me away by its size and evident upkeep. So to a newcomer to the Big Dog Shootout experience, like the title says, the Big Dog still has bite!
RPM Magazine, THE Voice Of Fast Cars WORLDWIDE