PRO STOCK

Rodger Brogdon figured it would be later in the season before his ProtectTheHarvest.com Chevrolet would challenge the big dogs of the Pro Stock class, but after scoring the first victory of his career on Sunday at Bristol Dragway, he may have to recalibrate that idea.

"How about that? We're doing good," Brogdon said. "First of all, I've got to give credit to Steve Kent. He's out big money into this program. My crew's done a heck of a job; everybody, all the guys back at the shop, the guys here at the track. I've got Protect The Harvest on board, and thank goodness for Forrest Lucas and those guys.

"I'm sure it'll get better as the day goes on and I keep walking around with this trophy in my hand. I don't see it getting much better than this. And it's Father's Day; how about that? Man, my dad is going to be so happy."

Brogdon, a past winner in NHRA's Comp class, won his first Pro Stock race in his 110th career event. He had one past final-round appearance, in 2011 in Houston, where he came up short against Vincent Nobile.

But this time he would not be denied. He made a pass of 6.745 seconds at 205.48 mph to run down Erica Enders-Stevens, a Houston native like Brogdon.

"It feels so much better than I thought. When I'm going down through there, my guys usually get on the radio and tell me what happened. I knew my light came on when I passed it on the wall, but I didn't hear anything from my guys. I couldn't figure out what happened, but my dadgum radio came unplugged.

"Then they made me pull over to the right when I made my turn, and I said, 'Man, if I won I'm supposed to be to my left.' Then someone jumped in front of me and I thought, 'I'm going left!'"