With 11 cars on the property of historic Piedmont Dragway on Sept. 5, the stage was set for a great qualifying show with a race to be held afterwards at the September edition of the Big Dog Shootout. When the smoke cleared, it was very evident that everyone came with their best, to do battle for the porcelain dog that is one of the most coveted trophies in our sport.
Qualifying results had Cam Clark, later setting a track record E.T. and MPH for the Big Dog cars, in the No. 1 spot at a 3.719 at 205.38. Second was Barry Mitchell at a 3.735 at 204.31. Third was Mike Graham at a 3.762 at 197. Fourth was the “War Eagle” Corvette of Jamie and Gina Chappell at 3.974 at 194.21. Fifth was Robbie Keziah, sixth was Wayne Chambers, seventh was Zach Houser, and eighth went to Michael Dawkins. This gave us all the power adders in the field with blowers, nitrous, and a ProCharger. Not qualified were the past winners Dale Brinsfield, Travis Harvey, and Tim Lawrence. Did I mention this is a hard field to qualify for?!
Competition began with the top qualifiers winning to advance to the semis. These were Clark, Chappell, Mitchell, and Graham. It was during his victory in the semis that the Camaro nitrous car of Clark set new track records of 3.66 at 206 MPH. The bad news was that there was major engine damage in his effort. Mitchell defeated Mike Graham with a 3.71 at 205. The final would have been worth the price of admission, but Clark could not make the call, so Mitchell and the WYO Motorsports crew decided to make a lap for the fans and did it in fine fashion at a 3.69 at 205 to close the night.
The final Big Dog event of the season will be on Oct. 10 with current points as follows: Barry Mitchell in first, Travis Harvey in the No. 2 spot, Dale Brinsfield third, Mike Graham fourth, Robbie Keziah fifth, and Cam Clark in sixth. This should make for a great finale for the fans.
Other winners for the evening were Nick Reavis over David McGee in Outlaw DoorSlammer. Rico’s Reel Street Winner was Not Melvin Watlington. Melvin was runner-up to Nolan Snyder.
The season is winding to a close, but make sure to mark Oct. 10 on your calendar for the finale. You will not be disappointed at the “DoorSlammer Capital of the World,” legendary Piedmont Dragway.
This story was originally published on September 23, 2024. 
