With only three races so far this season, there have now been three different drivers to win the prestigious “Dog” that is the Big Dog Shootout trophy. The July edition promised to be huge with an increase in the purse to $7,000 to win and $3,500 to runner-up. That said, the qualifying was intense and as hot as the weather in July in the Carolinas.
Travis “The Carolina Kid” Harvey was the No. 1 qualifier in the H&H Corvette owned by Vaughn Myles with a great 3.782, with the No. 2 spot going to Cam Clark’s 3.839. Third was Robbie Keziah at 3.846 and fourth was Mike Graham in his supercharged Chevelle at 3.860. The bottom half of the field consisted of Barry Mitchell in “’CudaTime” at 3.863 and sixth going to the ProCharged Firebird of Zach Houser posting a 3.957. The final two cars were last month’s winner, Dale Brinsfield, at 3.962, and Tim Lawrence, on his way to the PDRA ProStars event at VMP, in eighth at a 4.006.
Eliminations had CudaTime running a 3.82 over Graham’s Chevelle, while Brinsfield’s Jason Harris-tuned Camaro ran a 3.878 to defeat a red-lighting Clark. Keziah ran a 3.861 to defeat the Firebird of Houser and Harvey defeated Lawrence with a 3.770 to defeat the Camaro’s 3.996. Even with Lawrence cutting a .009 light, his Billy Albert-powered Camaro was put on the trailer to VMP.
With Harvey running a 3.74 to Mitchell’s 3.761 and Brinsfield running a 3.815 to defeat Keziah’s 3.87 in the semifinals, the stage was set for the final.
Harvey’s Corvette put down a .006 light at 3.772 to defeat the orange Camaro of Dale and Donna Brinsfield, who ran a close 3.761. The Barry Allen and Jeff Miller-maintained Corvette, with motor by Danny Perry, was a winner after only three events.
With the 4.70 Outlaws not in attendance this month, competition was finished without bumping up against the curfew. Look for them to be back at a future date.
In other action, Tanner Miller drove a wheelstanding ’66 Nova Wagon to victory in Outlaw DoorSlammer and Melvin Watlington drove to victory for the second month in a row in Rico’s Reel Street.
August should be just as competitive, so we look forward to seeing all of you at “the DoorSlammer Capital of the World,” Piedmont Dragway.
This story was originally published on July 30, 2024. 
