|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dogay and
Ferguson Team Up for 2017 TS Championship Chase
TRANSFER, Pa. (January 5, 2017): From the beginning of his
national-level Top Sportsman racing endeavors, Dan
Ferguson has always raced on a little bit of faith, help
from some good friends, and a whole lot of hard work. With
his shoestring budget, it was never certain where money
would come from for the next trip. But, somehow, he always
made it work. Two championships and a runner up finish
later, Ferguson was back to the drawing board. Having
completed a one year stint as driver for Dale Pittman,
Ferguson decided to fix up his trusty old Firebird, a car
that’s a decade older than that of most of his
competitors’. Once again his faith and hard work kept him
pushing forward, despite overwhelming odds. Little did he
know, a certain oil and gas construction manager from
Louisiana had something else brewing for Ferguson.
Henry Dogay has enjoyed going fast ever since he first sat
behind the wheel. He started with street rods, worked into
big money bracket racing and then, in 2014, built a Pro
Mod caliber car to compete in PDRA Top Sportsman, a Jerry
Bickel ‘68 Camaro. Dogay claims it’s as much as a show car
as a race car, with “so much wax you probably can’t stick
decals to it.” The car boasts a brand new 959 Pat Musi
engine, a three-speed Mark Micke lockup transmission and
converter, and is plumbed and wired for six systems of
nitrous. The interior is all carbon fiber with an exterior
paint job designed by Greg Ozubko and executed by SD
Enterprises with House of Kolor paints.
|
|
Due to Dogay’s work overseas,
he’s only able to take the resplendent hot rod out a handful of times each
year. During one of those trips in 2016 he connected to the humble champ
from Pennsylvania. They quickly hit it off and kept in touch. Dogay also
kept a close watch on Ferguson’s journey to update and repair his
Firebird. About a month ago, Dogay began to see Ferguson might not finish
his the overhaul in time for the first PDRA event of the season. So after
sitting on his thoughts for a few weeks and talking things over with good
friends Bryant Marriner and Rick Fogle, Dogay called Ferguson Tuesday
after the New Year and offered him a ride for the 2017 season.
“He couldn’t find the words to thank me,” Dogay said of Ferguson. “I told
him he didn't have to thank me. I know he’ll take care of my equipment. I
know Dan and Rick [Fogle, crewman] will take care of the car like it’s
theirs.
“I could find a driver anywhere,” Dogay admitted, “but me and Dan are real
close. Dan is a hell of a drag racer. I’ve watched him race from the tree.
I’ve watched him race top end. He’s good on both ends.”
“This is an unbelievable opportunity,” Ferguson expressed. “I was excited
about getting the Firebird back together, but it’s just not the caliber of
car Henry’s Bickel Camaro is, and it still needs a lot of work. How could
I possibly pass up an opportunity like this? Henry is a really amazing
person and friend. To be able to race with him this year as a team to
defend my championship is an honor.”
Since the PDRA’s inception, the Top Sportsman category has increasingly
grown in prestige and competition. The current ET record in Top Sportsman
is an astounding 3.840, a high mark for a bracket car. As a notorious PDRA
boaster, Marriner is confident Dogay’s Camaro will overtake the record in
2017.
“Bryant’s been doing his part keeping people thinking and talking online,”
Dogay laughed. “Pat [Musi] told me with a mild five system tune up we
could get back to back mid 3.70s. So we’re shooting for the national
record in Georgia and, most importantly, the 2017 Championship. This whole
time the pots been being stirred about who’s going to break the record,
Dan was going to be in my car to do it; he just didn’t know it.”
ABOUT THE PDRA
Based in Pittsboro, North Carolina, the Professional Drag Racers
Association is the top sanctioning body in the United States for the sport
of eighth-mile drag racing. The PDRA’s professional categories include Pro
Extreme, Pro Nitrous, Pro Boost, Extreme Pro Stock and Pro Extreme
Motorcycle along with several sportsman and various exhibition categories.
The 2017 PDRA schedule consists of eight national events. For more on the
world’s premier eighth-mile drag racing organization visit
www.pdra660.com.
Follow the PDRA:
Facebook,
Twitter,
Instagram,
YouTube.
Photo: Gary Rowe / PDRA660.com
PRESS CONTACT: Lisa Collier
Professional Drag Racers Association
lisa@pdra660.com
704.692.4636
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|