Luke Bogacki Super Comp Dragster
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Known well in the big money bracket event circuit, Carterville, Illinois resident Luke Bogacki hasn't seemed to have found a car or a series that he hasn't been able to conquer.
Luke Bogacki Stock Class 1969 Nova
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For 2010, Bogacki made the commitment to diligently concentrate his efforts on chasing NHRA championships in both Stock and Super Comp for the first time in addition to numerous high dollar bracket races.
"The Super Comp car that I have was purposely built to run just Super Comp," explained Bogacki of his decision. "And with the Stock car, it was just a natural thing to wonder how well I would do racing against those guys. Not that they are necessarily any better or any worse than the bracket crowd I run with, it's just different."
NHRA Super Comp and Stock Class Racer Luke Bogacki
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"And when you run over there [NHRA], it's just on a bigger stage," he added.
While Bogacki had a very successful season in his AA/SA 1969 Chevy Nova, finishing at least number two in Div 2 and a potentially strong top 10 finish nationally, it was his Super Comp Dragster where he continuously shined throughout the 2010 season.
"The division score ended up just being phenomenal," he said of his season in NHRA Super Comp. "My five claims ended up being three wins, a runner-up and a semi finish."
"We started off the very first of the year with a win at Bradenton with the division race there back in February," he reflected. "That just kind of started things going and the car has been awesome all year. From there, we went to the Gainesville divisional the very next weekend, where I ended up going out in the final in a very close race with Troy Williams, Jr. But that one race, was probably the best job I did all year, as I think I was double-oh every round but one, on the tree."
Bogacki would go on to a semi-final finish at his next NHRA division claim in Commerce before taking a small break to pursue some other series prior to his return to the division points battle.
"I had all those bad nationals over the summer, so I didn't really have much confidence going into Bowling Green for my next divisional in August," he said. "That's just one of those facilities, for whatever reason, I have done really well there, bracket racing. If there's one place I could have a little confidence, that would be it. And that win at Bowling Green was definitely my turning point in Super Comp."
Bogacki would head into his final two division claims of the season as a national championship contender in both Super Comp and Stock Eliminator all while holding on to lead in the Division 2 standings in both categories.
"Knowing coming in to Reynolds [Georgia Division Event] and Noble [Oklahoma Division Event] that it was kind of a long shot for the [National] championship, but knowing that if Ray [Miller III] could get beat first or second round and I could win one of the races, that we would be tied. I had already researched it and I would win the tiebreaker."
"So I went into the Reynolds race thinking, 'cool, I've got a shot', and then he goes out and with every round [win], that dream is becoming more and more realistic. Then you start thinking about it and there's a lot of pressure."
Bogacki would go on to be the Super Comp event champion at the Reynolds, Georgia race.
"I don't remember ever having been that nervous, for say the last two or three rounds of that race," he said of his Super Comp win. "But I've never been so excited to see a win light come on as I was in that final, knowing the implications."
"Now, if it [points] holds up or not, and I end up as the [national] champion or not, they won't take that day away from me," he continued. "That was big deal and something I will always remember. As many races as I have won and as much success as I have had bracket racing, I would have never thought winning a thirty-five hundred dollar, or whatever it is, division race would rank up there. With all that was at stake, it was awesome."
In contrast, Bogacki's luck didn't follow him to the National event scene where he was unable to make it past third round.
"My National events were horrid," confessed Bogacki. "Had I been able to do better, the national championship not so close, but as it is, we are going to come down to the wire."
For 2011, Bogacki plans to take his stable of K&N equipped cars and once again concentrate more on the high dollar bracket race circuit.
"There's more of a profit margin for me in bracket racing," he confided. "Part of the reason for chasing NHRA this year was that I kinda just wanted to put all of my eggs in one basket and go do it once, just to see where I stack up and to say that I've done it. If I hadn't had the success, there might have been the urge to go try it again. But win or lose [National Championship], I feel like have a good year and done what I set out to do."
The newly crowned 2010 NHRA Div. 2 Super Comp Champion has always, very carefully, aligned himself with nothing but the top manufacturers in each of the product lines he uses on all of the cars he competes in and one of those being K&N Engineering.
"I am just tickled to death with all of K&N's products," said Bogacki. "Of course on the dragster we have one of their carbon fiber scoops, air filter and oil filter and just a few weeks ago I changed out the air filter on my truck to K&N. One has to know, that if K&N's products will stand up to all the abuse we put them through on the race track, then obviously they are more than good enough to use on our everyday vehicles and get me to and from the tracks."
Racing for 2010 is far from over for Bogacki as he has plans to compete in several winter bracket series in Florida, all while keeping a very close eye on how the final two events in NHRA Super Comp unfold and his chances at his very first NHRA National Super Comp Championship.
To learn more about Luke Bogacki, his Super Comp Dragster, Stock Class 1969 Nova and the K&N products he proudly uses on each, visit the K&N Video Page or watch K&N's NHRA Sportsman Divers David Rampy, Kathy Fisher, Shawn Langdon and Luke Bogacki
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Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
