Russ Dugger

Russell Dugger (born January 12, 1975) is an American professional stock car racing driver who has competed in both the NASCAR Truck Series and the ARCA Racing Series.

Russ Dugger
BornRussell Dugger
(1975-01-12) January 12, 1975
Mountain Grove, Missouri
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career
4 races run over 2 years
2012 position53rd
Best finish53rd (2012)
First race2008 Lucas Oil 150 (Phoenix)
Last race2012 WinStar World Casino 350K (Texas)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0
Statistics current as of November 16, 2012.

Racing career

Dugger was a world-class R/C driver before he began competing in full size vehicles. He was sponsored by numerous nitro R/C manufacturers to compete in national and international events, specializing in both 1/8 scale on-road nitro pan car and 1/8 scale nitro off-road buggy classes.

Through an acquaintance with Mark Eldridge of Mobile Soundstage Engineering, he has piloted a one-of-a-kind street legal 2006 Dodge Charger show car converted from a retired NASCAR chassis for private and charity ride-along events around Hallett Motor Racing Circuit.[1]

Dugger has driven a wide variety of race vehicles, demonstrating an aptitude for car control and developing a reputation as a natural. He has competed or driven in dirt micro sprint cars,[2] in TaG karts,[3] on road courses in GT1 and GTO cars, in SCCA auto-x events,[4] on short-track paved ovals in NASCAR-style trucks,[5] and then in both the ARCA Racing Series and NASCAR Truck Series.

ARCA

Dugger participated in the December 2007 ARCA test session at Daytona where he gained valuable superspeedway seat time, but he did not make the start in the race there the following February.

In February 2010, Dugger made his first ever ARCA start in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona International Speedway[6] - the same event at which Danica Patrick made her stock car racing debut. He drove the No. 12 Accell Construction Chevrolet Monte Carlo for DGM Racing's Mario Gosselin, whom he met through an acquaintance in 2007 at Daytona.[7] Gosselin served as crew chief for Dugger's first race, and was impressed by his performance throughout the open test and race weekend. Despite being collected in a lap 7 wreck,[8] Dugger claimed the race's fast lap with a time of 48.283 seconds at 186.401 mph.

In April 2010, Dugger made his second ARCA start in the Rattlesnake 150 at Texas Motor Speedway.[9] He would again pilot the No. 12 Accell Construction Chevrolet, fielded by DGM Racing but with George Church as crew-chief. Due to rain during qualifying, he started in 31st position, but drove to a 14th-place result and finished on the lead lap.

Dugger's third ARCA start came September, 2010, in the Kansas Lottery 150 at Kansas Speedway. Racing with the DGM Racing team in the No. 12 Accell Construction Chevrolet, he was able to attend the open practice a week before the race event. The additional experience helped the team and driver become more familiar with the track, as evidenced by their performance in the race. With Mario Gosselin as crew-chief, Dugger qualified in the 19th position but drove to a 12th-place result, again finishing on the lead lap.[10] The race was noteworthy because Dugger ran in the top-10 for much of the race, as high as 9th before the last late caution flag.

In 2015, Dugger went back to Daytona with DGM Racing and failed to make the race. He went on to Talladega that same year and accomplished his career best finish of 5th, and then went to Kansas Speedway and after running as high as fourth late in the race, finished 11th.

Truck Series

In 2008, Dugger made two appearances[11] (Martinsville,[12] Phoenix[13]), and his debut in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series came at Phoenix where he retired with brake issues.

In 2012, Dugger announced that he would compete in six NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events with primary and secondary sponsorship from JPO Absorbents and Vacuworx Global.[14][15] Running in a limited schedule kept "Rookie of the Year" options open for 2013, according to an interview he gave with the Tulsa World newspaper.[16] His published schedule included events at Kansas, Texas Motor Speedway, Bristol, Kentucky, Martinsville, and Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Personal life

Dugger was a prodigal musician during his teenage years, with his interest in motorsports at that time one of many interests competing for time. Already an accomplished, classically trained trumpeter, he enrolled at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville after high school where he majored in music with designs on performing and teaching music professionally. During the course of his studies, he was invited to perform and awarded a chair with the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra.

Upon graduating college, he felt a calling to serve his country and promptly decided to join the United States Air Force - a decision which ultimately led to an opportunity to play trumpet in the United States Air Force Band, which he did for five years before deciding to pursue motorsports.[17][18] He currently lives in Owasso, Oklahoma.

Additionally, Dugger is involved with the Aaron Gillming Foundation,[19] an Oklahoma-based group providing services to families who have lost loved ones to drunk drivers.[20] He has also represented Tulsa-based charity The Little Light House in his starts in the Truck Series.

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Camping World Truck Series

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 NCWTC Pts Ref
2008 Lafferty Motorsports 89 Chevy DAY CAL ATL MAR KAN CLT MFD DOV TEX MCH MLW MEM KEN IRP NSH BRI GTW NHA LVS TAL MAR
DNQ
ATL TEX PHO
32
HOM 103rd 67 [21]
2012 DGM Racing 12 Chevy DAY MAR CAR KAN
33
CLT DOV TEX KEN IOW CHI POC MCH 53rd 44 [22]
Glenden Enterprises 84 Chevy BRI
26
ATL IOW KEN LVS TAL MAR TEX
29
PHO HOM

ARCA Racing Series

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led. Small number denotes finishing position.)

ARCA Racing Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 ARSC Pts Ref
2010 DGM Racing 12 Chevy DAY
38
PBE SLM TEX
14
TAL TOL POC MCH IOW MFD POC BLN NJE ISF CHI DSF TOL SLM KAN
12
CAR 62nd 370 [23]
2015 DGM Racing 80 Chevy DAY
DNQ
MOB NSH SLM TAL
5
TOL NJE POC MCH CHI WIN IOW IRP POC BLN ISF DSF SLM KEN KAN
11
56th 405 [24]
2016 DAY
DNQ
NSH SLM TAL TOL NJE POC MCH MAD WIN IOW IRP POC BLN ISF DSF SLM CHI KEN KAN N/A 0 [25]

References

  1. 12voltnews.com - "Mark Eldridge Attends Popular Events with his JL Audio Sponsored NASCAR Charger Show Car"
  2. "Port City Raceway - 2009 Pete Frazier Memorial Results". Archived from the original on 2009-09-17. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
  3. Tulsa Kart Club - 2009 Points, TAG Class
  4. NEOKLA SCCA Results 8-30-2009, 'F Prepared' Class
  5. Tulsa World 10/20/07 - Owasso man wants keys to NASCAR: Race circuit driver
  6. ARCAracing.com - 2010 Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 Page, Results tab
  7. Tulsa World 2/5/10 - "NASCAR hopeful aims to break through
  8. Video - 2010 ARCA Slick Mist 200 Coverage
  9. ARCAracing.com - 2010 Rattlesnake 150 Page, Results tab
  10. ARCAracing.com - 2010 Kansas Lottery 150 Page, Results tab
  11. NASCAR - Drivers - Russ Dugger
  12. Tulsa World 10/3/2008 - Owasso driver gets chance
  13. NASCAR.com - 2008 Official Race Results : Lucas Oil 150
  14. Catchfence.com - Russ Dugger Partnering With JPO Absorbents for Six NASCAR Events in 2012
  15. PRLog.org - Russ Dugger Adds Vacuworx Global as Secondary Sponsor for 2012 NASCAR Events
  16. Tulsa World - Owasso Resident to run NASCAR Truck Series
  17. "Official Site - Driver Biography". Archived from the original on 2010-10-04. Retrieved 2010-08-02.
  18. ARCAracing.com - "Family sacrifices keep Dugger racing at full throttle"
  19. The Aaron Gillming Foundation Site - NASCAR RUSS DUGGER SPONSORS AGF
  20. Tulsa World 8/26/10 - Rally to fight drunken-driving set Saturday in Owasso
  21. "Russ Dugger – 2008 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  22. "Russ Dugger – 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  23. "Russ Dugger – 2010 ARCA Racing Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  24. "Russ Dugger – 2015 ARCA Racing Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  25. "Russ Dugger – 2016 ARCA Racing Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
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