2011 BIG DOG SHOOTOUT CHAMPION: TODD HOWARD With preseason testing completed for the 2011 season, it became evident that if you weren’t able to run consistently in the 3 second zone in Big Dog trim, you were NOT going to be competitive. Title sponsor, CV Products, recognized this and developed the 3 Second Club for Big Dog competitors and so it was only fitting that Todd Howard, now points champ, be the first driver to put a car in the 3’s. A 3.95, to be exact.   Tuning help came from Rickie Smith at the first event in April and the results were as follows: Qualifying ET at 3.95. First round 4.08, Second round 4.005, Final round was a 4.01 defeating the second member of the 3 second club and last year’s champ, Danny Perry. With another win in May you might think this is easy. Right? Wrong? Approximately 30 different cars and drivers received points during the year and anyone of them could have succeeded in upending the Todd Howard/Jerry Williams Nitrous assisted Mustang.   Dependable power from Hall of Famer, Gene Fulton allowed the crew to tune the chassis to the track in a car that owner, Jerry Williams says is “Heavy”. The Jerry Haas built Pro Mod car needed only regular maintenance between rounds and sure enough in August, Toddy won again giving him three wins for the year. This with competition from heavy hitters such as, Danny Perry, Todd Tutterow, Chris Rini, Darrin Hoyle, Tommy Mauney, Jason Harris and Matt Giangrande, just to name a few. Other event winners were Jason Harris, Brian Williams, in the ex-Tutterow Corvette,  and Andy Beal in his Corvette. All of these guys had superchargers with the exception of Harris.   Over the course of the season, Todd consistently ran between 3.99 and 4.08 to put other competitors on notice that you may run faster or quicker but you better be able to lay down the number EVERY round. Did I mention that Todd was usually the MPH winner with a fastest time of 189.55 MPH. Most of his runs were 185 MPH or better. Todd wanted to first of all thank the entire Jerry Williams family for allowing him to drive their race car, something he has been doing now since the 2008 season. With Todd’s business Mega Machine, Inc helping with one of a kind parts, Jerry Haas chassis and power from Gene Fulton, Mr. Howard and company look to repeat in 2012. Please note that all the Piedmont Dragway champions will be honored at a banquet on Saturday, January 14, 2012 in Burlington, NC. Details for this are on the Piedmont Dragway website at: www.piedmontdragway.com Article and Photos by : Greg Burrow