NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

The 16-car field is set for the Rooftec NHRA Competition Eliminator Cash Clash, which will take place Friday, Sept. 1, at the prestigious Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

From a total purse of $50,000, the winner of the Rooftec NHRA Competition Eliminator Cash Clash will earn $30,000. The event will also be covered during NHRA’s television broadcast of the U.S. Nationals.

Rooftec is owned by veteran NHRA Comp racer and class advocate Rodger Brogdon, who developed the program to help create a bigger spotlight for the category. The company currently serves as the largest roofing contractor in Texas, providing lifetime guarantees for customers. 

“There’s no bigger show than Indy. It’s the biggest show of the year, and to have something like this at Indy is going to be great,” Brogdon said. “We’ve had great support for this special event, and I’m just excited to be in the position to help keep the class going and get it the attention it deserves. I just love the creativity involved in the class. There’s so many great racers and so many cool cars, and I’m excited that everyone is going to get more exposure through programs like this.”

The field includes former NHRA Comp eliminator world champs Craig Bourgeois and Jeff Taylor, past NHRA U.S. Nationals champs Brad Plourd and Greg Kamplain, national event winners Brogdon, Don Thomas, Cody Lane, Keith Hall, Mike DePalma Jr., Rick Brown, Monty Bogan Jr., and Chase Williams, as well as Brad Brewer, Shake Heckel, Sean Dodd, and Taylor Chomiski.

The 16 drivers earned their spots in the field based on points standings earned throughout the season in Division 4 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series competition, where Brogdon also posts the Rooftec Comp Eliminator Bonus Fund that awards the top 10 finishers in the category.

Qualifying for the Rooftec NHRA Competition Eliminator Cash Clash was no easy feat as the five qualifying Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series events attracted full 32-car fields with alternates in four of the five races.

First-round matchups in Indy will be decided via a chip draw. Bourgeois, who enters the event as the No. 1 seed based on points earnings in the Rooftec Competition Eliminator Bonus Fund, will draw first, followed by Brogdon and Taylor until the ladder is filled.

Additionally, the new Rooftec NHRA Competition Class Bonus Award will debut at the NHRA U.S. Nationals and will also be featured at the Texas NHRA FallNationals, awarding the winning driver at each race an $11,500 in addition to the national event purse. In total, Brogdon’s investment into Competition eliminator has exceeded $3 million of his personal money over the last two seasons with one goal in mind – preserving Competition eliminator. 

A Calcutta auction-style event will also run in conjunction with the high-stakes battle royale. Much like a golf-Calcutta, participants in the auction can bid on a competitor, and if that racer were to win, they would get the lion's share of the established pot. Brogdon said Rooftec will establish the first bid at $5,000.

“With the Rooftec NHRA Competition Class Bonus Award at Indy and Dallas, I wanted to do something everyone could race for,” Brogdon said. “Last year, every race from our points system was won by a different racer, so the competition was incredible. The champion wasn’t decided until the last round of the last race, and we’ve really seen growth in the class, which is a great sign. We’ve been able to grow, and we’re looking forward to 2024.”