Russ Dugger

Russ Dugger (born January 12, 1975, in Mountain Grove, Missouri) is an American professional racing driver.

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.^[1][2] He currently lives in Owasso, Oklahoma.

Off-track Interests

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.^[3]

He is involved with the Aaron Gillming Foundation,^[4] an Oklahoma-based group providing services to families who have lost loved ones to drunk drivers.^[5] He has also represented Tulsa-based charity The Little Light House in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Racing career

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,^[6] in TaG karts,^[7] on road courses in GT1 and GTO cars, in SCCA auto-x events,^[8] on short-track paved ovals in NASCAR-style trucks,^[9] and of course in both the ARCA Racing Series and NASCAR Truck Series.

ARCA Racing Series

Dugger attended the December 2007 ARCA open test at Daytona where he gained valuable superspeedway seat time, but he did not make the start in the 2008 February race there.

In February, 2010, Dugger made his first ever ARCA start in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona International Speedway^[10] - the same event at which Danica Patrick made her stock car racing debut. He drove the #12 Accell Construction Chevrolet Monte Carlo for DGM Racing's Mario Gosselin, whom he met through an acquaintance in 2007 at Daytona.^[11] 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,^[12] 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.^[13] He would again pilot the #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 #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.^[14] 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 and failed to make the race. He went onto 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. All with DGM Racing.

NASCAR Series

In 2008, Dugger made two appearances^[15] (Martinsville,^[16] Phoenix^[17]), and his debut start 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.^[18][19] 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.^[20] His published schedule included events at Kansas, Texas Motor Speedway, Bristol, Kentucky, Martinsville, and Homestead-Miami Speedway.

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

References

External links

• Official website
• Russ Dugger driver statistics at Racing-Reference
• Russ Dugger Racing Advanced Driving Experience site
• The Aaron Gillming Foundation site
• Official RDR Facebook Fan Page