Accell Construction Returning to ARCA with Russ Dugger for Kansas Lottery 150

July 29, 2010 - PRLog -- Russ Dugger Racing is excited to announce that their on-going partnership with Accell Construction will see the pair returning to the track - this time at the 1.5 mile Kansas Speedway with the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Re/Max and Menards, for the Kansas Lottery 150 on September 30th, 2010.

Dugger has quietly impressed in both of his rookie starts with the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Re/Max and Menards.  In February, the Owasso, Oklahoma native set fast lap at Daytona International Speedway before an early incident took him out.  In April, his eventful top-15 lead-lap finish during his first ever visit to Texas Motor Speedway caught the attention of race fans, crew chiefs, and team owners - as well as television commentators admiring his car control while avoiding a slow car under caution.

For the Kansas Lottery 150, the Dugger team has their sights set on a top 5 finish - and one gets the sense that it may not just be hubris talking.  

Steve Todhunter and his company, Accell Construction, have taken an active interest in the development of Dugger's racing career.  The September race will be the third in which Accell has sponsored Dugger in the ARCA Racing Series.

But Kansas will be special to Todhunter for another reason - it will mark his debut as team owner, and that is a responsibility he takes very seriously.  Todhunter has committed two top notch cars for the event.  The first, a newly prepared Chevrolet being purpose built for Kansas, which will accompany a race-proven backup car by the name of "Tigger" - the DGM Racing rocket ship Todhunter acquired in April after Dugger drove it at Texas Motor Speedway.

In addition, Todhunter has signed up veteran crew chief and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Mario Gosselin's DGM Racing team to ensure Dugger has the best possible shot at a win in this competitive series.

As with the April race in Texas, the Kansas Lottery 150 is basically in the back yard for Dugger and Todhunter, meaning they will again have plenty of support in the stands and in the pits wearing Accell hats and RDR's trademark "Greatest Stock Car Name Ever" T-shirts.

"It's going to be great to get more mile-and-a-half experience, to work with Mario and his amazing crew, to represent my biggest fans in the world at Accell Construction, and to have so many friends and family with us at the track again," said Dugger.

"Having that support really made the Texas race special.  Climbing in the back of the truck and circling the track with my Dad after driver introductions was one of the coolest things in the world.  I can't wait to get back."

DGM team owner Mario Gosselin will spend the days off from his duties as driver by returning to the pit box for Dugger, serving as crew chief during both the September 21st open test and the September 30th race.  His experience on intermediate tracks and with the ARCA series give Dugger a great chance at a strong finish - Dugger brought the #12 home on the lead lap at Texas without the benefit of any testing, and both men know that the extra track time will be valuable.

Gosselin and his DGM Racing team has been fielding winning cars in the ARCA Racing Series since 1999. It has two poles, four wins and multiple top 10’s to its credit. In addition to fielding entries in ARCA, DGM Racing also competes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with Gosselin behind the wheel of its No. 12 Chevy Silverado.

Dugger has had a singular focus since meeting the DGM team in 2007, and that was to drive for "Super Mario".  That goal was achieved in February of this year, when Russ made his rookie ARCA debut at Daytona in the #12.   Since then, both have formed a close relationship off-track and have been eager for the next opportunity to show everyone what they're capable of achieving.

Gosselin, an seasoned crew chief and successful NASCAR driver himself, was impressed by Dugger's natural level of talent and his passion for becoming a top driver.  His ability to diagnose and describe the condition of the car - especially considering how little seat time he has to his credit - has left little doubt to onlookers that he is the real deal.

"Russ is definitely capable of going far.  He proved that he has a lot of talent, all during the Daytona tests, then again at Texas which is a tough, fast track.  We love working with him, the whole team does.  He has a really great feel for what the car is doing and what it needs," said Gosselin.

There are more eyes than ever focused on the career of Russ Dugger, and as those who know him will always attest, he has every intention of showing them all that he's a force to be reckoned with.

"Mario said he wanted to give me a car that would run in the top five.  I told him if he gave me a top-five car, I'd give him a win," said Dugger.  It doesn't take a lot of imagination to realize what an amazing story that would make.

The green flag drops at Kansas Speedway for the ARCA Kansas Lottery 150 at 5:00pm Eastern on Thursday, September 30th, with live coverage on SPEED HD.



About DGM Racing

Team owner Mario Gosselin and his DGM Racing team has been fielding winning cars in the ARCA Racing Series since 1999. It has two poles, four wins and multiple top 10’s to its credit. In addition to fielding entries in ARCA, DGM Racing also competes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with Gosselin behind the wheel of its No. 12 Chevy Silverado.



About Accell Construction

Accell Construction is a Claremore, OK company specializing in excavation with operating capabilities across the United States, and is owned & operated by Stephen Todhunter.




On The Web

http://www.RussDugger.com
http://www.MarioGosselin.com

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Russ Dugger is a professional racing driver. His goal is to provide organizations a better way to energize their marketing efforts, by blending the excitement of motorsports with first-class, unparalleled customer experiences.