Tue, 8 Sep 2009, 08:48 PM Burgess Dedicates U.S. Nationals Win to Fallen Teammate

Courtesy of Matthew Brammer

CLERMONT, Ind. -- This one is for Bobby... were the first words out of Roger Burgess' mouth as he climbed out of his ProCare Rx '67 Camaro Pro Mod after the winning the Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge event at the Mac Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals. Bobby Monacelli was a member of the R2B2 Racing team who passed away suddenly in August from a heart attack he suffered while at work.

Burgess qualified strongly at No. 3 and proceeded in eliminations to defeat John Russo, Mike Knowles, current points leader Burton Auxier, and Danny Rowe in the finals to take the title "U.S. Nationals Champion." The win, his second of the season, catapulted Burgess into second place in the Pro Mod Challenge standings.

"We came to this race with a very heavy heart, mourning the loss of our friend and teammate Bobby Monacelli," Burgess explained from the winners circle stage as he received his trophy. "We didn't talk about it, but every member of this team was resolved to win this event in the honor and memory of Bobby.

"It's especially hard, because our series sponsorship with Get Screened America is about people getting screened for things like diabetes and heart disease, and yet one of the men on our team died from the very things we are trying to protect people from.

"As we worked our way through the day going round by round, we all felt that Bobby was up there watching out for us and smiling as we won each round. The entire team worked tirelessly to get us through each round, and when I crossed the finish line in the final, I said out loud, 'This one was for you, Bobby.'

"We'll be sending our trophy and a photo that all of the team members and series drivers have signed to Bobby's father, Clem, with the wishes and heartfelt message that Bobby is still a special part of all of us, and that we will miss him greatly," Burgess said.

Burgess' next race with his R2B2 Racing team is Sept 18-20 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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