– But for Michigan's Dustin Daggett, the dream has degenerated into a nightmare from which there seems to be little escape. 

As enthused as they get, the 23-year-old embarked upon his first full year on the road with Rookie of the Year ambitions on the ASCS National Tour.  But Lady Luck simply hasn't given a friendly nod to the two-time SOD kingpin.

 

A victory from the ninth row in SOD action a week before had the Daggett team enthused as they made the long trip to Oklahoma.  And a strong run and resulting second-row feature start at Oklahoma City's State Fair Speedway had hopes running even higher.

 

But, Daggett then hooked the turn three cushion on the opening lap of the feature and vaulted over the banking in spectacular end-over-end fashion, wiping out another car.  "I think we might just go home tonight, we can't keep doing this," a frustrated Daggett commented afterward.

 

But after a night to sleep on it and seemingly a million miles from his Portland, MI, home, the relatively short three-hour trek to Devil's Bowl was too much to pass up.  And once again, it looked to be another promising night.

 

Daggett earned a front-row spot for the feature and jumped into the early lead.  Daggett led his first 18 laps in O'Reilly ASCoT action before surrendering the lead to a determined Kevin Ramey.  A few laps later, Daggett's mangled car sat on the frontstretch after wicked-hard contact with the inside wall after brushing wheels while dicing for fifth with Sean McClelland.

 

"Dustin better stay away from the casinos, because he doesn't have a bit of luck," a sympathetic Tony Bruce, Jr., commented upon watching the Daggett crew try to load the trashed machine.  "That front end is knocked over about six, seven, oh maybe about nine feet," which is less exaggeration than one might think.

 

Back to Michigan to regroup, Daggett's day in the sun will come.  It's just a matter of surviving the storm he's caught up in right now.