A pair of vintage racers lead off the line as the Southeast Gassers took part in last week’s Friday Night Drags at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Photo: Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Dragsters that would have been right at home when Atlanta Motor Speedway first opened its gates took to the pit lane dragstrip and dazzled fans during Nostalgia Night at last week’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Friday Night Drags.
A dozen vintage straight-line racers from the Southeast Gassers Association, all donning classic paint jobs and racing tech straight out of the 1960s, charged down the 1/8-mile dragstrip Friday night.
“It’s a really neat experience. At first when you look at it you think it might not work since you’re racing on a pit road where you’re usually not supposed to,” Gabriel Burrell, driver of Southern Flyer, said. “On top of that, it’s been a great time with a great family atmosphere.”
Despite the old-fashioned approach, the dragsters rocketed across the line with impressive speed; the quickest of the quick in the two rounds of exhibition races were “Dixie Twister”, piloted by Rocky Platt and “Scream Machine”, driven by Justin Moses — both racers were undefeated in their two matchups.
As important as going fast is, the Southeast Gassers put a big emphasis on making their races as fun to watch as possible.
“We’re supposed to get our front tires at least one foot in the air when we leave the line,” Kelvin Cannon, driver of “Loose Cannon” said. “That’s to make it fun for the fans and it makes it fun for us.”
Further adding to the unique atmosphere of Nostalgia Night was the use of back up girls who helped ensure the vintage racers were lined up properly to jump into action.
Altogether the spectacle of the Southeast Gassers impressed fans and Friday Night Drags competitors alike.
“Those were very unique cars and surprisingly fast. I really enjoyed watching them,” said Amanda Brown, who competes in the AT&T Mobility Sport Compact Division. “It’s so interesting to see old-school stuff going down the track.”
Perhaps inspired by some of the flamboyant and gratuitous burnouts performed by the vintage dragsters, Brown powered her 2012 Ford Mustang to victory in her division final.
“I wasn’t doing burnouts last week because I didn’t think it was really necessary, but it really helped me this week,” Brown said.
Atlanta Motor Speedway’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Friday Night Drags returns to the pit lane drag strip in on Friday, June 28 for another full night of street style drag racing.
Visit AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com for more info.
Atlanta Motor Speedway – Hampton, GA
Friday Night Drags – June 21, 2019
Domestic: Justin Smith – 2008 Chevrolet Corvette
New Edge: James Walker – 2016 Dodge Challenger Hellcat
Pro: Kevin Mayo – 2007 Chevrolet Cavalier
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Street Outlaw: Ross Cole – 1972 Chevrolet Camaro
Sportsman: Vincent Varela – 1979 Mazda RX-7
Truck Advance: Glenn Evans – 1977 Ford F-150
Street Performer: Raymond Puryear – 1989 Ford Mustang
Super Bike: Bryan Stephens – 2012 Suzuki Hayabasa
Sport Bike: Ricky Harrelson – 2009 Kaw ZX-14
Motorcycle: Jamar Copes – 2007 750 GSXR
Cruiser: Bobby Cole – 2014 Harley Davidson Low Rider
Quad/Tri: Andre Martin – Banshee
Street Modified: Kelly Morgan – 1968 Ford Mustang
Truck: Ed Blanford – 1968 F100
Diesel Truck: C.J. Merival – 2006 Ford F250
Tuner: Tim Sears – 2015 Nissan GT-R
Sport Compact: Amanda Brown – 2012 Ford Mustang V6
Factory Street: Steve Shaffer
Southeast Gassers Round 1:
• Fiddle Picker (Johnny Royals) def. Deputy Dog (BB Brown)
• Scream Machine (Justin Moses) def. Blue CG 308 (Dan Hogan)
• Loose Cannon (Kelvin Cannon) def. Stud Muffin (Leslie Horn)
• Paula’s Nightmare (Ernie Smith) def. Kryptonite (Art Copeland)
• Southern Flyer 12 a/g (Gabriel Burrell) def. Silver Streak (Kenneth Phillips)
• Dixie Twister (Rocky Platt) def. Southern Comfort (Todd Wemberly)
Southeast Gassers Round 2:
• Stud Muffin (Leslie Horn) def. Loose Cannon (Kelvin Cannon)
• Silver Streak (Kenneth Phillips) def. Southern Flyer 12 a/g (Gabriel Burrell)
• Paula’s Nightmare (Ernie Smith) BYE RUN
• Scream Machine (Justin Moses) def. Fiddle Picker (Johnny Royals)
• Blue CG 308 (Dan Hogan) def. Deputy Dog (BB Brown)
• Dixie Twister (Rocky Platt) def. Southern Comfort (Todd Wemberly)
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