HAMPTON, Ga. - The penultimate week of the 2015 O’Reilly Auto Parts Friday Night Drags season descended upon the pit lane drag strip at Atlanta Motor Speedway Friday night as drivers jockeyed for critical points in pursuit of division championships set to be awarded next week.
Entering the night, seven of the 18 divisions were separated by three points or less, a virtual tossup with two weeks remaining, while 14 divisions were still mathematically up for grabs.
Kirk Pennywitt doesn’t have the point total to seize the Factory Street Division title next week, but you wouldn’t know it based on his performance the past three weeks. You probably wouldn’t hear it either.
Pulling up to the staging area, a confounding silence furrows brows as his wheels spin, smoke emanating from the pavement with nary a sound.
His 2013 Tesla is all electric and puts its combustible engine-powered competitors to shame. Since making his season debut two weeks ago in Week 15, all Pennywitt has done is win the division three weeks in a row without ever burning a drop of fuel.
“It’s a blast,” said Pennywitt. “It’s a lot of fun. Three weeks in a row.”
Picking off fast cars in the division one-by-one, Pennywitt worked his way back into the division’s final race Friday night and met Chris Moon from Douglasville, who was making his season debut behind the wheel of a 2014 Ford Mustang.
It wasn’t even close.
“It’s fun showing people what an electric car can do,” said Pennywitt. “It generates maximum torque at zero RPMs. It doesn’t have a transmission, so it never shifts. It doesn’t hurt the car and it’s fun to win.”
In the more common combustible engine category, it was business as usual for several top contenders. Billy Clevenger racked his fourth straight victory and seventh overall in the Harbin’s Mechanical Services Super Pro Division, while Brian Leath added his own fourth straight win in the Truck Division.
Other notable winners include David Harbin in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Pro Division, Kelly Morgan in the Harding Plumbing, Heating and Cooling Domestic Division and Douglas Anglin in the Street Modified Division.
Setting up for next week’s season finale, showdowns in the Zaxby’s Street Outlaw Division, Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Division, Truck Advanced Division, Street Modified Division, Tuner Division and Sport Compact Division will highlight Week 18, as championship titles will come down to the wire.
Atlanta Motor Speedway’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Friday Night Drags wraps up the 2015 season with Championship Night finale on Friday, Aug. 28.
More information can be found at AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com/Drags.
Atlanta Motor Speedway – Hampton, GA
Friday Night Drags Week 17 – Aug. 21, 2015
Super Pro: Billy Clevenger – 1963 Chevrolet Corvette
Pro: David Harbin – 1969 Chevrolet Nova
Street Outlaw: Shannon Shelton – 2000 Pontiac Trans Am
Sportsman: Rodney Tolber – 1983 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS
Domestic Advanced: Eric Roycroft – 1986 Ford Mustang
Domestic: Kelly Morgan – 1968 Ford Mustang
Truck Advanced: Danny Mason – 1976 Chevrolet Pickup
Street Modified: Douglas Anglin – 1988 Ford Mustang
Factory Street: Kirk Pennywitt – 2013 Tesla
Diesel Truck: Justin Goodman – 1994 Dodge Ram 2500
Truck: Brian Leath – 1976 Chevrolet C-10
Sport Compact: Daniel Martinez – 1996 Honda Civic
Super Bike: Robert Thomas – Harley-Davidson
Sport Bike: Bryan Berube – 2006 Suzuki 1300
Motorcycle: Ricky Harrelson – 2006 Yamaha R6
Cruiser/Dirt Motorcycle: Mike Webb – 2008 Harley Electra Glide
ATV: Omar Ruiz
