HAMPTON, Ga. - Week 3 of O’Reilly Auto Parts Friday Night Drags hit the pit lane drag strip at Atlanta Motor Speedway Friday night, as competitors continued to tune-up in preparation for the points season.
The notoriety of Friday Night Drags continues to grow. Nicholas Averhoft heard about the event for years and finally made the trip from Easley, South Carolina to compete for the first time.
“A friend runs a performance shop here and comes out (to AMS) every weekend to race,” said Averhoft.
“I came all the way from South Carolina to race and bust some chops,” he said with a chuckle.
Behind the wheel of a 2013 Ford Mustang V6 in the MetroPCS Tuner Class, Averhoft outran the field and defeated the 1983 Datsun of Marietta’s Shane Kirkland in the final to earn a trip to victory lane.
“It’s a great experience and super fun,” said Averhoft after driving into victory lane. “It’s a lot different from where I’m from. There were some pretty fast cars out here tonight and it was great. I’m already talking about coming back.”
Other notable winners include Andrew Morgan’s third consecutive victory in the HeadsUpGeorgia.com Street Modified Class. Robert Cheney also found victory lane for the third consecutive week in the Harbin’s Mechanical Services Super Pro Divison behind the wheel of his American Dragster with a final round win over Tony Byrd. The 1981 Firebird piloted by Dale Rogers also earned a third consecutive victory in the Active Pest Control class.
While some continue to dominate, other found victory lane for the first time this season. In addition to Averhoft’s first trip to victory lane in the MetroPCS Tuner class, Keith Shockey was a first time winner in 2016 in the Peach Pass Factory Street class in his 2015 SRT Challenger. Another first time winner included the 1987 Mustang of Richard Riggi in the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman class.
Atlanta Motor Speedway’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Friday Night Drags continues with Week 4, the final tune-up race before the point season begins on May 20.
For more information, visit AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com.
Atlanta Motor Speedway – Hampton, GA
Friday Night Drags – May 13, 2016
Week Three Results
Super Pro: Robert Chaney – 2012 American Dragster
Pro: Dale Rodgers – 1981 Firebird
Sportsman: Richard Riggi – 1987 Mustang
Domestic: Donnie Henderson – 1980 Chevy Malibu
Street Modified: Andrew Morgan – 1987 Ford Mustang
Factory Street: Keith Shockey – 15 SRT Challenger
Tuner: Nicholas Averhoft – 2013 Ford Mustang V6
Street Outlaw: Robbie Blankinship – 1986 Ford Mustang
Domestic Advanced: Walter Chambers – 1971 Ford Torino
Truck Advanced: Jacob Mason – 1968 Chevrolet C10
Diesel Truck: Dewayne Bethune – 2006 Dodge Ram 2500
Truck: Brian Leath – 1976 Chevrolet C-10
Sport Compact: Tyler Winter – 2013 Ford Mustang
Super Bike: Tony Freeman – 2012 Suzuki
Sport Bike: Bryan Berube – 2006 Suzuki
Motorcycle: Nichilas Robinson – 2009 Honda
Cruiser: Bobby Copeland – HD 05 FXDL
ATV/Dirt Bike: Rob Allsop – Yamaha
