HAMPTON, Ga. - With go-go boots, back up girls and dragsters straight out of the past, Atlanta Motor Speedway’s pit lane drag strip gave fans a glimpse of the past during Nostalgia Night at the O’Reilly Auto Parts Friday Night Drags last week.
The Southeast Gassers Association brought 22 vintage dragsters, including the “Dixie Twister” and “Georgia Shaker,” that dazzled the crowd with huge burnouts, wheelie stands and a deafening roar as they battled nose to nose down the strip.
The exhibition with the Southeast Gassers featured two rounds of 11 match ups pitting some of the fastest vintage dragsters in the southeast. Without new-fangled contraptions seen on modern cars, drivers relied on back-up girls to ensure they were staged correctly.
Two of the fastest cars among the Gassers saw the “Southern Flyer”, a Ford Falcon piloted by Gabriel Burrell, against “White Trash”, a Ford Angelina driven by Donovan Stott. The drivers split their matchups with the “Southern Flyer” getting revenge in the second race.
“It was a good little bit of sweet redemption there because he got me the first time,” said Burrell following the second race. “The car finally did better in that last pass and we got us a win. I had a good light and a little extra horsepower too.”
Rocky Platt and his cousin Allan Platt took the pair of famous Georgia dragsters – “Dixie Twister” and “Georgia Shaker” to the limit in their pair of heated match races.
“Our dads are so well known,” said Rocky Platt, whose father, Houston Platt, is a member of the Georgia Raing Hall of Fame. “That’s what makes it. It’s about my dad and my uncle, not about Allan and myself. It’s why we do what we do.”
The pair wowed the crowd with each posting a win. The “Dixie Twister” snagged the win in the first race while the “Georgia Shaker” rattled the ground and earned the win in the second race.
“It was fun being in front of the home crowd,” said Platt following the night of racing action.
Other notable matchups among the Southeast Gassers included Troy Lightener and “Shakin’ Bacon” against the “Bounty Hunter” piloted by Ernie Smith, along with Todd Napier and the “Atomic Hillbilly” against Todd Blackwell behind the wheel of the “Sling Shot”.
The Southeast Gassers Association exhibition runs gave way to the series regulars of the Friday Night Drags as they battled for points at the half way point of the season.
In the extremely competitive QuikTrip Pro Division, eliminations began in the first round. David Clevenger, behind the wheel of Doug Ragan’s 1993 white Corvette, skated through the competition in the first two rounds.
He earned the final round win after Jim Jones and his Blue Cuda experienced issues in the final round.
“We had a great night with great competition and had a blast,” said Clevenger following his final round pass. “New engine and I’ve probably only driven the car a handful of times and still trying to learn it. Every car feels different when you let go of the button.”
The victory by Clevenger and the Firebird moves them into a tie for the top spot in the division with the 1969 Chevrolet Nova piloted by Kevin Mayo.
Other notable winners included Mike Moore and his 2017 COPO Camaro defeating the 1973 VW Beetle of Rodney Bunn in the Harbin’s Mechanical Services Street Outlaw division. Richard Cocoran, behind the wheel of his 1986 Ford Mustsang, knocked off Ron Pilgrome who was making his first appearance in his 1993 Ford Mustang this season in the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman division.
Atlanta Motor Speedway’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Friday Night Drags returns to the pit lane drag strip on Friday, July 20. For more information, visit AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com.
Atlanta Motor Speedway – Hampton, GA
Friday Night Drags – July 13, 2018
Super Pro: Alan Kidd – 1969 Chevrolet Camaro
Pro: David Clevenger – 1993 Firebird
Street Outlaw: Mike Moore – 2017 COPO Camaro
Sportsman: Richard Corcoran – 1986 Ford Mustang
New Edge: James Walker – 2016 Dodge Challenger
Street Performer: Brandon Sampler – 1995 Chevrolet S10
Domestic: Donnie Henderson – 1980 Chevrolet Malibu
Factory Street: Chris Moon – 2014 Ford Mustang
Truck: Ed Blanford – 1968 Ford F100
Tuner: Steven Mallet – 2004 Subaru WRX
Sport Compact: Tyler Hatchett – 1991 Honda CRX
Super Bike: Robin Malcolm – 2003 Busa
Sport Bike: Bryan Berube – 2013 Suzuki Hayabusa
ATV: Wayne Cline – Yamaha Banshee
Jr. Dragsters: Gracie Haralson – 2005 Mov. Tub Jr.
Burnout Zone: Keith Shockey – 2015 Dodge Challenger
