HAMPTON, Ga. - Friday night was a sweet one for James Walker on Atlanta Motor Speedway’s pit lane drag strip.
Not only did the Fayetteville, Georgia racer score the win in the PeachPass Burnout Zone competition, but he backed it up with the Friday Night Drags win in the New Edge division.
What made Walker’s burnout in his 2016 Dodge Challenger even more impressive was how long it lasted. When Walker finally yielded, large clouds of smoke had blanketed the staging area.
Such a display isn’t just gratuitous – the burnout, which heats up the tires, is vital for a competitor hoping to make a fast run.
“It basically makes the tires sticky and that’s what you want when you launch with a high horsepower car,” Walker said.
It worked out for Walker, who won the matchup and advanced to the next round. When he returned to the frontstretch to wait for his next run, he was quickly named the winner of the night’s Burnout Zone competition.
“It was a pleasant surprise,” an excited Walker said. “I was just doing my normal burnout, but a little extended because these are new tires.”
The rest of his burnouts before each round Friday night were also impressive, and effective. In the New Edge division finals, a strong jump off the line – thanks in part to the burnouts – propelled Walker to victory.
Several races throughout the evening came down to the wire, including the final round of the Harbin’s Mechanical Services Street Outlaw division. The contest between Mike Moore’s 2017 COPO Camaro and Ross Cole’s 1972 Chevrolet Camaro saw Moore jump out to a slight lead, but Cole closed the gap approaching the line.
The cars flashed across the finishing stripe neck and neck. Fans, unable to tell who had won, turned to the trackside indicator light to see who had prevailed. After a suspenseful couple of seconds, the light showed Moore had squeaked across the line just ahead of Cole.
“I could see (Ross) was coming up on me,” Moore said after the victory. He added, “If it would’ve been another 50 feet, he would’ve had it.”
The win couldn’t come at a better time for Moore. He entered the night second in the Street Outlaw division standings and with the victory is now tied with Wayne Harris entering championship week.
Other notable winners included Robert Cheney, whose 2014 American Dragster edged out the 1991 Chevrolet S-10 piloted by Arnie Cobb. In the Tuner division, Jim Dean willed his 1991 Nissan 300Z across the line for his first win this year, just ahead of the 2007 BMW 3351 driven by Remond Desir.
Atlanta Motor Speedway’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Friday Night Drags returns to the pit lane drag strip on Friday, August 24 for the final race of the season. Visit AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com for more information.
Atlanta Motor Speedway – Hampton, GA
Friday Night Drags – August 17, 2018
Super Pro: Robert Cheney – 2014 American Dragster
Pro: Kevin Mayo – 1969 Chevrolet Nova
Street Outlaw: Mike Moore – 2017 Chevrolet COPO Camaro
Sportsman: Cole Shiftlett – 1983 Ford Mustang
New Edge: James Walker – 2016 Dodge Challenger
Street Performer: Brandon Sampler – 1995 Chevrolet S10
Domestic: Donnie Henderson – 1980 Chevrolet Malibu
Factory Street: Michael Hartley – 2013 Ford Mustang
Street Modified: Kelly Morgan – 1968 Ford Mustang
Truck: Ed Blanford – 1968 Ford F100
Tuner: Jim Dean -; 1991 Nissan 300z
Sport Compact: Chris Mauldin – 2009 Infinity
Super Bike: Cory Mayo – 2009 Hayabusa Suzuki
Sport Bike: Bryan Berube – 2016 Kawasaki
Motorcycle: Keith Stamps – 2002 Honda
ATV: Bradley Smith – 1990 Yamaha Banshee
Burnout Zone: James Walker – 2016 Dodge Challenger
