The Southeast Gassers Association wrapped up its 2025 championship season at Shadyside Dragway, where defining moments of victory and defeat decided class titles in dramatic fashion during the Championship Finals presented by Robbins Repairables. The ninth and final race of the season captured the essence of SEGA competition—manual shifting, wheels-up launches, and racing that puts the outcome squarely in the driver’s hands.
In A/Gas, Chase Howard secured the closest championship battle of the season after his main rival, defending champion Leslie Horne, crashed during the second round. Howard entered Shadyside with a five-point lead over Horne, but both still had a mathematical shot at the crown, with each round win worth five points.
Horne’s hopes ended when his “Chick Magnet” 1955 Chevy veered into the left wall after a wheelstand against Alan Pittman. “I’ve been in that position many times, usually when I grab second it will come back… this time it drove into the wall,” Horne said. Howard clinched the championship as Horne exited unhurt, though his car was heavily damaged.
Howard then capped off his title run with a final-round win over former champion Gabriel Burrell. The two past titlists squared off in a Chevy-versus-Ford finale, with Howard’s 5.23-second run edging Burrell’s 5.24. Howard ended the season with three event wins and the A/Gas elapsed time record at 5.14 seconds.
In B/Gas, veteran Ken Rainwater left little doubt as he rolled into Shadyside with a commanding points lead. His Renegade Chevy II qualified No. 1 with a 5.56-second run, well ahead of title hopeful Ted McKee’s 5.64 in the Rocky Top Missile.
Rainwater’s round-two victory mathematically sealed the championship and set the stage for a final-round matchup between the two points leaders. McKee crossed the finish line first but turned on the red light, handing Rainwater both the race win and his first SEGA title in several seasons. Rainwater also reestablished the B/Gas record at 5.54 seconds during the semifinals, closing the year with four victories.
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C/Gas featured the largest field of the event with 18 cars and a champion already decided. Jerren Perdue had locked up the C/Gas championship in his “Ghost of Fulton’s Past” Chevy II wagon one race earlier in Gulfport, Mississippi. His season included four wins and a class record of 5.95 seconds.
At Shadyside, Perdue again qualified No. 1 with a 5.99 but was eliminated in the semifinals by Heath Adams, who claimed a hole-shot win in his “Rusty Bullet” 1953 Chevy. Adams advanced to the final against Tony Tagenhorst’s “Wasted Wages” Chevy II. Both were seeking their first SEGA victories, and Adams prevailed to collect his breakthrough win. The finish underscored Perdue’s dominance in 2025 while signaling new challengers for 2026.
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Super Stock continued to be defined by one name—Jerry Dean. His “Last Rebel II” entry dominated all season, clinching the championship nearly three races before the finale. Dean appeared in every final round of the year, winning eight of nine events and holding the class elapsed time record at 6.30 seconds.
At Shadyside, Dean qualified No. 1 and defeated Kenny Phillips in the final round, 6.38 to 6.87. The near-perfect campaign marked one of the most commanding seasons in SEGA history. “Last Rebel II” crew chief Karen Mitchell guided the program’s consistency as competitors continued to improve under Dean’s shadow.
Two new categories—A/FX and H/Gas—also celebrated inaugural champions. The A/FX class, patterned after early funny cars, was won by Todd Wimberly in the “Southern Comfort” Ford Falcon. Wimberly collected his fifth win of the season at Shadyside, while the car earned a sixth victory overall when co-driver Daniel Haynes triumphed earlier in the year.
In H/Gas, Larry Noel drove his Anglia “Crazy Pony” to the championship after outlasting all competitors in both attendance and wins. Noel closed the season with his third victory, adding another chapter to SEGA’s growing nostalgia-based lineup.
