Photos by: Adam Dobbs
The Southeast Gassers Association opened its 2026 season at Shadyside Dragway with a full field and no shortage of action. The cars and drivers handled it the only way this series allows, with four-speed transmissions and no electronic help.
A/Gas brought 17 entries and quickly turned into the deepest fight of the weekend. The mix of returning cars and new builds made it clear early the ladder wasn’t going to hold form.
Gabriel Burrell set the tone in qualifying with a 5.26 in the Southern Flyer. That No. 1 spot mattered in an odd field and gave him room others didn’t have.
He used it to his advantage, taking a bye early and another in the semifinals. Between those, he beat Dean Jonas and Ken Rainwater to reach the final without abusing his car.
Todd Blackwell worked the opposite side the hard way. The No. 8 qualifier knocked out Barry Lynn, then took down defending champion Chase Howard to turn heads.
He kept it going in the semifinals by beating Alan Pittman’s Gravedigger II. By then, it wasn’t an upset anymore, just a driver getting the job done.
The final matched Burrell against Blackwell in a straight-up Ford versus Chevy fight. Both left clean, but Burrell was better through the run and won it 5.34 to 5.43.
“It ran good yesterday [during testing], so we knew we had a little bit of hope. Tickled to be here. Didn’t really expect it. John Kaase horsepower put us up front,” are the thoughts from the A/Gas event champion Gabriel Burrell.
B/Gas started the season without a defending champion and it showed. Ted McKee stepped into that opening and controlled the category from the first pass.
He qualified No. 1 with a 5.60 and never slipped. Each round backed up what he showed in qualifying.
McKee beat Daniel Haynes and Brilee Stott to reach the final. Both are proven racers, and neither got an opening.
Michael Oden made the final by staying consistent. He ran the same numbers all day and let the rounds come to him.
That approach only works if the other lane gives something away. McKee didn’t.
McKee left better and ran 5.62 to close it out. His 5.602 earlier in eliminations stood as the quickest pass of the class.
As one crew member remarked with the new FMG Racing Engines powerplant in the Tennessee-branded gasser, “We’ve got a rocket ship now!”
C/Gas followed qualifying form more than the other classes. Todd Oden and Jerren Purdue were the two strongest cars from the start.
Both moved through eliminations without giving races away. Nobody else matched their pace.
The final came down to the starting line. Oden got the jump and never trailed.
Purdue ran the number with a 5.99, but he was chasing from the hit. The race was decided early.
The win gave Oden his 25th SEGA victory. It also came a year after he was sidelined with health issues.
“Beats the heck out of last year at this time [Todd was recovering from heart issues], I can tell you that. I’m so excited to be up here and get back to the winner’s circle – it makes me feel wonderful,” stated Todd Oden on his twenty-fifth SEGA victory.
Super Stock stayed on script. Jerry Dean is still the one to beat, and nobody solved it at Shadyside.
He beat Rob Walden in the final and never looked out of place doing it. The pattern hasn’t changed.
Jerry, in Jerry fashion, reminisced over the day with the thought of ,“We tried. Didn’t have a perfect day, but it was a good day.”
