The inaugural Southeast Gassers Association Bama Brawl at Holiday Raceway delivered exactly what fans expected: wild rides, dramatic moments and championship-caliber racing.
The historic Alabama dragstrip challenged racers from the moment qualifying began, producing wheel-standing launches, centerline crossings, wall contact and plenty of drama throughout the weekend.
In A/Gas, the battle centered around two heavy hitters: Leslie Horne in the Chick Magnet ’55 Chevy and Ben Christopher in the Happy Daze Chevy II.
Horne struggled early, qualifying sixth with a 5.44-second elapsed time after one of the wildest qualifying sessions of the day alongside Brad Henry’s Wild Child Willys.
But Horne steadily improved through eliminations with runs of 5.31, 5.26 and 5.25 seconds in the final round.
Christopher claimed the No. 1 qualifying spot with a 5.22-second elapsed time and later posted the low elapsed time of the event with a 5.15-second run against defending champion Chase Howard in the first round.
Christopher also survived multiple tense moments throughout eliminations, including Brad Henry’s hard crash in the second round and another centerline-crossing incident in the semifinals.
In the final, Horne red-lit at the starting line, handing Christopher the Bama Brawl A/Gas victory and the early points lead.
B/Gas featured an all-Tennessee showdown between Ted McKee and SEGA newcomer Charlie Lee.
McKee’s Rocky Top Missile Chevy II qualified No. 1 with a 5.54-second elapsed time, while Lee’s Mustang fastback impressed fans with massive wheelstands and a dramatic recovery after crossing the centerline in qualifying.
Both drivers marched to the final, where Lee edged McKee in one of the closest races of the weekend, winning with a 5.58-second run over McKee’s quicker 5.57 thanks to a better reaction time.
C/Gas belonged once again to defending champion Jerren Perdue.
Perdue reset the class record during eliminations with a 5.947-second elapsed time and stayed in the 5.90s all weekend.
In the final, he defeated Alabama’s Todd Oden in a spectacular side-by-side finish, 5.95 seconds to 5.96, avenging his season-opening loss at Shadyside.
Super Stock saw Alabama’s Jerry Dean continue his dominance.
Dean extended his SEGA win streak to six races by defeating Rob Walden in another Shadyside rematch final, running 6.35 seconds to Walden’s 6.67.
By the end of the weekend, the Bama Brawl proved why SEGA racing remains one of the most compelling forms of nostalgia drag racing in the country.
Fans left Holiday Raceway knowing they had witnessed one of the wildest and most memorable events of the 2026 season.
Â
THE SOUTHEAST GASSERS ASSOCIATION REMAINING 2026 SCHEDULE
May 30 — Brainerd Motorsports Park, Ringgold, Ga.
June 27 — Knoxville Dragway, Knoxville, Tenn.
Aug. 1 — Rockingham Dragway, Rockingham, N.C.
Aug. 22 — Farmington Dragway, Mocksville, N.C.
Sept. 12 — Greer Dragway, Greer, S.C.
Oct. 9-10 — Gulfport Dragway, Gulfport, Miss. (Double Feature)
Oct. 31 — Shadyside Dragway, Shelby, N.C.
Â
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
HARTFORD WARNS NHRA HOOD SCOOP CHANGE COULD DRIVE OUT PRO STOCK’S SMALLER TEAMS