SOUTHEAST GASSERS IN FINE FORM AT 'THE FARM'
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For the first time in its nine-year history, the Southeast Gassers Association (SEGA) visited historic Farmington Dragway near Mocksville, NC, June 26, for its fifth of 11 scheduled events this year.
Despite hot, muggy weather, a sizable crowd turned out at "The Farm," to watch 2019 class champion Ken Phillips get the job done over 17 A/Gas entries, top qualifier Todd Oden take the win in a 20-car B/Gas field, Larry Floyd also win from the number-one position over 20 C/Gas competitors, and second-place starter Ron Allison break through with his first Super Stock race title in a 14-car field.
Limited to 1967 or older body styles and with strict rules featuring manually shifted, four-speed entries, SEGA offers period-correct gassers running the eighth mile in four heads-up classes: A/Gas, B/Gas, C/Gas and Super Stock. No elapsed times or speeds are displayed on the scoreboards or later reported, as series founder Quain Stott prefers instead to place the focus on tight racing rather than statistical performances.
Stott, a past IHRA Pro Mod champion, actually got behind the wheel at Farmington for his first competitive laps in more than four years. Driving the "Flower Power" '56 Chevy formerly campaigned in C/Gas by his longtime companion Cynthia Phillips, who passed away earlier this year, he opened with a grudge match win over 2020 class champion George Miller in his "Falcon Crazy" entry during the opening round of qualifying. All monies donated to the grudge match purse were passed along to aid Travis Owen, whose SEGA entry was stolen and never recovered more than a year ago.
"Yeah, it felt good to be out there racing again, a great experience for me," Stott admitted after the win. "I think I got him on the tree a little and from there on I just tried not to embarrass myself. I also want to thank George and everyone who donated toward Travis and in the memory of Cynthia. We really appreciate it."
Super Stock - In just his second time out with the Southeast Gassers this season, Danny Byrd took the top spot in Super Stock qualifying at Farmington with his "Junk Yard Dog" Chevy Nova. Following him on the top of the list were eventual race winner Allison, Steve McCreary, Robert Peffley and Rick Varner.
Eliminations saw Byrd bow out with a redlight in round two, however, while Allison and sixth-place starter Mark Hackett raced toward a final-round meeting. Allison's first-round win over Huston Kneece also delivered a new SEGA SS elapsed time record for his "Poppy's Toy" Nova.
A win over Rick Varner in round two led to Allison lowering his new record even further in a semi-finals advancement past McCreary, who also posted a career-best time in his "War Wagon" Chevy.
Hackett, the current class points leader, took a slim starting-line advantage in his "Mercury Poison" entry, but another solid run secured the first race title for the 76-year-old Allison, competing in just his sixth-career drag race.
"Yeah, I'm kind of a rookie in this," he said. "I've raced jet skis and Legends cars before, but never drag racing. And I want to thank Larry and Eunice Pritchett for this. They're the ones teaching me to drive, or trying to, they've had a hard job. But Larry and his son-in-law Ian Landies at Mid-South Racing Engines, they're the ones that built the motor and made all the horses here. They deserve all the credit."
"The final was the toughest," Phillips declared of the polesitter later. "He was the fastest all day, so I knew there was no room for error. I couldn't have messed up at all or I'd have been in trouble.
"I knew that I had him about a fender when we left, but he was right there. It stayed close right to the other end, but I thought I had him. But you never really know 'til you get that win light at the end."
He went quick enough, though, to narrowly edge Rainwater for lane choice in the final, where Oden's '57 Chevy Sedan Delivery wagon took a slim lead over the bright red Chevy Nova in the left lane.
"Ken and I are good friends and it was good to have two 'Bama boys in the final," Oden said later. "But I knew he was going to be tough, too, so I had to be ready for him.
"By the time we got to the 60 foot I felt like we were where we needed to be, but it was a real drag race to the end. I could see the nose of his car the whole way down. It was a fun one."
C/GAS - Following Floyd and the "Stud Muffin" Nova in qualifying was Tim Hall, currently tied with Floyd for the C/Gas points lead, with Stott third, Billy Wilson fourth and Josh Pruitt rounding out the top five Farmington starters.
With a full 16-car starting field, Floyd had to race his way through all four rounds of eliminations, taking down Stan Powell, Scott Wallace and Wilson to reach Hall in the final. Hall, meanwhile, beat Diana Castro, a redlighting Miller, and narrowly edged out Stott in the semis.
"Yeah, it was a close one, but I knew Tim was gonna' be tough. He always is," Stott said later. "I had a lot of fun. I'd love to be out here racing these guys every week, but right now this (SEGA) takes so much of my time I just couldn't do it. But yeah, it sure was fun to be out there and I think Cynthia would be happy with how it went, too."
Despite the event win, Floyd explained later it was far from a trouble-free day.
"We actually broke a shock in a first round of qualifying, a rear shock on the driver's side. I dumped the clutch and I think it just planted too hard and then started spinning. I could feel it leaning to that side all the way down the track," he said.
"We tried fixing it and then tried to find one we could borrow but nothing would fit right, so we just raced it that way all day," Floyd continued.
"I'd dump the clutch and they would get me off the line for the first 60 feet or so, but then I hit second gear and from then on it just hooked up and I'd outrun 'em. It made for a fun drive though, I'll tell you that. But yeah, it was the obstacle all day long, but we pulled it off."
The next stop on the 2021 Southeast Gassers Association tour will be July 24, at Wagler Motorsports Park in Lyons, IN.
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