by Lee Craft 

In a tremendous and transitional season, the Southeast Gassers Association concluded its memorable 2024 campaign with the crowning of their class champions in an awards banquet held at the Ramsey Hotel and Convention Center in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. On the second weekend in January 2025 the champions honored were Jerry Dean in Super Stock, Todd Oden for C/Gas, Daniel Haynes competing in B/Gas, and Leslie Horne, series owner, racing in the A/Gas category. Along with the series champions, Ernie Smith and Brian Harris were also awarded for their display of dedication and sportsmanship throughout the year. 

 

The transition in 2024 was from the founding ownership in Pro Modified drag racing legend, Quian Stott, to multi-time SEGA champion Leslie Horne as owner. This changing of the guard was observed to be a smooth transition. Randy Edmonds, who has been with SEGA for five years as a tech director, with the last two as race director enthusiastically remarked that 2024 “went very, very, smoothly” and that the new SEGA tech department was received well by the competitors. Many of those racers were looking forward to their SEGA official tech sticker as Randy reminisced – “all the racers were so excited to get that certification sticker on the car.” From competitor to fan, many believed that 2024 was a year of change, but for the better, and that they’re grateful that the style of racing that SEGA provides has a home for the future. 

 

In the ultra competitive gasser drag racing of SEGA, the A/Gas category is the quickest and fastest at an event. Leslie Horne, in his 1955 Chevrolet gasser dubbed the “Chick Magnet” earned the A/Gas championship. It was a season that began with A/Gas seeing five different winners through the first five races, including Horne, who captured his first win of the season at the fourth stop on tour at Knoxville Dragway in Knoxville, Tennessee. It appeared that A/Gas was to have a scrap for the championship trophy down to the final round of the last race. However, from the halfway mark to the end of the season it would be Leslie, tuned by Brian Harris, dominating the A/Gas category, finishing the year with six wins including five in a row to close out the season. Though Leslie, who is the owner of the Southeast Gassers Association, earned the championship, he was more mindful of the season as a whole, saying that “it’s not about Leslie winning a championship, it’s about the families and friends that’s made along the way.” The series owner was already looking ahead to a soon to start 2025 campaign in March for SEGA making the statement “2025 is going to be bigger than what it was in 2024.” 

 

Daniel Haynes and his wife Mary Beth are no strangers to the SEGA scene. Haynes, a driver that has fought for several seasons to climb the mountain top in SEGA competition, at the wheel of his Ford Falcon gasser named “The Patriot” finally broke through in 2024 and added his name to an exclusive list by earning the B/Gas category championship. “We finally sealed the deal,” Haynes exclaimed with a sense of relief. “It took a lot of luck and had some good runs and we had some bad runs and it just all came together finally.” Looking back on the 2024 season, Mr. Haynes pointed out that the race in Ohio at Kil-Kare Raceway was an event that proved to him that they had what it took in 2024 to secure the B/Gas championship. “We got to Ohio and we had a really good day. That race got our season fired up a little bit,” Daniel expressed. It is Daniel’s first championship in SEGA competition. 

 

It was a championship that seemed sweeter than the first for Todd Oden, the 2024 C/Gas champion. “It took a long time to get back here,” Oden said. “But we assembled a car and a crew this year and just everything worked. It was one of those magical years where everything just came together.” Todd earned that championship in his 1958 Chevrolet gasser known as “Double XX” and it is his first championship since 2017 when he won in D/Gas which ultimately became the C/Gas category. Though Mr. Oden was thankful to be back on top as a champion in SEGA, he was more excited over his son, Michael Oden, competing and winning his first race in SEGA competition in B/Gas in 2024 at Gulfport Dragway. The driver of the Double XX is looking to double down in 2025 with family competitiveness in SEGA. 

The most dominating performance of 2024 comes to you courtesy of your Super Stock Champion, Jerry Dean. In the ten races slated on the 2024 SEGA schedule, Dean, at the wheel of his “Last Rebel II” Chevy II Super Stock SEGA racer, won eight straight to kick off the season. At one point during the year he was torn down by SEGA Tech and found to have a car that was completely in compliance with SEGA rules for the Super Stock class. “It’s been a great year for us – we’re tickled to death” Jerry expressed while reflecting on the year. “Proud of my whole crew and proud of our little racecar – it run good.” 

 

The champions and those that finished top ten in points in their respective category were all recognized during the banquet. There were also two special awards given out in the evening. A new one, in honor of the late renowned drag racing photographer Roger Richards, being the Roger Richards’ Loyalty Award and the Sonee Hall Sportsman of the Year Award. Ernie Smith, a competitor in the C/Gas category with his four door Chevrolet Nova called the “Saturday Night Special”, was awarded the Roger Richards’ Loyalty Award. Just like Roger, Ernie has exemplified dedication to being at SEGA events. Brian Harris was awarded the Sonee Hall Sportsman of the Year Award. The championship tuning crew chief for Leslie Horne, the 2024 A/Gas champion, isn’t the type to keep his notebook closed. Rather, he assists many racing efforts in SEGA, even in the A/Gas category, with the intent on improving programs, therefore the whole of Southeast Gassers Association drag racing. Truly, in that manner, conducting himself as an individual with high sportsmanship. 

 

2024 might have been a transitional year for SEGA but it certainly wasn’t a period marked by diminished competition or participation. In 2024 SEGA saw its largest attended race in its history at Gulfport Dragway in Gulfport, Mississippi. The series also saw nearly every racing category lower elapsed time records while upping the miles per hour records, therefore the competition tightening. 

 

A new season begins in March 2025 and takes SEGA beyond transition and into what is expected to be a transcendent season for the most popular gasser outfit in drag racing today. For the first time ever the series will kick off its 2025 season at South Georgia Motorsports Park, marking the largest venue that SEGA has ever competed at, along with a return to an eleven race schedule. 2025 is expected to be a year that is bigger and better in every way for the Southeast Gassers Association. 

UPCOMING 2025 SOUTHEAST GASSERS ASSOCIATION SCHEDULE

 

3/21-22 – South Georgia Motorsports Park

4/4-5 – Shadyside Dragway

4/25-26 – Holiday Raceway

5/16-17 – Mooresville Dragway

6/6-7 – Knoxville Dragway

6/27-28 – Kil-Kare Raceway

8/1-2 – Brainerd Motorsports Park

8/22-23 – Jackson Dragway

9/19-20 – Knoxville Dragway

10/10-11 – Gulfport Dragway “Cruise the Coast”

10/31-11/1 – Shadyside 2025 FINALS

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SOUTHEAST GASSERS CONCLUDE 2024 SEASON, PREPARE FOR 2025 CAMPAIGN

by Lee Craft 

In a tremendous and transitional season, the Southeast Gassers Association concluded its memorable 2024 campaign with the crowning of their class champions in an awards banquet held at the Ramsey Hotel and Convention Center in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. On the second weekend in January 2025 the champions honored were Jerry Dean in Super Stock, Todd Oden for C/Gas, Daniel Haynes competing in B/Gas, and Leslie Horne, series owner, racing in the A/Gas category. Along with the series champions, Ernie Smith and Brian Harris were also awarded for their display of dedication and sportsmanship throughout the year. 

 

The transition in 2024 was from the founding ownership in Pro Modified drag racing legend, Quian Stott, to multi-time SEGA champion Leslie Horne as owner. This changing of the guard was observed to be a smooth transition. Randy Edmonds, who has been with SEGA for five years as a tech director, with the last two as race director enthusiastically remarked that 2024 “went very, very, smoothly” and that the new SEGA tech department was received well by the competitors. Many of those racers were looking forward to their SEGA official tech sticker as Randy reminisced – “all the racers were so excited to get that certification sticker on the car.” From competitor to fan, many believed that 2024 was a year of change, but for the better, and that they’re grateful that the style of racing that SEGA provides has a home for the future. 

 

In the ultra competitive gasser drag racing of SEGA, the A/Gas category is the quickest and fastest at an event. Leslie Horne, in his 1955 Chevrolet gasser dubbed the “Chick Magnet” earned the A/Gas championship. It was a season that began with A/Gas seeing five different winners through the first five races, including Horne, who captured his first win of the season at the fourth stop on tour at Knoxville Dragway in Knoxville, Tennessee. It appeared that A/Gas was to have a scrap for the championship trophy down to the final round of the last race. However, from the halfway mark to the end of the season it would be Leslie, tuned by Brian Harris, dominating the A/Gas category, finishing the year with six wins including five in a row to close out the season. Though Leslie, who is the owner of the Southeast Gassers Association, earned the championship, he was more mindful of the season as a whole, saying that “it’s not about Leslie winning a championship, it’s about the families and friends that’s made along the way.” The series owner was already looking ahead to a soon to start 2025 campaign in March for SEGA making the statement “2025 is going to be bigger than what it was in 2024.” 

 

Daniel Haynes and his wife Mary Beth are no strangers to the SEGA scene. Haynes, a driver that has fought for several seasons to climb the mountain top in SEGA competition, at the wheel of his Ford Falcon gasser named “The Patriot” finally broke through in 2024 and added his name to an exclusive list by earning the B/Gas category championship. “We finally sealed the deal,” Haynes exclaimed with a sense of relief. “It took a lot of luck and had some good runs and we had some bad runs and it just all came together finally.” Looking back on the 2024 season, Mr. Haynes pointed out that the race in Ohio at Kil-Kare Raceway was an event that proved to him that they had what it took in 2024 to secure the B/Gas championship. “We got to Ohio and we had a really good day. That race got our season fired up a little bit,” Daniel expressed. It is Daniel’s first championship in SEGA competition. 

 

It was a championship that seemed sweeter than the first for Todd Oden, the 2024 C/Gas champion. “It took a long time to get back here,” Oden said. “But we assembled a car and a crew this year and just everything worked. It was one of those magical years where everything just came together.” Todd earned that championship in his 1958 Chevrolet gasser known as “Double XX” and it is his first championship since 2017 when he won in D/Gas which ultimately became the C/Gas category. Though Mr. Oden was thankful to be back on top as a champion in SEGA, he was more excited over his son, Michael Oden, competing and winning his first race in SEGA competition in B/Gas in 2024 at Gulfport Dragway. The driver of the Double XX is looking to double down in 2025 with family competitiveness in SEGA. 

The most dominating performance of 2024 comes to you courtesy of your Super Stock Champion, Jerry Dean. In the ten races slated on the 2024 SEGA schedule, Dean, at the wheel of his “Last Rebel II” Chevy II Super Stock SEGA racer, won eight straight to kick off the season. At one point during the year he was torn down by SEGA Tech and found to have a car that was completely in compliance with SEGA rules for the Super Stock class. “It’s been a great year for us – we’re tickled to death” Jerry expressed while reflecting on the year. “Proud of my whole crew and proud of our little racecar – it run good.” 

 

The champions and those that finished top ten in points in their respective category were all recognized during the banquet. There were also two special awards given out in the evening. A new one, in honor of the late renowned drag racing photographer Roger Richards, being the Roger Richards’ Loyalty Award and the Sonee Hall Sportsman of the Year Award. Ernie Smith, a competitor in the C/Gas category with his four door Chevrolet Nova called the “Saturday Night Special”, was awarded the Roger Richards’ Loyalty Award. Just like Roger, Ernie has exemplified dedication to being at SEGA events. Brian Harris was awarded the Sonee Hall Sportsman of the Year Award. The championship tuning crew chief for Leslie Horne, the 2024 A/Gas champion, isn’t the type to keep his notebook closed. Rather, he assists many racing efforts in SEGA, even in the A/Gas category, with the intent on improving programs, therefore the whole of Southeast Gassers Association drag racing. Truly, in that manner, conducting himself as an individual with high sportsmanship. 

 

2024 might have been a transitional year for SEGA but it certainly wasn’t a period marked by diminished competition or participation. In 2024 SEGA saw its largest attended race in its history at Gulfport Dragway in Gulfport, Mississippi. The series also saw nearly every racing category lower elapsed time records while upping the miles per hour records, therefore the competition tightening. 

 

A new season begins in March 2025 and takes SEGA beyond transition and into what is expected to be a transcendent season for the most popular gasser outfit in drag racing today. For the first time ever the series will kick off its 2025 season at South Georgia Motorsports Park, marking the largest venue that SEGA has ever competed at, along with a return to an eleven race schedule. 2025 is expected to be a year that is bigger and better in every way for the Southeast Gassers Association. 

UPCOMING 2025 SOUTHEAST GASSERS ASSOCIATION SCHEDULE

 

3/21-22 – South Georgia Motorsports Park

4/4-5 – Shadyside Dragway

4/25-26 – Holiday Raceway

5/16-17 – Mooresville Dragway

6/6-7 – Knoxville Dragway

6/27-28 – Kil-Kare Raceway

8/1-2 – Brainerd Motorsports Park

8/22-23 – Jackson Dragway

9/19-20 – Knoxville Dragway

10/10-11 – Gulfport Dragway “Cruise the Coast”

10/31-11/1 – Shadyside 2025 FINALS

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