Photos by: James Hall
The Southeast Gassers Association brought its unique brand of vintage drag racing back to Brainerd Motorsports Park as competitors battled both each other and sweltering North Georgia temperatures during the Rumble in Ringgold, presented by Harbin’s Mechanical Services.
The third stop of the 2026 SEGA championship season tested racers under some of the hottest conditions of the year. Despite the heat, the historic facility’s newly improved racing surface delivered impressive performances from the series naturally aspirated, four-speed gassers, machines designed to faithfully recreate the look and feel of drag racing’s golden era.
The A/Gas category produced some of the quickest runs of the weekend, with four drivers posting elapsed times in the 5.30-second range during qualifying. Ben Christopher led the field with a 5.31-second pass and continued his dominant season by advancing through eliminations in the Happy Daze gasser.
Defending event champion Barry Adler appeared poised for another deep run after qualifying among the front-runners. However, Adler’s Iron Eagle Corvette fell victim to a holeshot defeat in the opening round despite posting a quicker elapsed time than opponent Barry Lynn in the Chevelle Red Wagon.
As eliminations progressed, Leslie Horne emerged as the lone driver outside the top qualifiers to break into the semifinal round. Horne guided the Chick Magnet ’55 Chevrolet past Lynn before meeting Christopher. Although Horne recorded his quickest run of the weekend with a 5.33-second effort, Christopher responded with the quickest pass of race day, a blistering 5.23, to secure a berth in the final.
On the opposite side of the ladder, Kenneth Phillips made an immediate impact in his first appearance of the season with the Silver Streak II Corvette. Phillips advanced past reigning B/Gas champion Ken Rainwater and dipped into the 5.20s to reach the championship round.
The highly anticipated showdown between the top two qualifiers appeared destined to become a side-by-side battle to the finish line. Instead, Phillips encountered problems at the starting line, allowing Christopher to cruise to victory. The win marked Christopher’s second consecutive triumph and his third straight final-round appearance to open the season, firmly establishing him as the early championship favorite.
B/Gas competition once again showcased the depth of one of SEGA’s most competitive classes.
Charlie Lee arrived in Ringgold carrying momentum after a victory at Holiday Raceway and entered the weekend as the defending event champion. The Mustang driver backed up expectations by qualifying second and advancing through the early rounds with impressive consistency.
Lee appeared headed for another semifinal berth after outrunning Mark Jones during their second-round matchup. However, Jones used a pair of exceptional reaction times to score back-to-back holeshot victories and continue his Cinderella run through the field.
Jones’ charge ended in the semifinals against Wayne Swafford, setting up a final-round meeting between Swafford and top qualifier Ted McKee. Driving the Rocky Top Missile Chevrolet, McKee reached his third consecutive final of the season.
The championship round ended before it truly began when Swafford left the starting line too soon, triggering a red light and handing the victory to McKee. The win was McKee’s second of the season and strengthened his hold atop the B/Gas championship standings.
The emerging rivalry between Todd Oden and defending class champion Jerren Perdue continued to define the C/Gas category.
The pair entered the weekend having split victories in the first two races of the season and once again occupied the top two qualifying positions after identical 6.06-second runs. By race day’s conclusion, they appeared headed toward a third straight final-round showdown.
Mechanical misfortune prevented that matchup from happening.
Perdue suffered engine damage during his semifinal victory and was unable to answer the call for the final round after dropping a valve. Oden, driving his 1958 Chevrolet Del Ray, accepted the automatic victory but still thrilled spectators with a full pass down the quarter-mile.
Oden’s route to the winner’s circle proved unusual. He received a competition single in the opening round and a bye run in the second round before defeating Heath Adams and the Rusty Bullet in the semifinals. The victory was his second of the season and further confirmed the resurgence of a program that struggled through much of 2025.
Super Stock delivered one of the weekend’s biggest surprises.
Jerry Dean entered Ringgold riding a seven-race winning streak and extending a remarkable run of consecutive No. 1 qualifying efforts. He added another top qualifying position with a 6.40-second pass, nearly four-tenths quicker than the next closest competitor.
As expected, Dean powered through eliminations and reached the final round in the Last Rebel II. Waiting in the opposite lane was a familiar challenger.
Georgia native Rob Walden, driving the Strych 09 Chevrolet Impala, was the last racer to defeat Dean in competition. That victory had come one year earlier at Brainerd Motorsports Park.
History repeated itself.
Dean struggled for traction at the launch, allowing Walden to charge ahead and secure the victory with a 6.76-second pass. Dean crossed the finish line with a 7.10 elapsed time as Walden successfully defended both his home-track bragging rights and his Ringgold event title.
The Rumble in Ringgold delivered a weekend filled with milestone performances, breakthrough moments and championship implications. Christopher secured the first back-to-back victories of his SEGA career, McKee strengthened his position atop B/Gas, Oden continued his resurgence in C/Gas, and Walden once again proved capable of ending Dean’s dominance in Super Stock.
With three races completed and the championship picture beginning to take shape, the Southeast Gassers Association now turns its attention north to Knoxville Dragway for the fourth round of the 2026 season. If Ringgold proved anything, it is that the battle for this year’s titles is only beginning to heat up.
THE SOUTHEAST GASSERS ASSOCIATION REMAINING 2026 SCHEDULE
6/27 Knoxville Dragway – Knoxville, TN.
8/1 Rockingham Dragway – Rockingham, NC.
8/22 Farmington Dragway – Mocksville, NC.
9/12 Greer Dragway – Greer, SC.
10/9, 10 Gulfport Dragway – Gulfport, MS.(Double Feature)
10/31 Shadyside Dragway – Shelby, NC.
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