It’s the “home of the flying cars,” and the drag cars of the Southeast Gassers Association did just that – fly! Three racers in three of the six championship categories in SEGA action lowered the elapsed time record in their respective category at the Spring Nationals presented by Harbin’s Mechanical Services. Another record to be reduced was the age of the youngest SEGA event winner, now set below voting age. The record overall marks the first-ever trek to South Georgia Motorsports Park for SEGA as a success.
The quickest and fastest gassers in SEGA are found in the A/Gas category at six pounds per cubic inch. At the top of the ten cars in competition, Kenneth Phillips in his Silver Streak II Corvette qualified number 1 with a 5.25 Elapsed Time. Though Mr. Phillips would streak through the rounds, he would be stopped in the semi-finals by eventual A/Gas winner Leslie Horne.
In the final round, Ben Christopher had the steam in his Happy Daze Chevy to win with a 5.18 ET but was tardy on the line; it was a hole-shot win-light for the Chick Magnet driver dumping the clutch with a .006 reaction time in a 5.21 ET pass. The event winner is also the reigning and defending champion in A/Gas, but that didn’t make it an easy event to win.
“We went through two transmissions. Broke one. Put the back-up in but realized why it was the back-up because we hadn’t fixed it from the last time it broke. Then we had a master cylinder go bad… still don’t have good brakes on it. I was afraid the line lock wouldn’t hold, but it held,” Leslie said, sharing his rundown troubles. Ben Christopher, who came in second, asked Leslie when was the last time he cut a double-O light. Leslie remarked, “The last time I was scared.” Leslie Horne reestablished the A/Gas record to a 5.169 ET.
Michael Oden is one of the youngest competitors in SEGA racing in the B/Gas category. He took his Double Down Chevy II to the number one qualifying spot, then lowered the class record to a 5.587 ET during eliminations. He turned on every win-light to the final where instead he illuminated the red-light of disqualification. With that action, the win-light illuminated in the Quick Time Performance Left Lane for Brilee Stott in the Young Gun hot rod. He was the top competitor out of his nine total B/Gas racers, becoming the youngest winner in SEGA competition at seventeen years of age. He is a former motocross racer and reflected, “I think it helps me in a lot of aspects – I think that round right there [final] came down to a mental game, and I’ve played a lot of those.” Brilee had another Stott tuning the car with Fulton power, in Quain Stott. It was just Brilee’s fourth race in competition. B/Gas might just be the battleground of the youngsters in SEGA between Oden and Stott.
In C/Gas, the category with the most cars at eleven, the standout was Jerren Perdue. His Stud Muffin Chevy Wagon, a car that has multiple championships with others at the wheel, was absolutely dominating. Mr. Perdue qualified number one with a 5.953 elapsed time and lived in the fives all the way to a win and lowered the C/Gas record to 5.950 ET.
In the final, Jimmy Huff in his Hoopty Coupe Falcon just didn’t have the pace to defeat Jerren, who said this on the dominating day, mindful of the defending champ, Todd Oden, not present due to health issues.
“We had a pretty good day today,” Jerren said. “Unfortunately, Todd and a few couldn’t be here. Todd’s always right there. It’s more enjoyable when Todd is here. I hope he can be at the next one. Everything pretty much worked out in our favor this week.”
Jerry Dean’s car is emblazoned with Last Rebel II on the side of his Chevy II, but he is no rebel in Super Stock; rather, he is the Dean. The reigning and defending Super Stock champion, who won eight straight out of ten races in 2024, started his 2025 stocker campaign off right with a number one qualifying effort along with the event win. In the final round, Jerry turned on the win-light in his lane with Bryant Dalton Sr. opposite of him in the last pair. It was a win that Jerry reflected on as one that was tough and only possible due to racing friends. “We had a good day; it was a rough day. We tore up a lot of stuff! …We was fixin’ to be on the trailer… but they pitched in. We owe them this race. Friends!”
The last two categories are the newest to the championship chasing classes in SEGA racing. Those being A/FX and H/Gas, which for years have run as exhibitionists. In SEGA racing, H/Gas is a class for flatheads, four cylinders, six cylinders, and Volkswagen-powered machines. The A/FX cars represent a very narrow window of time in the evolution of what we know today as funny cars.
Robert Fraizer in a Volvo will be marked as the first in H/Gas to earn an event win in a championship year. For A/FX, Todd Wimberly in the Laris Motorsports Right Lane is the first winner in a first-ever champion season in his Southern Comfort Falcon early Funny Car. They both expressed gratitude for their respective classes on the chance to chase a championship while being expectant of growth for the two categories.
The cars of the Southeast Gassers Association absolutely flew down the outstanding track and facility that is South Georgia Motorsports Park. The first-time visit to SGMP will be a memorable stop for years to come, with the record performances and the now youngest winner in SEGA claiming victory. The 2025 season is fired up and is at full song! SEGA now heads back to the Carolinas to race at the track that’s considered home, Shadyside Dragway near Shelby, North Carolina. Racing action will be there April 4th & 5th for the Shelby Nationals presented by Robbin’s Repairables.
See all the action from South Georgia Motorsports Park and the Southeast Gassers Association in the Spring Nationals presented by Harbin’s Mechanical Services by the livestream replay on the SEGA YouTube channel.
THE 2025 SOUTHEAST GASSERS ASSOCIATION SCHEDULE
4/4-5 – Shadyside Dragway
5/2-3 – Holiday Raceway
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
This story was originally published on March 28, 2025. 
