Spring has arrived and that means drag racing in North Carolina has kicked off! Shadyside Dragway opened its historic gates to another season of no-prep action with the Motion Raceworks Carolina Cash Days series. The spring race dubbed “The Warm Up” has kicked off as the best and baddest frontside no-prep around, and this year upped the ante with free entry and a guaranteed $5,000-to-win Small-Tire No-Prep shootout. Thirty-eight of the baddest of the cars from NC, SC, VA, DE, KY, and more all met and squared off to see who could take home the cash and bragging rights, setting the tone for the 2023 no-prep season.
Lyle Barnett is no stranger to the southern frontside no-prep scene, and “Beer Money” has been parked a few times in the Shadyside winner’s circle. In an earlier YouTube video, Barnett was thrashing on the Turbo LS Mustang but laid out the promise of bringing home another win at Shadyside. With a stacked field of some of the best of the best from the street to the track, it would not be an easy path for Barnett and his famed Beer Money mustang.
Barnett found himself with a tough draw first round as local small-block nitrous racer Jason Black lined up with him on the infamous Shadyside eighth mile. With racing being off the trailer, both cars came out of the hole even, but the more experienced Barnett had his power management correct and drove off from Black on top end, beginning his march to the money. Barnett came up with a competition bye run second round after his competitor could not make the call, giving him a free shot at the surface and crucial data to carry on for the day.
Third round saw Beer Money line up against Freddy Lafollette, one of the best in frontside no-prep races with a Cash Days of Kentucky Small Tire title and more under his belt. Barnett was on a mission and did not look back as he hit the tree on Lafollette and drove away from him, laying down what looked to be one of the fastest passes of the day. The deck got even more stacked as fourth round saw an epic matchup of Beer Money versus Sammy Pasour behind the wheel of the “Boost is my Friend” LS turbo Fox body. Both cars hit the 60-foot hard, but in dominant fashion, Barnett once again drove away and put space on his competition.
With luck on his side, Barnett drew the bye run in the semifinals, taking just the tree to set up an epic final battle with Wesley Skinner. Skinner is one of the baddest out of the Northeast, with appearances on Street Outlaws: Fastest in America and more. It was a boosted showdown with Barnett’s turbo Fox body and Skinner’s ProCharged Chevelle. With a massive crowd gathering on the starting line, bets going every direction, both cars took the beams. Barnett sent it and never looked back. He crossed the line as his crew went crazy on the line, celebrating as Beer Money took the W in its first race at Shadyside in over a year. Always one to put the show on for the fans, Barnett did his signature drive back down the track, stood on the intake, cracked open a cold one, and celebrated with the Shadyside crowd!
This story was originally published on March 24, 2023. 
