Living history continues at Shadyside Dragway with the Southeast Gassers Association Championship Final presented by Robbins Repairables in action this weekend to close out their 2025 Championship season. The reenacting hot rods of the great gasser era of drag racing from the mid-1960s are ready to race at what is in effect a series home track for the second time this season. In the Spring, with the season just the second race in, the hope of championship glory was alive for many SEGA competitors. This time, the championship races are decided for the most part with multiple competitors performing well enough to ignite their drag cars at this last event as the 2025 champions of their respective class. Not all categories have been finalized—champions have yet to be crowned in the A/Gas and B/Gas groups.
The top cars of SEGA, the A/Gassers, have two rivals atop the leaderboard with the best shot at the 2025 A/Gas championship cup. One being the 2024 A/Gas champion, who has two other SEGA championships to his credit, Leslie Horne. The other, and current points leader, is Chase Howard. Coming into this last event, they both have two race wins on the season to their credit. Though wins might be the highlights of a season, for Chase and Leslie, it has been a season of trials to this point. For Leslie in the 1955 Chevy gasser known as the Chick Magnet, the season has been filled with mechanical gremlins and even a technical disqualification concerning post-run rules that have kept him from a clear points lead at this time.
With Chase in his 1967 Chevy Chevelle gasser emboldened with USA-1 on the side, it has been a few late launches, mechanical issues, and even a rollover in a final round that have kept him from a clear lead out front. Only five points separate these two competitors. Leslie is the defending champion and reigning race winner of the Fall Shadyside event. Chase is the most recent A/Gas winner and won at Shadyside earlier this season in the Spring. Making Leslie a former record holder and now Chase the current record holder. In A/Gas, the stage is set for a final clash of titans—will Leslie Horne cling to his reign by a thread, or will Chase Howard rise from the ashes of near-misses to seize his first SEGA crown and etch his name into drag racing history?
In B/Gas, it’s a long shot for one competitor, but it’s a shot nonetheless to earn another SEGA B/Gas championship. The current points leader in the category is Ken Rainwater in his Renegade Chevy II gasser. He has a solid lead coming into the event with 260 points to his credit. Thus far on the season, it has been three wins for Ken and one of those being the Shadyside Spring edition.
The man with the long shot to be true is Ted McKee in his Rocky Top Missile Chevy II gasser. Ted has two wins this season, with a performance surge that became increasingly noticeable midway through the 2025 campaign. To win, Ted needs a perfect race and for Ken to go out early, a course of action familiar in 2025 for Ted. If Ken can avoid an early exit, he’ll put the championship out of Ted’s reach—an outcome well within his ability to deliver.
These former SEGA champions are eyeing their first titles in several seasons. Standing in their way might not be fellow championship contenders but former champions lurking for event glory, along with heavy hitters of performance that have caused a disruption in the category. A former champion, the 2024 champion Daniel Haynes, returns to competition in B/Gas with his Patriot Falcon gasser to race at his hometown track for the final race. Charlie Lee, who joined elimination competition midway through the season, has already secured two wins and is undeniably a strong contender for the event title. Can Ken dodge tough competition to gain enough early to breathe easy in later rounds? Or could Ted have the door open wide, and be able to drive right through it to a win and championship? We’ll have our eyes on round one of eliminations in B/Gas for sure.
The other championship categories of C/Gas, Super Stock, A/FX, and H/Gas can certainly be expected to be in competition at the Championship Finals presented by Robbins Repairables. These categories have already seen competitors lock out the championship chase for 2025. Congratulations to Jerren Purdue (C/Gas), Jerry Dean (Super Stock), Todd Wimberly (A/FX), and Larry Noel (H/Gas) on their performances respectively to earn the 2025 championship cups within their SEGA competitive category.
History for SEGA and Shadyside continues Friday (October 31) and Saturday (November 1) to conclude an exciting season of drag racing for the premier gasser organization in the sport. Friday (10/31) action begins at 3PM ET with SEGA test and tune concluding around 7PM ET. Shadyside Dragway also has activities, including a costume contest and trick-or-treating Halloween night. Race day, Saturday, to conclude the Southeast Gassers Association 2025 season, will begin at 1PM ET with qualifying that will continue directly into eliminations.
As engines roar and the final lights drop, legacies hang in the balance. Champions will rise, dreams may fall—but one thing is certain: when the smoke clears at Shadyside, history will have been made.
For more information, you can visit www.southeastgassers.com or www.shadysidedragway.net – also check out the social media outlets for both the Southeast Gassers Association and Shadyside Dragway on the major platforms such as Facebook.
For those not able to attend the event in person. SEGA continues its livestreaming efforts for both days of racing action. Links to those streams below.
Friday: https://youtube.com/live/_XevMuOd_7U?feature=share
Saturday: https://youtube.com/live/i1Pd9YGQyN4?feature=share
This story was originally published on October 31, 2025. 
