The Southeast Gassers Are Bitchen and We’ve Got 50 More Photos Right Here To Prove It


The Southeast Gassers Are Bitchen and We’ve Got 50 More Photos Right Here To Prove It

Yesterday we showed you 50 photos from the Season Finale of the Southeast Gassers Association and today we’ve got another 50. Next year we’ll have a gallery of photos and full event results from every one of these races, and will hopefully be on site with in person coverage for one or two as well!

(Photos by Caleb Sewell, Words by Stephen Smith)

November 4th in the small town of Shelby, NC a vintage championship gasser series wrapped up its 2017 season. Yes, we said a “gasser championship”, in the form of the ever-growing Southeast Gassers Association (SEGA). Founded, owned, and operated by 2006 IHRA Champion, Quain Stott, the series has expanded from a single small class of gassers to three, with talks of a fourth. There were three point’s classes this year, which yielded champions in A, C & D/Gas. Just like the classes of the original gasser era, the SEGA is split by pounds per cubic inch, (6lbs for A/Gas, 8lbs for C/Gas, and 10lbs for D/Gas).

Straight axles and straight drives are the foundation of an SEGA legal race car and have proven to provide true heads-up, first to the finish line, no breakout class racing at each event. While launching from a pro style tree with a plethora of back up girls that keep em straight, the caliber of gasser racing cannot be denied.

This year’s final race dubbed, “The Battle at Shadyside” began with the on-track firing of a real civil war cannon. 61 Gassers came from all over the southeastern United States and some as far as TX, MO, WI, MI, & Canada. In between rounds, exhibitions included Paul Combest’s H/Gas VW Bug, and A/FX match racing of the Huston and Hubert Platt tribute cars that are driven by their sons, cousins Rocky and Allen Platt.

The A & D/Gas champions were settled before Shadyside with D/Gas Champion Todd Oden in his “Double XX” ‘58 Chevy Delray. Todd and his Dad from Alabama formed this deadly duo for the first ever D/Gas SEGA Champion. A/Gas would find a familiar face in that of the 2015 returning Champion, Donovan Stott in his “White Trash” ‘48 Anglia. Donovan is the son of 2003 IHRA Promod Champion Mitch Stott (brother of Quain Stott). The C/Gas Championship started with three probable winners in that of Rusty Sampsel, Doug Dobbins, and Jerry Birch of the popular Chevy II “Freebird” of Birch Bros Racing. Michigan’s own Rusty Sampsel in the “Bad Banana” ‘55 Chevy that his late father raced in the 1960’s. Rusty would capture the feature win at the Shadyside battle, but he just couldn’t win the war. Doug Dobbins from right up the road in Hendersonville, NC would take home the 2017 C/Gas Championship. Doug and his wife Ingrid have been a powerful combination for the ‘66 “Medicine Man” Nova.

The SEGA mantra is as follows: “We make it our purpose to protect the overused marketing ploy of the ‘GASSER’ name, as we breath new life into heads-up class racing of the 1960’s.” Challenge their claims and go see for yourself as they open the 2018 season back in Shelby, NC on April 14th at Shadyside Dragway. Be sure to look for future race coverage here on Bangshift throughout the 2018 Southeast Gassers Association Championship Season.

 


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