(Words and Photos by Tommy Lee Byrd) – Another weekend down, and another nostalgia drag race is in the books. This time, it’s the Atlanta $10,000 race, held at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Georgia. And while this high-tech drag strip doesn’t quite have the old school feeling, the event has quite a history in the area, and proved to be an exciting experience for everyone involved.

Back in 1960, a man by the name of Julius Hughes Jr. owned and operated the Atlanta Speed Shop Dragway, which was a popular quarter mile strip in Covington, Georgia. Julius set the drag racing world on its ear by offering a $10,000 purse in 1964, and it was such a big event, he continued to host it once a year until the early ‘70s. With such great popularity, and great memories, the Hughes family decided to create a nostalgia race in honor of the $10,000 events that always drew a huge crowd. And since Atlanta Speed Shop Dragway is no longer in operation, the Hughes family presented the idea to the Atlanta Dragway crew.

Overall, the turnout was great, and the weather couldn’t have been better. We enjoyed watching the action on the track, and also spent plenty of time in the pits and car show area. The Atlanta $10,000 nostalgia race also featured a swap meet, which resulted in a score on a quick-change rear end cover…anything with the name Halibrand cast into it is worth $20, right?

DRAG GALLERY: