Modern Top Alcohol Dragster: Two modern day Top Alcohol Dragsters provided a stark contrast to the nostalgia cars. Todd and Michelle Bauknecht came all the way from Cleveland, TN, to race their '95 Uyehara machine. With 526 inches of blown Keith Black power on board, Todd was aiming to meet or better their best times of 3.96 seconds at 186 mph. Todd's crew consists of Mitch, Jack, Kenny, Scott, and Jeff. Todd's own Bauknecht Excavating sponsors the team. 

Rick Murry and the Schild Racing team also came from Cleveland, TN, in their late model Top Alcohol Dragster to face hometown pal Bauknecht.

Modern Top Alcohol Funny Car: Cecil Roberson was on hand with his "Trimmer Racing" Corvette Funny Car. With 526 inches of KB on board (and Alan Johnson heads on top), Cecil was looking to do some damage to the field and perhaps to eclipse his previous best numbers of 4.01 at 180 if the weather held. By the way, Cecil is a trim carpenter, hence the name.

Don and Sharon Roddy brought their own 1990 Corvette Funny Car. Don and his All Girl Crew have already won on the Southern Fuel Coupes tour this year and were looking for more at Ware Shoals.

Jim Dickey came up from Fairburn, GA, with his My Favorite Charity supercharged altered. Dickey has been one of the local hitters at Ware Shoals and he came to town to ensure that

The Southeast Gasser Tour: The Gasser Tour arrived in full force with 14 cars participating in an exciting show.

Ringleader Rickey Bowie of Greenwood, SC was on hand with his supercharged 355 inch NiteFire '48 Anglia. Rickey was looking to stay top dog of this pack with his five-second beast.

Larry McClendon came from Ocala, FL with his ‘41 Willys. The car hits 7.20s and 7.30s in the eighth mile with a blown small block Chevy.

Mac Pressley came down from the Charlotte suburb of Stallings, NC, with the Hartsoe Bros. '48 Anglia. A blown 454 Chevy with carburetors provides the go power for driver Keith Davids. This car was the national record holder in 1970, 1971, and 1972, and the car still has the original paint it had when it set those records!

Jim Guillen came down from Matthews, NC, with his great looking '57 Ford Popular known as "Rolling Thunder." Jim's car didn't reach the states until five years ago. It was brought over by an English schoolteacher. Jim's 385 inch Ford powered machine has run a best of 6.78 at 98 mph in the eighth.

Roger McConnell was there with the "Mighty Mouse II" '48 Anglia. The Mooresville, NC, racer uses a nitrous oxide injected 400-inch small block Chevy for power. The car has gone 5.24 on the juice, but can run 5.80s without it.

Danny Austin from Locust, NC was on hand with his cherry '50 Anglia. Danny's car has been in storage for 17 years! He finally broke it out this year and lets a 355 inch small block Chevy do the pulling.

Mike Coger from way down in Waynesville, GA (one hour north of Florida) had the newest car in the field. Mike's '69 Nova sported 477 cubic inches of Chevy Rat Motor on methanol. The car looked great with alternating read and yellow anodized injector stacks sticking out of the hood. Mike's big Chevy goes 5.80s and 5.90s in the eighth.

Dave Cox came down from Dequila, GA (north of Atlanta) with his Flattop II – a '32 Ford with a 406 inch small block Chevy for power. On the roof of Dave's car were written the words "This Side Up," a reminder not to repeat a feat performed earlier this year.

Jerry Curtis brought the hot purple Fat Rat '41 Willys from Asheville, NC. The ‘Rat uses a 469 inch Chevrolet Rat (what else?) and has gone 6.15 at 112.

Gerald Baker came down to stem the tide of Chevy powered entries with his 1941 Plymouth from Swannanoa, NC. The 451-inch Mopar powered beast has run a best of 6.08.

Ted Stiles was down from Raleigh, NC, with his unique '41 Dodge Pickup Truck. The 426 Max Wedge powered machine has a 7.03, 98 mph eighth mile pass to its credit and has seen the 11's in the quarter.

Robert Ashley from right around Ware Shoals brought out his awesome Mercury Cyclone to take on all the visiting gassers.

Local favorite Bailey Hastings, Jr., was on hand to turn back all the invaders with his rather modern '33 Willys.

Bailey Hastings, Sr., was on hand too, racing this awesome straight axle '55 Ford.

The Plum Gone car of Jack Moore was one terrific looking Austin Pickup Truck and it ran hard, too!

Nostalgia Front Engine Dragsters: Matt Stambaugh thrashed to make the Southern Classic Thunder event. As recently as the Thursday before the event, car owner Rick "Surf" Stambaugh reported that the car was still apart and the team did not know if they would make the show on time. But there they were, the New Generation digger now sporting an injected big block Chevy instead of the former blown small block.

In town to face the New Generation machine were three bad hombres. The blown Smokey Mountain Express machine was one of them.

Two tough tunnel ram and carb equipped machines were on hand as well, including John Ring's Clayton, GA-based Mountain Glass rail.

The Pro Mods: Alan Pittman and Westbrook Motorsports – The Grave Digger '41 Willys. This internationally known drag racing star got his start running right here at Ware Shoals. When Ken Westbrook and Alan Pittman heard about the Southern Classic Thunder event, they generously agreed to appear and make some runs to support the cause of Nostalgia Drag Racing in the South. One of the most popular Pro Modified teams on either the IHRA or NHRA trail, the Grave Digger team rightfully commands a hefty sum to appear at booked in shows. 

In an incredible display of generosity, Ken and Alan agreed to run at Ware Shoals for no guarantee... if the fans came, they would take as much of their regular appearance fee as the promoters could pay them. If the fans didn't show, then they'd just consider these test runs. (The Classic Thunder promoters and Ware Shoals were proud to be able to pay the Grave Digger team its full appearance fee.)

When local Top Sportsman/Pro Modified racer Anthony White heard that Alan Pittman and the Grave Digger were coming back home to lay claim to the Ware Shoals track doorslammer records, it forced him into doing something that perhaps no other drag racer in history had done. He became the home town boy who also won the long distance award!

Anthony did this because his employer had closed up shop in South Carolina and shipped him off to work in faraway Texas. When Anthony got word that Alan Pittman and the Grave Digger were coming, he made a call back home and told them to fire up his CWA-sponsored 1990 Corvette and have it ready to face the ‘Digger for local doorslammer bragging rights.

Rehearsals: Despite cloudy skies and reports of rain in all the surrounding areas, drag racing fans started streaming into Ware Shoals Dragway at around 3:00 p.m. Promoter Raford Gambrell began to cheer up. Just then, word came that the breaker box in the concession stand had blown! It was a write off. Raford was about to have the biggest crowd of the year and there would be no way to feed them! Raford headed off to nearby Greenwood to buy a new generator. It was the first of many challenges...

Nostalgia and grudge match cars of all shapes, sizes, and eras made time runs all day long. Finally, two of the show cars came up for a time run. The cars were the Top Alcohol Dragsters of Todd Bauknecht and Rick Murry in the Schild Racing machine. After two monster burnouts that seemed all the more impressive given the fans' close proximity to the track, Bauknecht laid solid claim to the Ware Shoals track records with a 3.978 second blast at 181.79 mph! In the other lane, Rick Murry shook the tires and actually crossed the centerline at the top end to get the closest look at Bauknecht's new record.

Shortly thereafter, a racer got into REAL trouble. A grudge racer blew his motor at the top end and his engine caught fire. The racer didn't realize it, however, until he had turned around and started driving down the return road. Instead of stopping on the asphalt, the racer pulled off into a dry grass field next to some woods. Track officials were on the scene immediately and discharged a fire bottle into engine compartment. At the same time, the ambulance rolled to the scene and verified that the racer was out of the car and OK. Another track official pulled two more fire bottles from the bottom of the timing tower and made his way down to the top end.

By this time, however, the grass under the car had ignited and the fire was starting to move towards the woods. The call came over the walkie-talkie to get the starting line fire extinguisher and to get the local Volunteer Fire Department on the phone. The three additional fire extinguishers had little chance against the rapidly spreading grass fire and the car fire. The VFD was there within ten minutes and got the top end blaze out, but unfortunately, the racer's car was a loss. With all but a few small fire bottles depleted, Raford worked a deal with the VFD fire truck to stick around for the remainder of the race after that. There were no further incidents.

Soon after that, of course, the skies opened up. It couldn't have rained when they were trying to put out the grass fire! Fans scrambled for their cars, but an hour later, everybody came back out. Almost nobody had left! The Ware Shoals crew commenced drying the track and it finally was time for the show to begin.

Act One: Things kicked off with Danny Goveia from Charlotte, NC, in the Carolina Thunder 409 '62 Bel Air Nostalgia Super Stock taking on Bruce Dillon from Jamestown, NC, in his Asphalt Hustler '63 Plymouth Super Stock with a mighty Max Wedge 426 under the hood. The Super Stock cars were not a planned feature, but made a terrific addition to the show. After lots of starting line antics, the Super Stocks were wheels up and rolling! Mopar got to chalk one up in the first round as Dillon's Plymouth took a close one over the bubble top, 6.69 at 104 mph to 7.03 at 98 mph.

The rompin', stompin' Southeast Gasser Tour came out next with six B/Gassers and eight A/Gassers on tap. The B/Gas cars led things off with Jim Guillen's Rolling Thunder car taking a 6.72 to 7.414 win over Larry McClendon's big red Willys. 

Up next, Danny Austin took his red Anglia to a 7.02 to 7.52 decision over Ted Stiles' pretty yellow Dodge pickup. 

In a battle of local heroes, Robert Ashley's red Comet Cyclone took a close 7.22 to 7.336 decision over Bailey Hastings, Sr. in his great looking, straight axle '55 Ford.

The A/Gassers were next. First up, Keith Davids took the Hartsoe Bros. car to a stout 5.81 to handle Gerald Baker's unique '41 Plymouth at 7.20. 

Mike Coger then lined up his massive (in comparison) injected '69 Nova against Jack Moore in the beautiful but diminutive "Plum Gone" '48 Austin pickup truck. It was Coger's turn to be Plum Gone, however, as the big red Chevy took a 6.01 to 6.579 decision. 

Rickey Bowie then lined up his awesome blown "NiteFire" '48 Anglia against Roger McConnell's nitrous assisted machine. McConnell got the jump at the line with a great .410 light, but wheelstood right into the left guardrail, forcing him to lift. In the other lane, Bowie was laying down a backbreaking 5.55 second, 127 mph pass. 

Local racer Bailey Hastings, Jr then brought out his '33 Willys for a broke bye and went 6.03 at 112 mph.

It was time for front engined nostalgia dragsters. Rick Stambaugh lined up the hastily prepared New Generation injected big block car against the supercharged small block Smokey Mountain Express machine. At the green, the ‘Express took off like a shot and recorded a 4.95, 123 mph to 5.519, 123.92 mph win over the injected car. 

Next, John Ring took the Clayton, GA-based Mountain Glass digger to a 5.705, 126.65 mph win when his opponent broke.

The Nostalgia Funnies were next with the Ernie Walker Jungle Jim tribute machine facing the Lonnie Partane Swensen & Lani tribute machine. The Vega is rigged up with a huge flame throwing device that shoots flames about twenty feet in the air when the car is first fired. Walker also has a second set of plugs routed to the headers to increase the appearance of header flames (an old Rickey Bowie trick, still in use on the NiteFire). 

Playing Jungle Pam this evening was 14-year-old cutie Jungle Jessica, who was instructed in some of the moves of the great Ms. Hardy beforehand. Neither car got too much smoke on its burnout. Walker later attributed this to the cars running on pure methanol when they are used to a diet of 25 percent nitro. On the actual run, the Vega won handily, 6.43 at 103 to 7.35 at 83, as Partane continues to shake out the S&L Mustang.

A battle of 1990 Corvette funny cars was up next. Don Roddy and his All Girl Crew machine faced Cecil Roberson and the Trimmer Racing flopper. After great burnouts that got the fans on their feet, Roddy took a 4.455, 163.81 to 5.519, 114 decision as Roberson broke something at the top end.

Three-time Southern Fuel Coupes champion Jim Dickey was on hand with the My Favorite Charity blown 23-T. Dickey was set to make a single run in the first round, but instead, Classic Thunder announcer Bill Pratt put out the call to see if there were any local grudge racers tough enough to face the blown altered. Sure enough, local dragster racer Larry Roberts stepped up to the challenge. 

Roberts' wife cranked up the nitrous a bit on the big block Chevy dragster and sent her husband to the line. All were ready for Roberts to post a respectable, but losing time. But the place went nuts when Roberts actually BEAT Dickey, the dragster driver recording his best ever run at 4.513, 154.63 mph to defeat Dickey's off pace 4.630, 142.46. Dickey later revealed that he had broken on that pass, but WOW, what an upset!

Todd Bauknecht and Rick Murry then lined up their Tennessee TADs once again, switching lanes this time. Bauknecht again took the measure of Murry, who again could not hook up the Schild Racing car. The times were 4.319, 147.94 to 5.055, 160.

It then was time for the car all the fans were waiting for: the Grave Digger! As it came around the corner onto the track, its blood red eyes pierced the night. Every fan in the house was on his or her feet. Following a monster burnout, Alan Pittman lined up the green and black machine against game local hero Anthony White. After an even launch, Pittman pulled the Westbrook Motorsports machine to a clear lead, despite hazing the tires down the entire eighth mile. Score one for the Grave Digger, 4.53, 164.49 to 5.283, 111.79.

Intermission: Between pro rounds, the heavens opened up once again, not with a flood, but with a steady, bothersome drizzle that was just enough to put a damper on things and to slow down the program. After an hour, it was clear that we would not be able to complete all three planned pro rounds. Eventually, the skies cleared, the tired Ware Shoals crew dried off the track, and the second round commenced. This time, we did lose about half the crowd, but the fans that stayed witnessed more magic.

Act Two: In Nostalgia Super Stock, only Danny Goveia could return after the rain delay. Bruce Dillon broke the big Mopar and had to hit the highway. Goveia evened up the match with another entertaining, 45 degree angle, chassis twisting launch, followed by a loud bang back to the pavement and a 7.73 second pass at 93 mph.

The Southeast Gasser Tour was up next and didn't disappoint. Robert Ashley's big red Mercury Cyclone claimed another victim as it defeated Larry McClendon's Willys, 7.18 to 7.40. 

Jim Guillen's turquoise Rolling Thunder Ford Pop then took a 6.92 to 7.05 decision over Danny Austin's great looking red Anglia. 

Gerald Baker was up next (thanks to the break rule) and won a 6.263, 119.80 decision over Jerry Curtis and the Fat Rat Willys at 6.66. 

Up next, Jack Moore's purple Plum Gone Austin pickup grabbed a 5.88 second win as Roger McConnell's troubles continued in the Mighty Mouse. The ‘Mouse slowed to an uncharacteristic 6.68. 

Rickey Bowie was up next with the NiteFire Anglia. This car does the best burnouts and those methanol header flames are AWESOME. Every nostalgia funny car and gasser in the country should call Rickey immediately to find out how to implement this setup. In fact, all the Top Alcohol cars in the country should give him a call, too... 

Rickey followed up the burnout and flame show with a stout 5.478, 129.33 win over the Mac Pressley-owned Hartsoe Bros. machine at a close 5.84 at 120.

Mike Coger then put the big Nova up on its tail at the tree and marched to a holeshot win at the expense of Bailey Hastings, Jr. and his slick '33 Willys, 6.010 to 5.997.

The nostalgia digger finals were next. It was down to Matt Stambaugh in the fuel injected New Generation machine against John Ring in the carbureted Mountain Glass rail. (Stambaugh was back in the show after the Smokey Mountain Express driver packed up and hit the highway as soon as the second set of rain showers came through). "Nitroooo" Matt Stambaugh got the better of John Ring at the tree and won the nostalgia dragster title on a 5.537, 123 mph to 5.44, 128 mph holeshot.

Ernie Walker and Lonnie Partane brought their nostalgia funnies back out with similar results, the Vega defeating the Mustang, 6.29 at 107 to 7.10 at 77.

With Cecil Roberson broken, the final two matches were supposed to be Don Roddy's funny car versus Anthony White's doorslammer, followed by Jim Dickey versus Alan Pittman in an all out battle for Ware Shoals bragging rights. It was not to be, however, as SFC champ Dickey also broke on the first run.

What to do? The call went out once again for the "The Giant Killer," Larry Roberts. While Don Roddy and the All Girl Crew lowered the body on the screaming yellow Corvette funny car, Larry Roberts' "All Woman Crew" (his wife) helped him prepare the nitrous dragster. Roddy did a blazing, half track burnout. Roberts did a modest one that just did cross the starting line. After all that, the digger lined up next to the flopper and... HE DID IT AGAIN!!! Roberts once again put out one of the show cars when Roddy inexplicably redlighted away a 4.539, 158.47 mph run. Roberts tooled through at a coasting, but winning, 4.95 at 107.

Alan Pittman did a crowd pleasing, eighth mile burnout, then lined up the blown Grave Digger Willys against Anthony White in the nitrous-injected CWA Corvette. Pittman was vulnerable, hazing the tires all the way down the track to a 4.737, 158.22 mph pass, but White couldn't capitalize, the Corvette following the Willys through the traps at 5.035, 123.

All that was left was the finals of the Southeast Gasser Tour, but the fans got a bonus. Cecil Roberson and his crew kept on thrashing on the Corvette funny car and got it back together. They came out to make a run for the fans. After a nice launch, the Trimmer Racing Corvette made a 500 foot blast and then hit the chutes on a 5.53, 106 never say die effort.

The Southeast Gasser Tour final was between the crushing blown NiteFire Anglia of Rickey Bowie and the massive '69 Nova of Mike Coger. Bowie had a clear performance advantage, but Coger was chopping down the tree all day and looked to make it close. Mike chopped a little too close in the final, however, getting a redlight for his efforts and tossing away a fine 5.548, 117. Bowie chased the Nova all the way through the traps to capture the event title with a 5.471 at 129.85 mph blast.

Epilogue: Despite a number of challenges, the inaugural Southern Classic Thunder event was a huge success.

The fans (more than 1,850 paid tickets) were overflowing and happy. (Plus kids under 12 were admitted free and local racers could get crewmembers in for free). That means there were well over 2,000 people stuffed into tiny Ware Shoals Dragway. I don't know where we would have fit any more.

The Ware Shoals track owner was happy. It was his biggest event in recent memory. He will be using part of his take for track upgrades.

The show racers all got paid and were happy. In fact, of the promoters' portion of the gate, 71.4 percent was paid out to the show cars. Most of the racers received more appearance money than they ever had before.

By the way, the Southern Classic Thunder promoters got this crowd despite rain storms all day in the surrounding areas that certainly held down the crowd. (The phone in the timing tower rang off the HOOK with folks asking if the race was still on.) It also rained twice at the track that day, and the fans waited patiently (the first time, anyway).

According to the manager of the Cross Creek Mall, the Friday night car show the most well-attended event the mall had ever had. By the way, all this was accomplished with less than one month's worth of promotion. 

All this bodes very well for the Classic Southern Thunder series and for nostalgia drag racing in the southeast.

Bill Pratt