Photos by Tom Francisco, Speedpics.net
A strong breeze and cool temperatures greeted drag racers for the second week of competition in the 2013 installment of Atlanta Motor Speedway’s Friday Night Drags & Show-N-Shine.
A gathering of hearty drag race fans were treated to fast speeds on the eighth-mile pit lane drag strip, as the combination of cool air and increased rubber on the new concrete launching pad gave racers plenty of horsepower and more grip than the previous week.
Across several divisions, familiar faces from years past were able to take their first wins of the young season. In the fastest group of cars that Friday Night Drags has to offer, McDonough’s Mark White defeated his challenger in the Super Pro final and put his red Ford in victory lane for his first trophy in 2013.
Another local driver claimed the next fastest division, as Hampton’s David Clevenger wheeled his 1975 Chevrolet Vega to the win. Other first-time winners that are no strangers to victory lane at AMS included Shelton Maynard of Hampton and Kyle Cumpton of Snellville in the Truck and Street Modified divisions.
Other drivers used the momentum gained from victories on opening night to propel forward to a second-straight win this week. Both McDonough’s Kelly Kilbourne and Nicolas Feliciano of Griffin remained perfect on the year with wins in the Domestic Advanced and Tuner divisions. And one vehicle went to victory lane for the second time in as many weeks, albeit with a different pilot at the controls. The winning bike from the Cycle Nation Super Bike division, a 2004 Suzuki GSX-R 1000 rode by its owner Toney Freeman of Stockbridge in week one, was handled by Ellenwood’s Tim Jones for the win in week two.
Thanks to a red car win on Friday night, fans will be treated to a pizza discount on Saturday, courtesy of Papa John’s Pizza. Anytime a red car ends up in victory lane in any division, fans qualify for 50 percent off any regular priced menu item on Saturday when ordering online at PapaJohns.com. Fans are asked to use the promo code 50RED when ordering at participating locations.
Below is a complete list of the May 3 Friday Night Drags winners:
Super Pro: Mark White (McDonough) in a 1967 Ford Shelby Mustang
Pro: David Clevenger (Hampton) in a 1975 Chevrolet Vega
Street Outlaw: Russell Raines (Locust Grove) in a 1977 Ford Pinto
Summit Racing Sportsman: Terry Wells (Forest Park) in a 1984 Chevrolet S-10
Truck: Shelton Maynard (Hampton) in a 1972 Chevrolet C-10
Domestic Advanced: Kelly Kilbourne (McDonough) in a 1988 Chevrolet S-10
Street Modified: Kyle Cumpton (Snellville) in a 2001 Chevrolet Camaro
Domestic: David Smith (Jackson) in a 1990 Isuzu Truck
Tuner: Nicolas Feliciano (Griffin) in a 1982 Toyota Corolla
Sport Compact: Clayton Ward (Williamson) in a 1995 Honda Civic
ATV: Bradley Smith (Griffin) on a 1989 Yamaha Banshee
Cycle Nation Super Bike: Tim Jones (Ellenwood) on a 2004 Suzuki GSX-R 1000
Sport Bike: Joshua Jones (Riverdale) on a 2002 Suzuki Hayabusa
The Show-N-Shine competition featured everything from new imports to classic muscle cars and automobiles ranging as far back as the 1930s. Those vehicles then took part in the Speedway Cruise following judging.
Below is a complete list of the May 3 winners:
Showroom Current (1973 through current):
First Place: JD Morris (McDonough), Ford Mustang GT
Second Place: Gregg Prince (College Park), 1973 Chevrolet Nova
Third Place: Chris Gallagher (Fayetteville), 1998 Pontiac Trans Am
Showroom Classic (1950 to 1972):
First Place: Mike Howie (Locust Grove), 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1
Second Place: Jeremy Smith, 1965 Ford Mustang
Third Place: Keith Reid (Jonesboro), 1979 Pontiac Grand Prix
Sport Compact:
First Place: Jose Lopez (Griffin), Hyundai Genesis
Second Place: Samuel Allen (Jackson), 1998 Ford Mustang GT
Current Custom (1973 through current):
First Place: Jessica Craddock (Fayetteville), 2008 Ford Mustang
Second Place: Lee Thomas, 2006 Ford Mustang GT
Third Place: Michael Jones (Stockbridge), Pontiac GTO
Truck:
First Place: Adam Wallace, 1985 Chevrolet
Second Place: Kaylee Spivey (Fayetteville), 2002 Chevrolet Silverado
Third Place: Brandon Bailey (McDonough), 1997 Ford Ranger
Open:
First Place: Jason Turner (McDonough), 1936 Ford Cabriolet
Second Place: Doug Walter (Morrow), 1936 Ford Tudor Slantback
Third Place: Gregory Scott Payne (Griffin), 1988 Harley-Davidson Sportster
Atlanta Motor Speedway’s Friday Night Drags & Show-N-Shine returns May 10 with week three of the drag racing season, featuring the Mother’s Day Spring Sing Elementary School Chorus Special. Grandstand gates open at 6:30 p.m. and nightly drag race eliminations start at 9:15 p.m.
Entry to drag race or for the Show-N-Shine is just $20 or competitors can purchase a combo ticket for $30. Spectator tickets at Friday Night Drags are just $8 for adults and children five and under are free. More information can be found at www.atlantamotorspeedway.com/drags or by calling the Atlanta Motor Speedway Ticket Office at (770) 946-4211.