MOTORSPORT AMERICA PHOTOS OF THE NHRA SOUTHERN NATIONALS FINALS IN ADEL, GEORGIA

Jordan Vandergriff from Atlanta, Georgia wins the Southern Nationals Championship in front of a sell-out crowd for Top Fuel Funny Car in Valdosta, Georgia

Motorsport America Photos of the NHRA Southern Nationals

 

by Derek Jackson

Race Teams checking track conditions Sunday morning at South Georgia Motorsports Park. The US Flag is at half-staff in honor of the brave volunteer and career firefighters who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.
A group of A-10’s do a flyover the Southern Nationals Dragstrip
Matt Latino competing in the NHRA Southern Nationals at SGMP!
Cody Anderson against Eric Latino in Q2 action early Sunday morning after the wash-out on Saturday. Anderson shook and clicked it off. Latino with tire shake and clicked it off. Anderson advance.
Matt Hartford in the near lane vs Greg Anderson in Q3 action Sunday morning. Anderson launched hard and kept it hooked up to score an ET of 6.560 at 210.73 mph for the win.
Jeg Coughlin, Jr at the Southern Nationals in Pro Stock. Coughlin’s pro career began in 1997, and since then, he’s won 69 races, raced to 52 runner-up’s, and earned 35 No. 1 qualifier awards. In 1998, he was awarded the prestigious title of NHRA Rookie of the Year and also has four victories at drag racing’s biggest event, the U.S. Nationals.
Dallas Glenn won Mission NHRA Pro Stock #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge in Phoenix and the Pomona Winternationals
Mick Smallridge at the Southern Nationals in Valdosta. Mick has won the New England Club Challenge 3 years straight.
Cody Coughlin in NHRA Pro Stock competition at the Southern Nationals. In 2016, Coughlin won the ARCA/CRA Super Late Model championship along with the JEGS/CRA All Stars Tour title, making him the first driver to secure both series titles in the same year. Coughlin made his NHRA debut at the 2025 Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Pro Stock.
Deric Kramer, The Burnout King, will return for the 2026 NHRA Pro Stock season, his second year as owner of the Get Biofuel sponsored Chevy Camaro and with the continued support of KB Titan Racing power under the hood.
Hailing from East Setauket, NY, Kenny Delco is celebrating 40 years behind the wheel in NHRA Pro Stock
In the Southern Nationals Finals, it’s Dallas Glenn in the near lane vs Troy Coughlin Jr. Glenn with the starting line advantage and kept it hooked up to take the win with an ET of 6.642 at 211.39 mph. He wins his second Wally this season and 23rd of his career.
It’s John Hall in the near lane vs Angie Smith in E2 competition. Smith is 6 – 4 against Hall in prior events. Smith with the starting line advantage and makes her quickest pass of the weekend for the win with an ET of 6.745 at 198.96 mph.
Chase Van Sant is 5 – 3 against Smith in prior events. Smith with the starting line advantage in E2 action and never trailed for the win. He makes the quickest pass of the event for the win.
It’s a Husband vs Wife drag race in the E3 Semi-Finals. Matt Smith is 22 – 8 against Angie Smith in prior events. Angie with the starting line advantage, but Matt chased her down for the win with an ET of 6.729 at 202.61 mph.
It’s Matt Smith in the far lane vs. Richard Gadson in the E4 Finals at the Southern Nationals in Valdosta. Gadson with the starting line advantage, but the bike started to drift out of the groove, and he clicked it off early. Smith is straight down the groove for the win with an ET of 6.724 at 202.06 mph. He wins his 43rd Wally.
Derek Menholt from Billings, MT in his Pro Mod ’69 Camaro
Jason Collins of Wallingford, CT in his Pro Mod ’69 Camaro
Austin Prock competing at the Southern Nationals at South Georgia Motorsports Park in his Ford Dark Horse Mustang.
Matt Hagan in the near lane driving the Dodge Mopar America Rebel Light Beer Funny Car facing off against Jack Beckman in the E1 round. Hagan with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Hagan ran an ET of 3.988 at 328.06 mph.
Jeff Arend in his Moon Eyes Tru Brand Funny Car at the Southern Nationals.
Cruz Pedregon drives for Snap-on Tool and is celebrating his 35th year in the NHRA.
Dave Richards reset his career best speed in Valdosta at 334.57 mph.
Ron Capps drives the NAPA Toyota Supra and is a 3X NHRA Funny Car Champion.
Alexis DeJoria is the daughter of Paul Mitchell Hair Products founder, John Paul DeJoria. Alexis competed in NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car category for five seasons; Got her start in drag racing in NHRA Super Gas category driving a 1963 Corvette roadster and later competed in NHRA Super Comp in a dragster; first female to make a sub-four second Funny Car pass.
Spencer Hyde in the far lane vs Jordan Vandergriff of Atlanta, GA in E2 action on Sunday. This is the first time Hyde and Vandergriff have faced each other in eliminations. Hyde with the starting line advantage but was up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off. Vandergriff ran an ET of 3.956 at 332.34 mph.
Father vs Son as Chad Green in the near lane faces off against son Hunter, as Hunter had the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win in the 2nd Elimination Round.
J.R. Todd’s crew makes last minute adjustments to his DHL Funny Car before the Southern Nationals Finals.
Atlanta, Georgia’s Jordan Vandergriff drives for John Force Racing as we see his crew making last minute adjustments to his car before facing off against J.R. Todd in the Southern Nationals Finals.
J.R. Todd’s burnout before facing off against Jordan Vandergriff.
John Force Racing’s Jordan Vandergriff in the Southern Nationals Finals in Adel, Georgia.
Jordan Vandergriff of Atlanta, Georgia in the far lane vs J.R. Todd in the Southern Nationals Finals. Todd with the starting line advantage but started to lose traction and clicked it off. Vandergriff is straight down the groove for the win. He wins the first Southern Nationals Wally at Valdosta, Georgia!
Antron Brown of Trenton, New Jersey is a 4X NHRA Top Fuel Champion. Here he is doing a burn-out at South Georgia Motorsports Park before he faces off against Shawn Reed.
Antron Brown in the far lane vs Shawn Reed in 1st Elimination round action. Shawn Reed is 0 – 3 in Rd. 1 this year. Antron Brown is 397 – 146 in Rd. 1 races. Brown is 4 – 1 against Reed in prior events.
Antron Brown with the starting line advantage and the power to hold on for the hole shot win. Brown with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win.
Reed with his quickest pass of the weekend in the losing effort. Reed ran an ET of 3.727 at 333.58 mph vs. Brown’s ET of 3.746 at 331.94 mph.
Racing Legend Tony Stewart set his career best record speed in Gainesville at the Gatornationals earlier this year. Here he is preparing to face Justin Ashley in the 2nd Elimination round. Stewart is up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off. Ashley Advances.
Justin Ashley advances past the E2 round against Tony Stewart.
Clay Millican’s burnout in Valdosta, Georgia as he prepares to face Tony Schumacher in the 2nd Round of Elimination.
Tony Schumacher is an 8-Time NHRA Champion.
Clay Millican’s 38 losses to Tony are the most losses for him against any driver. Tony Schumacher starts the day with 900 round wins. Schumacher is 38 – 18 against Millican in prior events. Schumacher with a great light but is up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off. Millican with a good clean pass until on the top end when it slowed.
Maddie Gordon in the far lane vs Justin Ashley in the E2 Round. Ashley is 1 – 0 against Gordon in prior events. Ashley with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Ashley started to haze the tires and drop cylinders but gets the win. Gordon is up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off. Ashley Advances to face Doug Kalitta.
It’s Justin Ashley in the far lane SCAGC Power Equipment Dragster vs Doug Kalitta in the MAC Tools. Ashley is 15 – 7 against Kalitta in prior events. Ashley with the starting line advantage but then started to lose traction and pedaled it. The car then started to lose traction and Kalitta drove around him on the top end. Kalitta lost traction and pedaled it and got it to hook up enough for the win. Kalitta won the Semi-Finals Round with an ET of 5.190 at 288.58 mph.
Shawn Langdon prepares to face-off against Doug Kalitta in the inaugural Southern Nationals Top Fuel Finals at South Georgia Motorsports Park.
Doug Kalitta prepares to face-off against Shawn Langdon in the inaugural Southern Nationals Top Fuel Finals at South Georgia Motorsports Park.
It’s Green on the Tree as the top two competitors race off the line!
Langdon with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. He is straight down the groove with his quickest pass of race day for the win with an ET of 3.808 at 333.16 mph! He wins his 24th Wally and second this season in the Southern Nationals!
Jason Collins of Wallingford, CT won the NHRA Wall for Pro Mod in his ’69 Camaro
Jason Collins Southern Nationals Pro Mod Trophy
James Brown from Waverly Hall, Georgia brings home the Wally for Top Dragster in the NHRA Southern Nationals Championship in Valdosta, Georgia
Michael Brand brings home the Southern Nationals Wally in Stock Eliminator.
Mike Smith celebrates winning his 6th World Championship at the Southern Nationals.
Dallas Glenn won his 2nd Wally of the 2026 season in Pro Stock.
Jordan Vandergriff from Atlanta, Georgia won the Inaugural Southern Nationals Championship in Valdosta, Georgia in Top Fuel Funny Car
Jordan Vandergriff celebrates with South Georgia Motorsports Park track owner, Raul Torres.
Shawn Langdon capped off an exciting week for the Kalitta Air crew, as he blasted to a NHRA World Record run on Friday with a speed of 345 mph at South Georgia Motorsports Park. He then went on to win the Wally Trophy in Top Fuel Dragster at the inaugural Southern Nationals event.

 

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