Each week of O'Reilly Auto Parts Friday Night Drags has a night packed full of fun and cool vehicles to see.
Take it from Jay Woodson of Covington, whose Chevrolet Camaro is always turning heads.
"It definitely draws a crowd, especially with its looks," Woodson said. The dazzling machine draws its inspiration from the 2018 film Black Panther.
“I had a 2012 Transformers Edition Camaro before this. I got rid of it and was kind of sad for a while,” Woodson recalled. “Then I saw this sixth gen Camaro and I said, 'Hey, we can do something with this!’
“When I first drove this it reminded me of a cat with how nimble it was in and out of traffic and Black Panther was out so I was like, ‘Let’s make it into Black Panther!’”
Unlike the Transformers Camaro, which was a special edition made by Chevrolet, Woodson’s Black Panther Camaro is one of a kind.
“My wife and I did the customization,” Woodson said. “Everything you see on this car we did, besides the Lambo doors and the lighting. Everything else we did ourselves.”
It was work well done — which was evident when Woodson rolled his car into the Show-N-Shine earlier this year and it stole the show.
“We put a lot of man hours into this project and it shows,” Woodson said. “So when we get those reactions from people that makes it all worth it.”
The Show-N-Shine isn’t the only area where the Black Panther Camaro has been found during O’Reilly Auto Parts Friday Night Drags this year. Woodson has started taking his fast cat out onto the pit lane dragstrip, too.
“I’ve been meaning to run for a while now as I’ve gotten more into the racing scene, so I decided to get out here and see what it’ll do,” Woodson said.
To Woodson, there’s no better place to kick off the weekend.
“I would say to those that have never been out here you need to come out here and experience it," Woodson said. "With the Show-N-Shine and the drags, what more could you want on a Friday night?”
O'Reilly Auto Parts Friday Night Drags and the Show & Shine return for another week of action on Friday, June 14. This week’s show will feature the return of the Power Wheel races for kids. During this fan-favorite event, kids race each other with their vehicles on the ball field next to pit lane. Parents get involved too, with some families working on their rides to improve the performance. All participants are required to wear a helmet.
Grandstand gates open at 6:30 p.m., and nightly drag race eliminations start just after 9 p.m. The Show-N-Shine car show and track cruise driver's meeting takes place in the garage at 7:30 p.m. and is immediately followed by two laps around the famed high banks of the Speedway.
Entry to drag race or for the Show-N-Shine is just $20 or competitors can purchase a combo ticket for $30. Spectator tickets are just $10, and children 5 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.