Part of the appeal of O'Reilly Auto Parts Friday Night Drags is the manufacturer matchups that pit fan-favorite domestics and imports against each other.
That passion is also found among competitors, many of whom choose to do battle on Atlanta Motor Speedway's pit lane drag strip with the same make of vehicle no matter what.
Take it from Steve Shaffer, a Chevrolet fanatic who makes the trip to Friday Night Drags every week. Last week when his Corvette was unavailable to race, Shaffer brought a Camaro that he'd never raced before to the Diamond Resorts Factory Street Division and won the whole thing — a performance he credited to the brand.
"Chevy's are very similar, so I feel very comfortable whether I'm in a Camaro or I'm in my Corvette," Shaffer, of Newnan, said. "The launch control is the same - just about everything works the same."
This week Shaffer's Corvette was back in action racing in the South River Agency New Edge Division. Racing in a different division, but back to the familiarity of his own car, Shaffer made it to the final round and once again went home with the winner's hardware.
"Friday Night Drags is what I look forward to - it's the highlight of my week," Shaffer said after the win. "So having my car back and winning tonight is great."
Other notable winners in O'Reilly Auto Parts Friday Night Drags’ seventh week included Kevin Mayo of Griffin, who extended his lead in the QuikTrip Pro Division championship.
In the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Division Tim Hall, of McDonough, drove his 1988 Ford Mustang to his second victory this season and took over the championship lead in the process.
Below is the complete list of June 28th race winners:
Harding Plumbing, Heating & Cooling Domestic Division: Donnie Henderson (Hampton); 1980 Chevrolet Malibu
South River Agency New Edge Division: Steve Shaffer (Newnan); 2019 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
QuikTrip Pro Division: Kevin Mayo (Griffin); 2007 Chevrolet Cavalier
Super Pro: David Clevenger (Hampton); 1963 Chevrolet Corvette
Harbin's Mechanical Services Street Outlaw Division: Daniel Harris (Griffin); 1995 Chevrolet S10
Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Division: Tim Hall (McDonough); 1988 Ford Mustang
Truck Advance: Taylor Wilder (Locust Grove); 1994 Dodge 1500
Ultimate Tailgating Street Performer Division: Tory Hornsby (Senoia); 1973 Datson 240z
Super Bike Division: Toney Freeman (Stockbridge); 2008 Suzuki Hayabasa
Sport Bike: Ricky Harrelson (Hampton); 2009 Kaw ZX-14
US Marine Corps Motorcycle Division: Jamar Copes (Stockbridge); 2007 750 GSXR
Cruiser Division: Robert Thomas (Griffin); 2004 Harley
Quad/Tri Division: Andre Martin (College); Banshee
Street Modified Division: Kelly Morgan (Jonesboro); 1968 Ford Mustang
Starfire Automatic Gates Truck Division: Ed Blanford (McDonough); 1968 F100
Metro by T-Mobile Tuner Division: Lamar Chambers (Griffin); 1966 V61
AT&T Mobility Sport Compact Division: Amanda Brown (Senoia); 2012 Ford Mustang V6
Diamond Resorts Factory Street Division: Keith Shockey (Peachtree City); 2015 SRT 392 Challenger
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.
Classic (1980 or older classic; restored; modified cars or trucks)
Winner: LeAnn Turner (McDonough); 1936 Ford Cabriolet
Runner Up: Andy Sarratt (Social Circle); 1965 Corvette
Generation X (1981 - 2008 cars)
Winner: Tony Taylor (Stockbridge); 1987 K-5 Blazer
Runner Up: Brady Adams (Fayetteville); 1981 Mustang Cobra
Current (2009 - current cars)
Winner: Chris Gallagher; 1998 Trans Am
Runner Up: Ryan Caudill (Florida); 2016 Mustang GT
Trucks
Winner: Shuntavius Swindle (Franklin); 2014 GMC Sierra
Runner Up: Black Williams (McDonough); 1996 Silverado
Open
Winner: Casey Deal (Newnan); Harley Sportster
Runner Up: DJ Rawls (Locust Grove); 1986 Jeep Comanche
Atlanta Motor Speedway's O'Reilly Auto Parts Friday Night Drags & Show-N-Shine return on a special night next week to coincide with Independence Day. A full night of racing on the pit lane drag strip and the largest fireworks display in Atlanta's Southside are on tap for the Click It or Ticket Fireworks Salute to America on Thursday, July 4.
Grandstand gates open at 6:30 p.m., nightly drag race eliminations start just after 9:00 p.m., and fireworks will light up the night after dark. 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.
