Phil Hutchison Drag Racing Action Online

Images: Rhonda Hogue McCole

Third generation racer Blaine Zaskowski towed his ’85 Mustang FGT/M to Georgia from Grand Rapids Michigan and made NHRA history winning not once, but twice in his first ever NHRA Super Stock finals.

The Lucas Oil event, a double held over four days April 10- April 13 featured  NHRA Sportsman racers in their third and fourth Division Two races of the 2026 season.   Zaskowski wasn’t the only race at the South Georgia track to visit the winner’s circle twice during the race. Joining the Michigan racer as a “Double” winner over the weekend was John Rollins from Florida capturing  Super Street driving a borrowed car for the event.

COMPETITION ELIMINATOR

Comp Eliminator featured a stout field with 15 cars in the quick show. Long time D2 racer Monty Bogan from Boiling Springs SC led the field with a -0.671 in his D/SMA ’07 Pontiac G5 with a 8.309. Eventual winner Tyler Caheely from Chickamauga GA slid into the #13 spot with a -0.469 under 7.081 in his ’01 Cavalier.

Caheely defeated Matt Alvey’s H/AA Cobalt and the C/DA of Jared Kimbrough from Florida in the earlier rounds as Bogan beat the B/DA of Chase Williams and the quick Altered of David Eaton in the semis to meet Caheely for the title. Bogan, who got hit with a ‘CIC infraction in his win over Williams, got the better light but slowed to a 8.485 to the winning 7.059 of Caheely. The win at South Georgia was Caheeley’s 11th Lucas Wally.  

 

SUPER STOCK  

Friday finals were over at the tree as Shuford left -0.003 too soon handing Blaine Zaskowski his first ever Lucas Oil win. For more on Zaskowski’s win in Georgia go to: Zaskowski Takes Two

Don Shuford from Connelly Springs Florida in his GT/MA ’87 Camaro went red in the finals against Zaskowski

STOCK 

Jeff Longhany from Wade NC. got the break in the final as his competition, the D/SA ’73 Formula of Mike Brand from Alpharetta GA. broke off the line giving Longhany’s B/SA ’00 Corvette his 10th career Lucas win. 

SUPER COMP

Division Two racer Allan Ackles Jr had the better light in the finals and it paid off against D4 racer Michael Holcombe.

Ackles got off the line first with a 0.017 RT as Holcombe was a tad later with a 0.034 and it cost Holcombe as both broke out but Ackles 8.897 was closer to the 8.90 index as Holcombe’s losing 8.893. The win was Ackles’s 2nd career Lucas Oil win

SUPER GAS

Jerry Heffelfinger from Englewood, Tenn. drove his ’38 Roadster to the Super Gas win over D4 driver Jim Repka. Heffelfinger, winning his second Lucas title, had the better light and ran a 9.925 on his 9.90 index as Repka from Wylie, Texas pushed his ’63 Corvette too quick running a  9.876 in the loss.

SUPER STREET

Florida racer John Rollins from High Springs took his ’71 Nova to a double breakout final over the similar Nova of Ray Dew from Texas.

Dew had the better light with a 0.011 but pushed it too far on the top end losing with a 10.886 to the winning 10.892 of Rollins who won his 6th Lucas Oi win at Georgia.

TOP SPORTSMAN

Rick McDonough from Southwest Ranches Fla. drove his ’06 S-10 to the T/S win over the ’05 Cobalt of Bruce Duncan from Crawfordsville Fla.

McDonough got the better light and ran closer to his 7.08 dial with a 7.114 over Bruce Duncan who ran a 6.698 on his 6.64 dial. McDonough won his 3rd Lucas Wally.

TOP DRAGSTER

Jeremy Hancock from nearby Commerce GA. won his 6th Lucas  T/D race over Nicholas Brener from Covington La.

Hancock got a near perfect 0.001 reaction time to Brener’s 0.024 and was nearly right on with a 6.900 on his 6.89 dial as Brener had to push his dragster to a breaking out 6.770 on his 6.78 dial.

Sunday Winners at South Georgia

COMPETITION ELIMINATOR

Joseph Arrowsmith from Ham Lake, Minn. put his ’06 GTO, F/AA in the winner’s circle beating the C/DA of Jared Kimbrough from Pace, Fla.  Kimbrough was tardy on the light and ran an under 7.006 on his 7.52 index as Arrowsmith won his fourth Lucas Oil Wally with a 7.840 on his 8.39 index.

SUPER STOCK

Michigan racer Blaine Zaskowski continued his winning ways in his FGT/M Mustang wading through five rounds of competition to meet third generation racer Cade Candies driving his COPO Camaro in the final. The Louisiana racer left -0.018 too soon handing Zaskowski his second Wally of the weekend.

STOCK ELIMINATOR

Brett Candies from Thibodeaux, La. continued his famous family racing legacy with a win in Stock in his ’10 Cobra Jet, FS/A over the C/SA ’70 Nova of Billy Wilson from Laurens South Carolina. Candies got the better light and added to his Lucas Oil wins with his 6th title with a 9.084 on his 9.07 dial as Wilson broke out with a 10.449 on his 10.45.

SUPER COMP

Taking his first career Lucas win was Troutman NC racer John Theofelis beating Stuart Smith from Lenoir NC. in the finals. The race was won on the starting line as Theofelis had the better light and won with a slower 8.918 to Smith’s slightly better 8.915.

 

SUPER GAS

Another first time Lucas winner was Super Gas champ Kade Edmonds from Montz La.driving his Chevy S-10. Edmonds had a great 0.026 light to his competition, the Beretta of Alden Rollins from High Springs Fla. was second off the line with a 0.069. the late leave cost Rollins as he broke out with a 9.883 to the winning 9.912 of Edmonds.

SUPER STREET

John Rollins, from High Springs, Fla. joined Blaine Zaskowski as a two-time weekend champ at the double header.. For the second race in a row, Rollins put his borrowed Jason Rollins’ “Uncle Ted” car in the winner’s circle. Rollins beat the  71 Nova of Greg Inerny from Titusville Fla. in the S/ST final

Rollins had a great 0.003 light to McInerny’s 0.032 in his Camaro and won a close race 10.929 to the losing but quicker 10.925 of McInerny

TOP SPORTSMAN

 Long time D2 Top Sportsman racer Doug Crumlich from Douglasville GA drove his ’63 Corvette to the win over defending D1 champ Jeff Brooks’ ’51 Henry J in the finals.

 Crumlich won his 12th Lucas Oil race with a better light and a 7.044 on his 7.02 dial as Brooks slowed with a 6.497 on his 6.43 in the loss.

TOP DRAGSTER

Nicholas Brener from Covington La. made up for his earlier defeat to Jeremy Hancock in Friday’s T/D final beating Holden Laris in the finals on Sunday.

Both racers had great lights, and it would be up to the top end to see who took the trophy home. Laris pushed his dragster a little too quick running a breaking out 6.149 on his 6.15 dial as Brener won his first ever Lucas race with a 6.783 on his 6.77 dial.

Junior Dragsters

With school still in session, the decision for the Juniors was to run on the weekend instead of Friday with the other NHRA Sportsman. The winners were

ADVANCED JUNIOR DRAGSTER

At Race 1 Westin Webb beat Avery Bolding in the finals.

On the second of the doubleheader, Briella Browning cut the tree down in the finals with a 0.005 RT forcing her competition, Aaron Kennedy to push his car too quick breaking out with a 7.895 on his 7.92 dial dragster,

INTERMEDIATE JUNIOR DRAGSTER

Wyatt Piercy won the first of the double header beating Izamarie Ferrer.

On the second race Johanna Tillman was second off the line against Bo Smith in the finals, but Smith took too much stripe breaking out with a 8.896 on a 8.90 index as Tillman ran a winning 8.944 on her 8.90.

 NOVICE JUNIOR DRAGSTER

Weston Losko, from Stanley, N.C. was the winner in Novice twice during the weekend beating Rhett Smith from Jay Florida both times