Knoxville Dragway usually sits quiet in a Tennessee valley, but when the Southeast Gassers Association (SEGA) rolls in, tranquility gets replaced with Mountain Madness. The MAHLE Nationals lived up to the hype, delivering wild moments in testing, drama on race day, and tight championship battles across every class.
Things kicked off Friday night when Jerry Dean nearly stood his Last Rebel II Chevy II Super Stocker on its bumper. Not to be outdone, Barry Adler’s Iron Eagle Corvette gasser found the wall in a test hit gone wrong, while Todd Blackwell’s Sling Shot Chevy II nearly crossed up into Greg Stelse’s Joker ’57 Pontiac. That was just testing, and the tone carried right into eliminations.
In A/Gas, the class of the field was Chase Howard, who qualified No. 1 with a 5.23 and looked poised to take over the points lead. But a wild final saw Howard brush the wall and roll his USA-1 Chevelle after chasing Kenneth Phillips’ Silver Streak II Corvette, which scored its first win of 2025. Howard walked away, but the points chase is now locked with Howard and Leslie Horne tied for the top spot.
B/Gas had its own fireworks. Local favorite Ted McKee and his Rocky Top Missile Chevy turned back high qualifiers all day, including points leader Ken Rainwater, before taking out Mike Blackwell’s Thunder Struck Thunderbird in the final. The win tightened up the championship hunt and gave McKee a statement victory at home.
C/Gas saw Jerren Perdue continue his hot streak in the Chevy II wagon. He knocked out Tim Hall in the final for his fourth win of 2025, giving him a commanding lead in the standings.
Other highlights included:
- Jerry Dean continuing his Super Stock dominance, resetting the record at 6.305 ET and taking another win.
- Jeffrey Ferguson finding redemption with his Wild-N-Wooly II A/FX machine, scoring his second straight SEGA win.
- Quain Stott, filling in for injured Todd Hinds, drove the Corn Pop Studebaker to the H/Gas win over Larry Noel.
Photos by Adam Dobbs
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