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Southeast Gassers Association Ignites Action in Ringgold
Highlights
- Ben Christopher won A/Gas final with 5.23-second elapsed time.
- Barry Adler, defending champion, eliminated in first round by Barry Lynn.
- Ted McKee secured second B/Gas win, defeating Wayne Swafford in final.
- Todd Oden won C/Gas final after Jerren Perdue’s engine failure.
- Rob Walden claimed Super Stock title, beating Jerry Dean in final.
- Event delayed but showcased strong performances despite extreme June heat.
Action matches the June heat at Brainerd Motorsports Park as SEGA’s Rumble in Ringgold, presented by Harbin’s Mechanical Services, resumes after delay. The third championship round clarifies early 2026 form.
The surface rewards A/Gas power and precision. Four of 14 drivers dip into the 5.30s in qualifying, with Ben Christopher leading on 5.31. Defending champion Barry Adler falls early to Barry Lynn’s hole shot.
Lynn’s pace fades against Leslie Horne in round two. Horne’s Chick Magnet then yields to Christopher in the semifinals, where Christopher sets the day’s benchmark with a 5.23 to reach the final.
Ben Christopher clocks a 5.23 in the semis, the event’s quickest ET, and converts it into the A/Gas win.
The other semifinal pits Kenneth Phillips against Ken Rainwater, last year’s B/Gas champion stepping up. Phillips answers with a 5.20 to advance, setting a fitting No. 1 versus No. 2 final.
Launch execution decides the decider. Phillips struggles off the line, and Christopher controls the run to win. It’s his third final of 2026 and first consecutive victory streak with Happy Daze.
The Jason Line-powered package looks the class of A/Gas. That status echoes the momentum built since Rumble in Ringgold preparations intensified amid the reshuffled calendar.
B/Gas delivers another strategic marker. Ted McKee banks a second win of the season and protects a narrow class lead against growing depth.
Charlie Lee qualifies second on 5.60 in the white Mustang and clears round one. Mark Jones ends that run in round two on reaction time, despite Lee’s stronger elapsed numbers.
Jones’ progress halts in the semifinals, with Wayne Swafford moving through to meet McKee. A red light from Swafford gifts McKee the final, validating McKee’s disciplined approach.
Ted McKee secures B/Gas, capitalizing when Wayne Swafford red-lights in the final.
C/Gas revives a familiar rivalry. 2024 champion Todd Oden and 2025 title holder Jerren Perdue qualify on identical 6.06s, underlining parity and setup discipline.
Mechanical luck intervenes. Perdue drops a valve in the semifinals and withdraws. Oden runs the final unopposed, laying down a crowd-pleasing burnout and banking his second 2026 win.
A dropped valve sidelines Jerren Perdue, leaving Todd Oden to a solo C/Gas final and a momentum-building second win.
Super Stock initially looks like a procession. Jerry Dean extends his No. 1 qualifying streak with a 6.40, comfortably clear of the field, and navigates the rounds smoothly.
Rob Walden changes the script in the final, as Dean struggles for traction off the line. Walden repeats last year’s Brainerd outcome, winning 6.76 to 7.10 to defend home ground.
The result follows the event’s earlier postponement, detailed in SEGA’s scheduling update, and underscores how adaptation shapes this season.
Despite the heat and delay, the meeting delivers milestones and back-to-back winners. With Brainerd complete, attention shifts north to Rocky Top and Knoxville Dragway, amid a loaded Southeast slate that includes showcases like the IHRA Triple Crown.
Visual Summary
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STREAK!
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A/G
A/G
Ben Christopher
5.23s
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B/G
B/G
Ted McKee
2nd win
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C/G
C/G
Todd Oden
6.06s
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SS
SS
Rob Walden
6.76s
Surprise
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Classic
1
Adler out early:
Defending champ Barry Adler shocked in 1st round by Barry Lynn’s hole shot.
Adler out early:
Defending champ Barry Adler shocked in 1st round by Barry Lynn’s hole shot.
2
Back-to-back:
Ben Christopher claims two straight wins, sets fastest ET of 5.23s.
Back-to-back:
Ben Christopher claims two straight wins, sets fastest ET of 5.23s.
3
Battle of champions:
Oden & Perdue qualify identically at 6.06s. Oden solos to the C/G win after Perdue’s heartbreak DNF.
Battle of champions:
Oden & Perdue qualify identically at 6.06s. Oden solos to the C/G win after Perdue’s heartbreak DNF.
4
Home turf steal:
Rob Walden beats Jerry Dean again at Brainerd, thanks to traction drama in SS final.
Home turf steal:
Rob Walden beats Jerry Dean again at Brainerd, thanks to traction drama in SS final.
Pure 1960s drag strip heat,
with modern drama on every run.
with modern drama on every run.
Miles Carter covers grassroots and regional drag-strip action, from bracket racing to street-legal shootouts. His event previews and performance-upgrade guides keep local racers up to speed on timing-slip trends, tire tech, and weekend race highlights.
