PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS SIMMONS , VAN ABERNETHY , AND GULFPORT DRAGWAY |
If ever there was a legendary quarter-mile event in the Deep South that could also be described as “ the best-kept secret ” within that particular region , Gulfport Dragway ’ s beloved Ford vs . Chevy Drags would most certainly be part of that conversation . While this gathering might not receive nationwide exposure , a cult following along the Mississippi coast it most certainly has . The event carries such a following in this area that even the local Waffle House on Canal Road took it upon themselves to have one-of-a-kind Ford vs . Chevy crew shirts made , and they wear them just one weekend per year !
The appeal of this event , along with its longevity of 35 years , may be attributed to the fact that it hasn ’ t changed much since its inception . “ I think that ’ s definitely part of the appeal , the fact that very little has changed about this event . It ’ s even still run on the quarter mile !” says Gaylon
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Rolison Jr ., who operates this track with longtime friends and fellow racers Tommy Castanedo and Britt Cummings .
The trio of racers turned track operators all have one thing in common when it comes to this race : they ’ ve only heard stories about the earliest days of the event , and just know that it ’ s been a spectacle for many years . In fact , Cummings attended his very first Ford vs . Chevy race at Gulfport in 2023 , mainly because for many years this event fell on the same weekend as
The local Waffle House actually took it upon themselves to make these Ford vs . Chevy crew shirts to wear one weekend out of the year ! This event has an astonishing following around town .
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the Million Dollar Bracket Race , of which Britt , Tommy , and Gaylon wouldn ’ t think of missing . After they took over as track managers two years ago , one of the first scheduling changes they made was altering the date of this event !
There ’ s a number of factors about the Ford vs . Chevy gathering that ’ s distinctively different from any other event at Gulfport , and most notably is the bizarre fact that you won ’ t see this particular group of cars again for another 12 months . Amazingly , the race cars that compete in this event have been tucked away in a garage or barn for a solid year , just waiting for this event to roll around again . For proof , Castanedo points to the eight dirt dauber nests that were cleaned off the start-
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November / December 2024 |
DragIllustrated . com | Drag Illustrated | 79 |