EDELBROCK SICK SMOKIES
Mike Finnegan
Some fun checkpoints awaited on the drive of 118 miles, the shortest of the week. Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary( once home to the assassin of Martin Luther King Jr.) provided some unusual photo opportunities, while a more traditional drag-and-drive stop at Lokar in Knoxville, Tennessee, awaited to end the day.
Knoxville Dragway put on a great track and filled the stands for day four. No one looked like challenging the leaders in the Gasser classes where Finnegan, Donovan, and Quay all held firm. The burnouts and wheelies were certainly getting bigger as racers gained confidence, putting on a fun show.
Cryer was quicker again with a 4.626. The battle for the minor positions was getting intense, with Aspegren( 5.087), Swindoll( 5.090), and Chase Harvey( 5.122) tightening up.
Back on the road, the next 147 miles took racers into the Great Smoky Mountains proper. The five checkpoints of the day included spectacular viewpoints, a moonshine distillery, and even a visit to the outlaw track English Mountain Dragway. The final part of the route took racers through Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, testing cooling systems in the tourist traffic.
There was no racing on day five, but that didn’ t mean it was less challenging as racers faced off against the Tail of the Dragon! One of the USA’ s most notorious stretches of road, the Dragon features 318 turns in just 11 miles. For all those who don’ t believe these are street cars, this challenge removed all doubt! The remaining 160 miles featured no shortage of mountain driving amid the stunning fall colors.
164 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated. com Issue 197