Drag-and-Drive Competitors Take on No Mercy 14 Event at South Georgia Motorsports Park
It not uncommon to see drag-and-drive enthusiasts also participate in other events, including heads-up racing. Two of the bigger events that are held annually at South Georgia Motorsports Park are Lights Out and No Mercy, originally based around the increased popularity in the small radial tire racing.
For the fourteenth version of No Mercy just completed this weekend, it featured all of the staple classes, including Radial Versus the World, Pro 275, Limited Drag Radial, X275, Ultra Street, Limited Street 235, 6.00 Index and Open Comp.
A new addition for the 2023 edition of No Mercy was the Street Car Braggin Rights Street Car class, and some familiar names jumped into the street car sandbox to battle it out for a $10,000 winner payout.
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One of two 6-second-capable cars on the property was the Fox Mustang convertible of Devin Vanderhoof, driven by Josh Davis. The other was Jeremy Sparks, who led the field in qualifying thanks to a 6.77 at 207 mph.
Davis would slide into second with an early-shut-off 7.33 pass, Kendall Collins qualified his twin-turbo Ford Maverick third at 7.55, recent FL2K Street Car Shootout winner Travis Mangum landed his LS-swapped Honda S2000 fourth at 8.06, and Sick Week competitors Mike Cataline, Larry Albright and Robert Worcester also landed spots in the field.
After soggy conditions pushed final eliminations to Sunday, the Street Car Braggin Rights Street Car class witnessed all the upper qualified cars make it to round two.
In that second round, Sparks laid out a 7.25 to dismiss the wheelstanding Malibu of Worcester, Collins produced a 7.52 to move the Maverick to the semifinals, Cataline streaked to his personal best pass in his orange Mustang coupe, an 8.08 at 168 mph, to upset the higher-qualified Mangum, and Davis clicked off a 6.94 at just 157 mph on his bye run.
Now down to the semifinal round, it was an all-Ford quartet, and it started with Sparks against Collins. The Maverick driver got the .068 to .151 holeshot lead, but Sparks would rocket by for a 7.01 to 7.41 victory.
Davis would oppose Cataline in the other match-up, and Cataline would earn his second-straight upset win when Davis has issues at the Christmas Tree.
The final would be an all-Mustang affair, with both rides utilizing turbocharged small block Ford powerplants. At the green, Cataline grabbed a slight three hundredths of-a-second holeshot in hopes of notching a third upset win. But it evaporated by the 60 foot cone, as Sparks would produce a 6.81 at 201 mph for the win over Cataline’s consistent 8.14 at 167 mph pass.
Jeremy Sparks enjoyed the winner’s spoils, including a custom champion’s jacket, trophy and a $10,000 payday!
For his runner-up finish, Mike Cataline got a customer trophy and a $1,000 payout.
The top dog class at No Mercy, Radial Versus the World, found Jason Lee putting his ProCharger-urged ’69 Camaro in victory lane.
Another ’69 Camaro would claim victory at No Mercy, this time in the Pro 275 class where Jason Collins earned the big payday in his blown ’69 Camaro.
The Limited Drag Radial class had all power adders represented, but DJ McCain scored one for the nitrous faithful with his Mustang getting the win.
A truly unique win took place in the X275 class, where Ryan Milliken wheeled his diesel-powered Nova to the win. Milliken has been one of a few to competitively run a diesel in heads-up racing, and many said this win was an overdue one!
After scoring some wins on the National Muscle Car Association and National Mustang Racers Association trail in 2023, Terry Wilson snagged another ‘dub’ with his nitrous-fed Mustang getting the win when Jessie Coulter spun the tires in the final.
The Limited Street 235 small-tire win was a big one, as Louie Filippides took his ’86 Cutlass that previously served duty as his high school daily driver, to the overall win.
A class that has recently gained a ton of attention is the All Steel All Glass category, and Brandon McGee got the nod in his Camaro at No Mercy for the paycheck.
Two No-Time (scoreboards off) class took place at No Mercy. The No-Time Pro Truck winner was Jimmie Davis III in his Chevrolet S-10, and No-Time 275 tire went to David Reese in the Corvette known as John Gotti.
Finally, the 6.00 Index class went to longtime supporter Kenny Ford and his Mopar.
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Street Car Braggin Rights, Sean Chartier Media, Mike Cataline, Terry Wilson, Donald Long / Duck X Promotions, Chris Simmons Photography, and An Image In Time Photography.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com