Pfannkuche, Stathas, Sullivan and Wiggins Crowned Winners from the First Central Georgia Battle of the Street Drag-and-Drive Event
A new addition to the 2024 calendar, the Central Georgia Battle of the Streets was originally scheduled to take place in March as the second drag-and-drive event of the season. But when weather forced a re-schedule, the event was moved to April 14th.
A single day event, all pre-registered rides would meet at the Galleria Mall and take an hour drive to Silver Dollar Motorsports Park for competition in four classes.
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Two classes would be run on the full quarter-mile standard, Factory Stock and Hot Rod. The other two were contested on the shorter eighth-mile, those being Outlaw Daily Driver and Renegade.
The Hot Rod class, designed around 1972 and earlier vehicles without power adders, required all factory body panels and glass (with the exception of a fiberglass hood allowed).
Cars were required to use drag radials, and have a non-gutted interior with a minimum of two seats. Completing the day on top would be David Wiggins and his clean 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle.
The second class on a quarter-mile standard is Factory Stock, with a stricter set of rules. No engine bigger than a factory-offered 8-cylinder is required, and only factory supercharged or turbocharged avenues are allowed for power adders.
Stock front and rear suspension is required, as well as full exhaust to the rear tires at a minimum. Factory-style transmissions, fuel tanks and wiring systems are also required, and a full interior with front and rear seats, as well as air-conditioning, must be retained.
Similar to the Hot Rod class, all factory body panels and glass are required (with the exception of a fiberglass hood allowed). The first Factory Stock winner would be Larry Pfannkuche and his Coyote-powered S550-chassis Ford Mustang.
On the half track eighth-mile distance, competitors could choose between the Renegade and the Outlaw Daily Driver class. Both classes were designed around stock suspension and a small drive tire (275/60/15 radial or a 28-inch-tall x 11-inch width DOT bias ply), but each had its own set of unique restrictions.
In an effort to keep race-type quicker cars out of the Outlaw Daily Driver class, no roll cages were allowed, vehicles needed to run on either pump 93 octane or E-85 fuel. All power adders were allowed, but with size restrictions on single and twin-turbocharger systems.
As noted with previous classes, all factory body panels and glass were required, and a non-gutted interior with a minimum of two seats.
Kevin Sullivan would deny all others to be crowned winner of the Outlaw Daily Driver class in his Chevrolet Camaro.
The Renegade class features similar rules to the Outlaw Daily Driver class, but fuel options are opened up to also allow race fuel (except for alcohol). Roll cages are allowed, but no funny car-type cages, and although all power adders are also allowed, nitrous is limited to a single plate or fogger, and turbochargers sized ‘within reason.’
The clean 1970 Chevy Chevelle piloted by Nick Stathas would do the best in Renegade, earning the class belt.
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of C.G. Battle of the Streets Drag-and-Drive and Michael Mayo.
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