Blue Oval Drag Racers Battled At The 2026 Spring Break Ford Nationals

When the gates opened at South Georgia Motorsports Park last weekend, the pits quickly filled with a mix of everything from modern Mustangs to classic Blue Oval iron for the second installment of the Spring Break Ford Nationals presented by Whipple Superchargers. After severe weather hampered Friday’s activities, track officials reshuffled the schedule. They packed the action into a high-intensity weekend showdown that delivered plenty of side-by-side Ford drag racing.

The annual gathering, which was like a class reunion for the now-defunct NMRA series, once again drew racers and enthusiasts eager to put their machines to the test. With everything from heads-up classes to bracket racing and a healthy car show, the event showcased the full spectrum of Ford performance machines, from purpose-built drag cars ripping down the quarter-mile to meticulously restored classics shining in the show field.

One of the headline performances came in the Super Stang category, where Scott Boda drove through eliminations to take the win over runner-up Marvin Knack. The class also featured a notable showing by the record-setting Steeda Silver Bullet 2.0, a naturally aspirated 2024 Mustang GT project that logged a dozen passes during the weekend while gathering valuable data for continued S650 performance development.

Late-model Shelby performance was well represented in the Coastal Dyno 2020+ GT500 Big Dog class. Kyle Cox emerged victorious with David Bishop finishing runner-up. In the 2020+ GT500 Street category, Danny Coots drove to the win over Geoffrey Maze, underscoring the growing presence of the supercharged Shelby platform in grassroots competition.

Index racing delivered tight competition as Tony Whetstons captured the Street Bandit 10.10 title over Michael Gatley. Meanwhile, Dan Saitz drove to victory in the Lujan Motorsports Street Race 8.60 class, defeating Gaby Lujan in the final round.

Consistency proved critical in the bracket-style categories. Will McKay doubled up with wins in both Open Comp and Bracket 1 competition, defeating Gordon Harlow and Chris Cox, respectively. Michael Sweener captured the Bracket 2 victory over Michael Duff, while Damien Henley took the Bracket 3 win against Nick Pierce. In the Quick 8 field, Rafael Permaul drove through eliminations to take the win in the heads-up category.

Manual-transmission racers kept the three-pedal tradition alive as well. Heath Maxwell claimed the TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout win over Jeff Smith, while Spencer Barber drove to victory in the Street Stick class against Alex Martinez.

Platform-specific racing also brought strong competition to the lanes. Charlie Booze secured the Coyote Stock win over Marvin Caster, while Johnny Lightning powered to the Truck Warz victory over Joe Kemp.

Another crowd-pleasing category was the Lake Area Land Management No Time Shootout, where Carlton Thompson emerged victorious after a weekend of unpredictable matchups where racers left the starting line without elapsed times displayed on the scoreboard.

True Street once again showcased max-performance street machines that had to endure a cruise before making three consecutive passes. Dwayne Hickman posted the quickest overall average to claim top honors, while Edgar Negron secured the second-quickest average.

Away from the racing surface, the car show highlighted the broader Ford enthusiast community. Roger Edwards’ ’31 Model A Street Rod earned Best of Show honors, while Joe and Renena Fladd’s ’62 Falcon wagon captured Best Muscle Car. Lonnie Aspinwall’s 2021 F-150 EcoBoost claimed Best Modern Ford, Heath Maxwell’s ’93 Mustang drag car took Best Fox-Body, and Randy Soper’s 2004 Mustang topped the SN-95 category.

Even with a condensed schedule, the Spring Break Ford Nationals once again proved that grassroots Ford drag racing remains strong. From bracket racers chasing consistency to late-model Mustangs charging down the strip, the weekend delivered the fast cars and tight racing that the Blue Oval faithful wanted.