YEAH, BRING IT

The Don Carlton Reunion at Mooresville Dragway shows off Mopar cars of yester year.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY GEOFF STUNKARD

HE SOUNDS of big-inch, normally-aspirated, gas-pow-

Tered race engines at the launch of a 1/8-mile match race contest is pretty intense. RPMs rise to crescendo levels that rattle the windows. The launch comes from a tight final gear that momentarily pulls the RPM down, yanks the nose of the car upward, and the rear tires then jettison it forward. Pro Stock drag racing’s former popularity was based on this dramatic formula, and it still works. Jeff Rudisill and Gena Ellis host one of the more unique exhibitions of this past one day a year, when they honor the memory of the late Don Carlton, the factory Chrysler driver

who lost his life in a 1977 testing accident. A number of real and tribute Mopars and other vintage Pro Stock cars always join together for this Southeast Nostalgia Pro Stock event each October at Mooreville Dragway. The fans witnessed the cars doing long burnouts and running side-by-side down the Armco-lined asphalt. This year, the racers chose to run matches rather than an eliminator, going against a different competitor in each of the three rounds rather than a 2-of-3 best. This mixed it up a little for the fans and led to some great side-by-side runs as well as a few “gather it up before it hits the guard rail” passes as well. The track, located near the area’s numerous NASCAR shops, retains an old school feel and is a great place to witness historic cars in action. Regional event sponsors like Appalachian Metal Works, RPM Motor Coaches/Hickory Enclosed Trailer Sales, Younger Auto Sales and Bobby Houston Trucking help as well. So, rather than drone on about how much you missed, sit back on that throne in your corncob room and take a look at Don Carlton Jr. in the ÕCuda. these pictures. See you in ’22!

There may only be one place on the planet to see an original Hemi Plymouth Volare wheels-up under power. Kurt Huntington of Statesville, NC came in the 1979 Jim Kinnett machine and showed why we love the past so much. Ron Teague’s Duster ran a 6.76 to round out the Mopar contingent this year.

Larry Snead, driving the Eddie Hall-owned Eddie Ratliff Dodge Demon, broke a wheelie bar and still took the win over Mike Ruth in a Bob Glidden Fairmont when both drivers had to lift.

The Carlton Missile was rolled out on the starting line in memory of the storied local driver. This was the first time the car had been to North Carolina since being restored. The family of the late Mike Whitaker had his tribute Duster to the Billy The Kid Stepp era on display and he was honored on the starting line.

Coolest surprise was the show’s first-ever appearance of the 1972 Motown Missile ‘Cuda owned by Mark Williamson and Teresa Merritt since it was restored. Though Mark was stuck north of the border, members of the original crew and restoration team displayed the car, with Jeff and Gena seen at left.