Dirt
hounded by Discovery Channel for two years in
regards to a show, but he stuck to his guns on
how he wanted the show portrayed. In the end,
Stott’s stance won out, as the show displayed
the intense competition and points race from
a race at Carolina Dragway, an aspect that has
made the Southeast Gassers Association such a
hit among fans.
“In my contract, I had it that the racing was not
allowed to be altered in any way,” Stott reveals.
“They could film the race and do a story about
that. I’m not playing on any of that silly stuff.
Everything you see now has to have some kind of
gimmick, but I thought they did an excellent job.
I was really happy with the fact they presented it
as a race. We didn’t have to fake anything. It was
all real and all there.”
Authenticity remains critical for Stott, as it’s
the backbone of what he believes has made the
Southeast Gassers Association so popular. The
series is regarded as the most period-correct gas-
ser group of any in existence, a real and authentic
throwback to drag racing in the 1960s.
Maintaining that has been stressful at times
and required a massive workload from Stott, but
it has all been worth it. “We have the appearance
of a gasser from the ‘60s, but we also race the
way they did in the ‘60s,” Stott says. “The class is
called gassers because they run gasoline. We’re
the only group in the world that enforces that
rule. We’re doing it different and we’re trying to
do it authentic. What we did is different and we
took it to the next level.”
That dedication is a major reason why the
Southeast Gassers are thriving while others are
floundering. Stott likes to say he didn’t start the
gassers craze, he “just fixed it.” He saw people
destroying the history of the name and class, but
in the midst of that self-satisfaction, Stott has
built a successful series.
SEGA, which opens its 2019 season April 13
at Shadyside Dragway, packs tracks these days,
solely advertising the gassers and the intense,
unpredictable action they provide, and it’s been
a successful recipe. Now with a television show
under its belt, Stott is hopeful for more growth.
He dreams of packing in 10,000 fans to watch
a gassers event, and a possible long-standing
Southeast Gassers television series and Stott is
willing to work to make that happen. He’s seen
significant growth up to this point, but Stott isn’t
slowing down anytime soon. The 2019 season
includes 11 races as the series looks to take the
next step in its growth.
“We’re using TV to educate fans what a gasser is,”
Stott says. “We’re getting repeat business because
our show is what we advertise it to be. We’re forc-
ing them to have a 4-speed and forcing them to
drive an ill-handling car. That’s what fans want
to see. We measure our success by how many
spectators come through the gates, but I’m very
much pleased with what we’ve done and how the
show turned out.”
DI DI DI
DI DI DI DI
DI DI DI
INTRODUCING THE NEW
BRT-XLT
CONGRATULATIONS TO JEREMY RAY
NHRA PRO MOD ROOKIE OF THE YEAR & DALLAS EVENT WINNER
THE BEST CONVERTER DRIVE IS NOW ALSO THE LIGHTEST
WE INVENTED, PATENTED AND PERFECTED THE CONVERTER DRIVE.
AVAILABLE IN LOCKUP OR NON LOCKUP WITH PROVEN FLUID
MANIPULATION THAT OTHERS CAN’T TOUCH.
XLT FEATURES INCLUDE BILLET MAGNESIUM COMPONENTS THAT MAKE IT
LIGHTER THAN ANYTHING ON THE MARKET.
3LBS
STILL THE BEST CONVERTER DRIVE AT ANY PRICE, BUT WITHOUT THE STICKER SHOCK!
FOR MORE INFO CALL 630.458.0043 OR LOG ONTO WWW.BRUNOSAUTOMOTIVE.COM
34 | D r a g
I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
LIKE US ON
FACEBOOK
Issue 143
SOUTHEAST GASSERS