Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981

[Stephen & Horace Johnson]

Originally Posted by MEMORIES

My home track was called "Brainerd Optimist Drag Strip" and it was located just inside the Georgia side of the Georgia - Tennesse state line, about five mile from Chattanooga, Tennessee. We had weekly super stock and modified class racing through the 1981 season, when NHRA killed modified class. After that, our track went to bracket and heads-up class racing only. It has never been the same and those good times are just a memory. We were located about half way between Nashville and Atlanta and all the big names in this part of the country came by at one time or another. We also had one of the most famous photographers in Southern drag racing, the late Marty Johnson. This group of photos were taken by Marty to put in National Dragster magazine. Most of these photos were of final rounds and don't show nearly all the cars that competed. A friend of mine, who belonged to the Brainerd Optimist Club, which the drag strip was named for, rescued these photos from the trash where someone else had thrown them.

There are some well known drivers here as well as some unknowns. Feel free to ask questions. I was there at most of these races. I've tried to group similar photos together. We'll start off with Sonny Ray driving the Collins & Jones Hemi cars. There's also a photo of him driving the Jerry Hurley SS/DA Cuda.

Wayne Holland.

In the 3rd pic, that looks like Everett Hill.


Stephen Johnson #2162
Horace Johnson #2167
SS/D 427 Ford Fairlane NHRA-IHRA