Riders of all ages kicked up the dust and put their skills to the test during the Trails & Tunes Festival at the Southern Gap Dirt Drags, held Aug. 20-22.
The three-day event featured traditional drag races, hill climbs, mud bogs and Crazy 8’s competitions, along with several lighthearted contests for competitors and spectators. Participants competed on motorcycles, ATVs and UTVs, with the top three finishers recognized in most events.
Competition began Thursday, Aug. 20, with Hunter Justus winning the panty race. Gary Jackson placed second, and Matthew Jackson finished third.
Kaden Watkins won the wheelie competition, followed by Jeremiah O’Quinn in second and Nick Lester in third.
The action continued Friday, Aug. 21, with Kinsley Yates winning the kids’ tire toss. Corbin Yates placed second, and Brantley Deel finished third. Joe Yates captured the regular tire toss championship, with Matthew Jackson placing second and Josh Viers taking third.
Watkins earned another victory in the Dizzy Daze competition. Judy Dotson finished second, and Kobe Blankenship placed third.
Taylen Clevinger won the MX Crazy 8’s competition, followed by Watkins in second and Ayden Bowman in third.
Adam Looney claimed first place in the ATV Crazy 8’s. Blankenship finished second, and Shannon Dotson took third. Justin Grizzle won the UTV Crazy 8’s, with Preston Hurley placing second and Zsean Hurley finishing third.
Josh Viers captured the UTV doughnut competition. David Vance placed second, and Tony Viers finished third. Gary Jackson won the ATV doughnut competition, followed by Clyde Jones in second and Jonathan Greer in third.
Greer also earned first place in the ATV mud bog. TJ Greer finished second, and Matthew Jackson placed third. Wesley Ellis won the UTV mud bog, with Olivia Grizzle taking second and Tyler White finishing third.
Eli Baker was the winner of the kids’ hill climb.
Justin Taylor won the MX hill climb, followed by Watkins in second and Jeremiah O’Quinn in third.
Looney took first place in the ATV two-wheel-drive hill climb. Chace Fuller placed second, and Blankenship finished third. Rick Baker won the ATV four-wheel-drive hill climb.
Justin Boyd captured the non-turbo hill climb championship. Matt Baker placed second, and Blankenship finished third. Cody Dales won the turbo hill climb, followed by Eric Sparks in second and Kenny Silvia in third.
Eli Baker added another victory by winning the kids’ 12-and-under drag race. Bowman placed second, and Justus finished third.
Clevinger won the MX drag race, with Kentsten Sutherland finishing second and Looney placing third.
Blankenship claimed first place in the two-wheel-drive ATV drag race. Looney took second, and Kiersten Looney finished third.
Lester won the four-wheel-drive ATV drag race, followed by Tyler Young in second and Shannon Dotson in third.
Canaan McClanahan captured the non-turbo UTV drag race championship. Josh Viers placed second, and Matt Baker finished third.
Justin Grizzle closed out the listed racing results by winning the UTV turbo drag race. Shane Fletcher placed second, and Chris Horn took third.
The event also included a tug-of-war competition, with Preston Hurley earning first place in the UTV division.
