NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

To suggest that Jeff Adkinson is off to a good start in 2026 would be a massive understatement. Through mid-March, the veteran Division 2 Super Stock and Stock racer has competed in three just events, and he’s got a win, a runner-up, and a semifinal to show for it.

In Stock, Adkinson has done the most damage with his COPO Camaro, with a victory at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals and followed a week later with a runner-up finish in the Baby Gators Southeast Division NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event. Those two finals came on the heels of a round-three finish at the season-opening Division 2 event in Orlando, Fla., a few weeks ago. It’s very early, but Adkinson’s name appears at the top of the standings in Stock.

Adkinson is also in the Top 10 in Super Stock following a solid semifinal showing at the Baby Gators.

“Honestly, we haven’t done anything different this year. We worked hard offseason to get both cars ready, and they’re both really good right now,” said Adkinson. “We did two engine swaps over winter and did have some issues, so it was a thrash to get ready, but we had a really positive test in January. When you have confidence that the car is going to do what it’s supposed to do, it allows me to just focus on driving. I leave everything else to Willie [Evans, crew chief] and my wife, Amy.”

Adkinson previously won five national events, including three in Pomona, but his recent Gatornationals victory hits a little closer to home because it's one of the closest national events to his home in Damascus, Ga. The victory also helped take the sting out of a final-round loss at the 2015 Gatornationals.

“I’ve been to the semifinals a bunch of times, and then there was that loss in the final to Kevin [Helms, five-time world champion],” said Adkinson. “Plain and simple. I made a good run, but he made a better one. That has haunted me for more than a decade, and this game we play is so hard; there are so many races decided by a few thousandths of a second. And I’m no spring chicken. You start to wonder if you’ll ever get another shot at it.”

After winning the Gatornationals, Adkinson extended his winning streak to 13 rounds in Stock before dropping the Baby Gators final against Division 7 racer Doug Lambeck.

“I just flat missed it in the final,” Adkinson said, in reference to his .065 reaction time. “I made 13 runs with both cars, and that’s a lot for an old guy like me. I also had a heads-up run in each car, so we had a lot of work to do. I’m not making excuses. I just missed it, and I knew I was in trouble as soon as I left. I did what I could, but hats off to Doug. He drove a good race.”

Despite his hot start, it’s way too early to start thinking about championships or even counting points, but that doesn’t mean that Adkinson is without a game plan. He makes his living as a peanut farmer, and that means that he must carefully craft his schedule to account for planting and harvesting. That generally means a lot of racing early and late in the season, but not so much in the spring and fall months.

The State of Georgia is the No. 1 producer of peanuts in the United States, and Adkinson does his part to make that a reality with a 5,000-acre operation in his hometown of Damascus, Ga.

“In April and May, we don’t do much racing,” he said. “The one exception this year is the [NHRA Southern Nationals] since it's at South Georgia Motorsports Park, and that’s an hour from the house, so I can race on Friday and Saturday. We also don’t race for most of September and October.

“We just try to plan our season the best we can. We can plant or harvest 80-100 acres a day, so it takes three to four weeks to do that. We also have to account for things like inclement weather. Peanuts can also be a very labor intensive crop since you have to make sure to protect them against disease. It’s rewarding when you’ve finished a harvest, but it can also be very stressful.”

Adkinson’s schedule generally prevents him from pursuing the sport’s other crown jewel, the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals, but it won’t keep him from pursuing a world title, or at the very least a Top 10 finish. Last year, he was the sport’s No. 8-ranked driver in Stock.

Following the upcoming South Georgia event, Adkinson intends to work until June, when he goes to Summit Motorsports Park for the Division 3 doubleheader and the national event. He plans a similar stop later in the summer in Brainerd.

“I don’t ever look at points. I just go and do best I can do. Right now, it's way too early to even think about it,” Adkinson said. “We’ve all seen guys have these super hot starts and then have some bad luck, or have something go wrong. I’d rather wait until the middle of the season and then reevaluate my chances.”

Should Adkinson find himself in a title fight later this season, he’s always got an Ace up his sleeve because even though he’s from Georgia, he’s had tremendous success on the West Coast, particularly at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Raceway, where he has won three times.

“If I have to go out west in the fall, I’m prepared to do that,” he said. “I especially like Pomona. I don’t know what it is about that place, but I’ve always done well there.”

Of course, no one wins without help, and Adkinson’s team is anchored by his wife, Amy, and longtime crew chief, Willie Evans, who previously enjoyed similar success as working with Charlie and Jeff Taylor, among others.

“Willie has been with me for 15 years, and it’s a blessing to have him. He takes care of the cars and gets them set up for me so I can look after the business,” Adkinson said. “Sometimes, I get to the track at the last minute, but I know I can just focus on driving and hitting the Tree."

Evans was inducted into the NHRA Southeast Division Hall of Fame in 2018, and Adkinson’s late father, Fred, was also inducted as part of the Class of 2023. Adkinson is nothing if not humble, so he’d never say it himself, but given his most recent success, it would not be the least bit surprising to see him receive a similar honor in the not-too-distant future.

“I don’t know about that,” Adkinson said humbly. “I just go out and try and do the best I can. I really enjoy this sport and the people I’ve met along the way. And I’m grateful that I still get to do this.”