Derek Putnam Derek Putnam

The Circuit’s Second Event of 2025 – Short Circuit – Provides a 2-Day Drag and Drive Experience Around Racing at Tulsa Raceway Park

After successfully hosting ‘The Circuit – A Charity With Horsepower’ drag and drive events, Michael Narx and Eric White decided to up the ante for 2025 and add a second event to the brand, ‘Short Circuit.’

Based on a two-day format, Short Circuit would employ Tulsa Raceway Park for the drag racing element, incorporating racing on Friday night and Saturday afternoon / evening. A Saturday morning cruise with a goal of 100 miles would provide the ‘drive’ portion of the event, and awards would take place Saturday night.

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Derek Putnam Derek Putnam

Testing at World Cup Finals at Maryland International Raceway Gives the Racing World A Taste of What Could Be a Record-Setting Event

For the last 28 years, the World Cup Finals Import vs. Domestic event has been held at Maryland International Raceway (MDIR). Highly anticipated for cool temperatures and great track prep, the World Cup Finals Import vs. Domestic event packs in huge crowds, and delivers some great racing, as well as record-setting runs.

With twelve classes on tap, crowds can expect to see everything from 5-second runs in the quickest class, Outlaw vs. Extreme, to low 9-second naturally-aspirated runs in the All Motor ranks. Plenty of familiar names are on site already, including notable names and past winners Cleetus McFarland, Brett LaSala, Victor Alvarez and Joe Glockner to name a few.

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Derek Putnam Derek Putnam Derek Putnam Derek Putnam

Third Time’s the Charm – Nick Cryer Dominates Edelbrock Sick Smokies with a Trio of Personal Best Runs, the Overall Victory, and a Sick The Mag Orange Helmet!

After several years of entertaining audiences, and completing several drag and drive events in his family’s wheelstanding 1963 Divco (Detroit Industrial Vehicles COmpany) Milk Truck, Nick Cryer made the switch to a more serious 1933 Ford Coupe at the 2025 edition of Motion Raceworks Sick Summer.

Nick’s drag and drive debut came up a single day short of completion, but Nick would rebound at his next two drag and drive events, Hot Rod Drag Week and Edelbrock Sick Smokies. And we got a glimpse at what the ’33 Ford could deliver for performances in 2026.

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Derek Putnam Derek Putnam Derek Putnam Derek Putnam

Atmore Dragstrip in Alabama Announces Closing, and It Could Be Permanent

Getting its start with paperwork in November of 1975, Atmore Dragway has seen nearly five decades of racing action under three different sanctioning bodies, multiple owners and managers, and has hosted everything from national events, to Gassers, Pro Mods, bracket racing and no-prep in 2025.

Originally the vision of Bessie Owens, Amelia Owens, Robert Owens and Travis Gary in 1975, the eighth-mile track in Atmore, Alabama now under the name of Atmore Dragstrip could face an unknown future. Current ambassadors Joey and Misty Barber announced the closure of the track at the end of 2025, and it sounds like it could be permanent.

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Derek Putnam Derek Putnam Derek Putnam Derek Putnam

Sick The Magazine Plans Display at the Detroit AutoRama in 2026, and We Want Your Ride In Our Display!!

The Detroit AutoRama, an indoor car, truck, hot rod and motorcycle show held for over 70 years, puts tens of thousands of amazing rides on display. Everything from production cars, to top tier builds, including select few that are eligible for The Ridler Award.

Sick The Magazine has brought a drag and drive flavor to the show for years, and for the 2026 edition of The Detroit AutoRama, we’re looking to expand that display, and it could include your ride!

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Derek Putnam Derek Putnam Derek Putnam Derek Putnam

The Dodge Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak by Direct Connection is Revealed, Combines New Look Charger and A Supercharged 354 cid HEMI V8 - Can It Win Back the HEMI Nation, or is it Too Little, Too Late?

After more than a decade of modern Charger and Challenger models in their arsenal, including the popular Hellcat and Drag Pak versions, Dodge signaled the end of production to the third generation Challenger and the Charger’s seventh generation in 2023.

A little over a year ago, the eighth generation of the Charger debuted to the public, but without a V8 option able to be ordered. Today, Dodge put a big checkmark in that column, as the first Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak by Direct Connection was revealed, with a HEMI in place.

This launch brings the SRT high-performance 354 cubic inch HEMI with a Whipple supercharger, together with a revamped Dodge Charger platform, specifically for drag racing.

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Event Coverage Derek Putnam Event Coverage Derek Putnam

Sweet Home Alabama – After 7 Days, 900-Plus Miles and Some Epic Memories, Edelbrock Sick Smokies Returned to Rocket City Dragway to Crown Champions!

After six days, traveling over 900 street miles, and racing at five different drag strips, the Edelbrock Sick Smokies drag and drive event returned to Rocket City for one final day of racing, and to crown champions in a multitude of categories, as well as award five Sick The Mag helmets.

After Mother Nature delayed the start of the final day with overnight showers, followed up with a late morning spritz, we finally witnessed cars hit the Rocket City Dragway surface a little after 1:30 p.m. for an afternoon of racing, capped off by the awards ceremony and a Mexican dinner.

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Event Coverage Derek Putnam Event Coverage Derek Putnam

Georgia On My Mind – Brainerd Motorsports Park Was the Ticket for October 18th’s Action on Edelbrock Sick Smokies - Now Just One Day of Racing Remains for Sick Smokies Enthusiasts!

With five days of racing and driving in the books for Edelbrock Sick Smokies, most drag and drive events would be wrapped up and complete.

But for Sick Smokies, the schedule calls for two more days of fun, drag strip action and street miles cruising. So, Saturday, October 18th found us dipping a toe into Georgia territory, and racing at Brainerd Motorsports Park.

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Event Coverage Derek Putnam Event Coverage Derek Putnam

Taming the Tennessee Trails – A Friday Drive Day at Edelbrock Sick Smokies Provides Some of the Best Sights Yet, as Competitors Rack Up the Miles Before Heading South To Brainerd Motorsports Park

After four straight days of racing and driving in Tennessee and Alabama, competitors and Sick Ward enthusiasts would be treated to some amazing falls vibes and great roads, as Friday, October 17th would be a drive day for Edelbrock Sick Smokies.

Some drivers would choose the famous ‘Tail of the Dragon’ as part of their travels, but Sick The Mag editor Luke Nieuwhof offered up a couple alternatives to give Sick Smokies participants a way to get from Cosby, Tennessee to the northern area of Georgia and the city of Ringgold.

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Event Coverage Derek Putnam Event Coverage Derek Putnam

Making the Mid-Point – Some Competitors Thrive on Day Four of Edelbrock Sick Smokies at Knoxville Dragway, While Others Look for a Way to Survive Three More Days

Rolling into Knoxville Dragway for Day Four of Edelbrock Sick Smokies meant the mid-point of the event had been reached, with three days in the books and our fourth track of the week ready for action.

The Thursday racing didn’t disappoint, as some category battles heat up. And although a few competitors are once again burning the midnight oil to repair their rides for a Friday drive day, a few others found that the end of the road for their adventure came earlier than expected.

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Event Coverage Derek Putnam Event Coverage Derek Putnam

Stick to the Plan - Edelbrock Sick Smokies Day Three Found Some Competitors With Renewed Energy, But Nick Cryer Continues to Lead the Pack

With over 300 miles on the odometer after the first two days of driving, Edelbrock Sick Smokies started Day Three at Fitzgerald Motorsports Park. The revamped track alongside I-40 highway had just changed owners for 2025, with Blake Fitzgerald at the helm for his first full year of operation in 2025.  

With a new game plan and renewed sense of energy, Blake and team welcomed the Edelbrock Sick Smokies competitors, Sick Ward and Sick Spit Show & Shine to Crossville, Tennessee, and a steady stream of spectators made the trip to check out the action.

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Event Coverage Derek Putnam Event Coverage Derek Putnam

Short Circuit – Day Two of Edelbrock Sick Smokies at Music City Raceway Ended on a Different Note, As Flying Cars and Flag Starts Would Highlight the Day

Just when you think you’ve seen it all in racing, a situation occurs that leaves everyone in attendance talking, and in some cases, scratching their heads on how to move forward.

That very thing happened on Day Two of Edelbrock Sick Smokies, where a huge wheelstand would lead to a pause in the action that could’ve been permanent. But instead, an alternative was initiated, and the day ended with positive success in Tennessee.

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Event Coverage Derek Putnam Event Coverage Derek Putnam

We Have Liftoff – Rocket City Dragway Hosts One of The Quickest Days of Eighth-Mile Drag and Drive Competition, as Edelbrock Sick Smokies Completes Day One of Competition

The concept of a drag and drive is an easy one – to survive the tracks AND the street drives, in order to successfully complete the event. But the competition side has been heating up over the last few years as well, as more new cars are being built to quicken the pace in certain classes and/or events.

The Edelbrock Sick Smokies marks the first time a drag and drive event has made a serious push for a large contingent of Gassers, and that call to action was answered by more than 40 entries. Combined with nearly 200 additional entries teched outside the Gassers, Edelbrock Sick Smokies marks the largest ‘one off’ Sick The Magazine drag and drive event in our three-year history.

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Event Coverage Derek Putnam Event Coverage Derek Putnam

Nick Cryer, Jack Brooks, Lamar Swindoll Jr and Mike Finnegan Produce the Quickest Times During Testing on Day Zero of Edelbrock Sick Smokies at Rocket City Dragway

A sunny and warm day at Rocket City Dragway provided the basis for Day Zero of Edelbrock Sick Smokies, as over 200 cars and trucks were teched in and given some testing time on the drag strip.

A diverse field of entries from across the US and Canada came together in the staging lanes, and we got to witness some stellar runs, and some familiar faces dropped some solid elapsed times during the test and tune on Day Zero.

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Derek Putnam Derek Putnam Derek Putnam Derek Putnam

‘Garbage That Barfed’ Gasser Looks to Dominate the B/Gas Field at Next Week’s Edelbrock Sick Smokies!

Nearly a decade after acquiring a name that some might have questioned, Matt Donovan has rolled into the double-digit number of drag and drive events he’s attended with a 1938 Chevrolet coupe.

Granted, the original ‘Garbage That Barfed’ 1941 Pontiac was upgraded to the current ’38 Chevrolet, but the spirit remains. And in addition to completing the unique Edelbrock Sick Smokies event, Donovan hopes to check off some personal goals.

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Luke . Luke .

Editorial: The Grudge Race That Stopped a Nation

If ever there was a grudge race had the perfect narrative elements, this was it. There was a hero — Garrett Mitchell with his huge social media following — and there was a villain. Joel Grannas probably didn’t intend to fill that role before FL2K, but when he missed a lane call and went on Facebook to vent, the internet was not kind.

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Derek Putnam Derek Putnam Derek Putnam Derek Putnam

Skill Set – Tim Irwin Puts His Spin on a Gasser-Themed Chevy II That Will Debut At Edelbrock Sick Smokies Next Week!

Working in the performance industry has its perks, and one of those is getting lots of ideas for either a current or new project. In the case of Tim Irwin, who has over fifty years in the racing world, he needs to looks no further than the racing community and his current employer, Moser Engineering.

Irwin has owned and built some cool rides, including Gassers. “I’ve been a chassis builder for most of my working life, and know what it takes to build a competitive car,” Irwin said. That has played into his interest, as well as a car, for the quickly-approaching Edelbrock Sick Smokies event.

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Derek Putnam Derek Putnam Derek Putnam Derek Putnam

The Ways of a Willys – Dean Trowbridge Scratched the Gasser Itch with a Classic Willys; Now He Takes the Next Step to See If Man and Machine Can Survive Edelbrock Sick Smokies!

Some of us get a first or second car that resonates with us, sometimes enough to retain ownership, or the desire to have a similar model for the long haul.

But there are other enthusiasts that have to ‘pay their dues’ and bust their tail to get that car and/or the performance they have been picturing in their life. That was the case with Dean Trowbridge, who will join us for Edelbrock Sick Smokies and his first drag and drive with this Willys Gasser.

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Derek Putnam Derek Putnam Derek Putnam Derek Putnam

Cementing His Legacy – After Seven Years with a ’63 Ford Galaxie, Bobby Frizzell Will Add Another Chapter to This Gasser’s Storyline by Competing at the Edelbrock Sick Smokies Event This October!

Some classic rides enjoy a lengthy ownership under the individual that originally purchased them, and in the case of this ’63 Ford Galaxie 500, it was also raced not long as after leaving the dealership.

After more than five decades of ownership, The Galaxie changed hands in 2018 to a new owner, Bobby Frizzell. He has continued to exercise the car on the track, and will add in the street element in a couple weeks when he embarks on Edelbrock Sick Smokies.

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Derek Putnam Derek Putnam Derek Putnam Derek Putnam

Common Cents – Jeremy Bonnett’s Home Shop Built, Sick Week Winning Gasser ‘Last Penny’ Will Go for a Second Win in 2025 At Edelbrock Sick Smokies in October!

Almost every car has a story to tell, whether it has a long family history, or a special day such as being driven to a wedding.

For Jeremy Bonnett, racing and the love of automobiles and motorcycles has spilled into not only time spent with his family, but also in building cars at their home shop. They created a couple that have seen time in the drag and drive community.

The latest one, this ’33 Willys named ‘Last Penny’ was finished in 2024, and Jeremy will join 70-plus Gassers to go for a second drag and drive event win at next month’s Edelbrock Sick Smokies!

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