A Fresh Look and New Goals for ‘Sick Seconds 2.0’ – We Look Back at the ’69 Camaro That Made Drag-and-Drive History, as Bailey Preps for 2025
Hot Rod Magazine’s Fastest Street Car Shootout in 1992 was the first event to point the spotlight at dual purposes cars that could survive the street, as well as lay down impressive numbers on the track. Over a decade later, drag-and-drive got its start at Hot Rod Drag Week in 2005, taking a page from that iconic 1992 event and expanding on it.
Looking back at history can give us a clearer picture of what the future may hold, and that ideal plays into the most recent update on Tom Bailey’s ‘Sick Seconds 2.0’ ’69 Camaro, which will debut a fresh look at this week’s Performance & Racing Industry (PRI) show in Indianapolis, Indiana.
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Building on the success Tom experienced with the original ‘Sick Seconds’ 1969 Camaro, he wanted to step to the next level. Enter a brand new car, built by Skinny Kid Race Cars as what Tom refers to as “a street-legal Pro Mod.” Despite losing over 300 pounds of weight versus ‘Sick Seconds 1.0’, 2.0 was built custom with changes from a traditional Pro Mod.
A couple example of these changes include the use of larger tubing to compensate for the abuse a street car takes on the thousands of road miles a ‘race-only’ Pro Mod wouldn’t see, as well as provisions to support a trailer hitch.
Tom debuted the car in 2015, wearing a dark silver hue and an orange stripe that adorned the header panel and rocker areas (not shown in the original art). Posting a best pass of 6.35 at 224 mph on day two, Tom averaged a 6.78 for the week, earning his second Hot Rod Drag Week title and setting a new quickest average record.
The original look lasted for two years before Tom changed to a white with accents of copper and black on the side with a black treatment on the hood. This was the look on the car when Tom blasted into the history books with a 5.99 at 250 mph on the final day of Hot Rod Drag Week in 2019 at Virginia Motorsports Park.
Watch the video below:
Just before rolling the Camaro into the PRI show that year, Sick Seconds changed looks for the third time, adding to the existing 2017 layout, with additional lower door / quarter panel treatment, as well as changing the hood to white with the copper and black stripe combo on the side.
The fourth look of the Camaro was done to usher in the first Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive in 2022. Now in gray sporting a ‘Gucci’ style with dozens of ‘Sick the Mag’ logos in the wrap, the Camaro reverted to a black hood with a large orange ‘Sick the Mag’ logo, an orange header stripe, and ‘Sick” script in orange on the doors.
After three years on the wrap, Tom had plans in mind to touch up the wrap in December before the car would go to PRI, as well as prepare for the 2025 season. “Bob Miller said it was time for a new wrap,” Tom said. They discussed it, and Bob suggested the idea of doing a look to mimic the ’69 Camaro Pace Car idea, and the decision was made!
Although Sick Seconds 2.0 got the full look to match an Indy Pace Car, complete with new ‘Camaro SS’ fender emblems, rear quarter-panel louvers, and even dual chrome side mirrors, there were a few unique touches.
Some of the touches:
- Instead of the Indy Pace Car door decals featuring the wording: ‘Chevrolet Camaro - Official Pace Car – 53rd ANNUAL INDIANAPOLIS 500 MILE RACE – MAY 30, 1969’ Tom opted for ‘SICK THE MAGAZINE – SICK WEEK 2025 January 27th – February 1st' door decals.
- Since Sick Seconds 2.0 also uses a few more cubic inches versus the original car’s 350 or 396 engine choices, a pair of ‘526’ engine callouts sit at the front of the fenders.
Watch Tom’s video reveal of the ‘new’ Sick Seconds 2.0 Camaro below:
The pair of white and orange-striped rides are bound for the PRI show, and will take up residence at the Gear Vendors Overdrive booth, number 3173. Come check it out, and see the new liverly in action on Sick Week 2025 – CLICK HERE for more information on the event and discounted spectator tickets.
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine, Tom Bailey, Geoff Dugopolski and 1320 Video.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com