Setting the Standard – Brett LaSala and Ed Ensor Lead a Record-Setting List of Winners from Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive
After five days of traveling through Georgia and Florida, Sick Week presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive rolled into South Georgia Motorsports Park for the final day to see who had enough left in the tank to complete a nearly 850 mile trip, and their final pass, from five days of work.
We may have started with rain and cold temperatures on Day Zero that prevented any on track activity, but on Day Five, the all-concrete surface in southern Georgia was scorched with record times and shocking faces as competitors just kept getting quicker throughout the day.
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Brett LaSala, who had already bettered his existing drag-and-drive radial record three times leading back to Georgia, opened with a 6.12 at 234 mph blast from his twin-turbo 2011 Ford Mustang to start his afternoon. On lap number two, he lowered that record a few more notches with a 6.07 at 236 mph. Was there more left?
LaSala managed to get it cooled and fueled, and put the ‘Snot Rocket 3.0’ Mustang back in the lanes for a third shot at the race track, in which he started with a 1.04 60 foot, and a 3.97 eighth mile time, 4 hundredths of-a-second better than the eighth mile time on the 6.07 pass! But a pesky boost cut entered the chat, shutting down what could have been a low 6.0-second lap, possibly even a 5-second run, from Snot Rocket 3.0.
But the 6.07 pass was enough to secure the top spot in Unlimited with a 6.24 average, a new record average for radial tires. He also scored the quickest average of the event, and Rick Johnson from Gear Vendors Overdrive handed LaSala, and co-pilot Jim Braun, guitars for their efforts.
The man who re-wrote the record book for naturally-aspirated combinations at Sick Summer 2023, would once again set the class on its ear at Sick Week. Ed Ensor’s 1985 Mustang clocked in four runs between 7.078 and 7.090 for the week, shattering his previous record of 7.46 in competition.
Ensor’s best run came on Day Five, with a 7.078 at 194.74, giving him a final average of 7.096, lowering the record significantly from his previous best of 7.53. When receiving his second Sick orange helmet as class champion, Ensor was asked if he would be returning for another shot at the 6-second mark naturally-aspirated. “To be determined” was his answer.
The Ultimate Iron class included such recognizable names as Alex Taylor, Bryant Goldstone , and Carl Stancell. But rising to the top of the pack at Sick Week would be Graham Hayes, who converted his ‘66 Chevrolet Nova from nitrous to twin turbos last December. That move proved to be a good one, as he used a 6.49 at 225 mph best pass to arrive at a 6.64 average, capturing the class helmet, and the final Gear Vendors Overdrive guitar.
Almost a doppelgänger of Graham Hayes’ ride, Nick Reinhart topped a large Heavy Metal class for his first winner’s orange helmet. Debuting his 1967 Chevrolet Nova at last year’s Street N Yeet event, Reinhart took what he learned and applied it for an all 6-second week at Sick Week. His best single run of 6.88 at 203 mph set the class record, and the resulting 6.93 average is also a new record mark.
After a complete revamp of Devin Vanderhoof’s 1993 Mustang during the second half of 2024, Josh Davis put in the necessary work behind the wheel to score his second Sick event win in less than two years. Their best pass of the week would come at Gainesville Raceway on day 4, with a 6.37 at 227 mph leading to a 6.57 average for the week, and the Modified class victory came with a Gear Vendors Overdrive guitar to boot.
Glenn Hunter had never run a 6-second pass in drag-and-drive competition before Sick Week this year. But he changed that three times during the week, with his timeless ’56 Chevrolet Bel Air rolling to a best of 6.93 at 202 mph during the week. His 7.01 average would score the Pro Street class victory.
The Super Street class had some drama in it on the final day. Bob Hess Jr. came in with the lead over Bradley Arnold, but after a subpar first run, Hess put out the parts call for a turbocharger. The swap was completed in time to get back in the staging lanes, and a 7.65 final pass equated to a 7.45 average, enough to get the job done for Hess Jr. as the class champion.
Arnold initially looked to have second place locked up with a 7.50 average, but after reviewing footage, the Buick Regal was determined to have crossed the centerline before Arnold reached the finish line on his 7.79 Friday pass. That disqualified his time, and replaced it with a 20-second run. That gave Lamar Swindoll and his nitrous-fed ‘72 Camaro second place with a 7.67 average, and Jordan Boudreau’s 2002 Mustang third with a 7.91 average.
After co-piloting with a fellow Mustang owner for an event in 2024, Darin Hendricks decided that the drag-and-drive way of life was for him. His 1993 Mustang Cobra, a former class champion in the NMRA racing series, embarked on its first drag-and-drive event at Sick Week, and his 8.82 second average was good enough to score the win in a very competitive Stick Shift class.
The small tire Rowdy Radials class always brings an interesting mix of cars, and a new name rose to the top of the list this year. Jamie Doller wheeled his 1971 model Chevrolet Camaro to the win, using a 4.93-second best to arrive at a 4.99 average and the Sick orange winner’s helmet.
Sick Week Freaks also got a new name at the top of the list, as Cooper Bogetti scored his first drag-and-drive victory. Bogetti took his 2JZ-swapped 1999 Camaro on its first drag-and-drive adventure, and averaged an 8.84 for the week to secure the win.
The Street Race 275 class had a familiar name at the top of the list, as Randy Seward scored the title for the second straight year. His 1991 Mustang ran an 8.50 pass 4 times during the week, and averaged out at 8.506, leading Seward to a second Sick helmet.
Kevin Bolger would deny all opponents in the Sick Street Race class, with his 1987 Buick Regal getting the job done with an 8.58-second average for the week.
Gassers would once again lead the way in the Gassers vs Hot Rods vs Beetles class, with Jeremy Bonnett scoring the top spot. His ‘Last Penny’ 1933 Willys locked down the win with an 8.88-second average.
The Dial-Your-Own (DYO) and Pro DYO puts the pressure on drivers to keep their rides as consistent as possible throughout five days of racing action.
At the end of the week, it would be Azeem Sheikh in Pro DYO (8.50-9.99 seconds), and Will Stoneberg in DYO (10.00 seconds and slower) getting the job done the best to score the coveted Sick orange helmets.
See the results from Sick Week 2025 Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive - CLICK HERE!
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine and 1320Video.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com