Carlson Looking For Redemption at Sick Week 2023 in Rowdy Radial Class
With a pair of drag-and-drive events in his rear-view mirror, Clyde Carlson rolled into the 2022 edition of Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive, looking to make a good showing. Carlson completed the 2019 edition of Hot Rod Drag Week, as well as Rocky Mountain Race Week in 2021, and was hoping to complete his third drag-and-drive event in the newly-formed Dial Your Own (DYO) class at Sick Week.
The Dial Your Own class is meant to show consistency over the multiple tracks, and the smallest spread in time slips between a competitor’s quickest elapsed time and their slowest elapsed time would pick up the class win. The DYO class was also broken into a Pro DYO class for cars faster than 10-seconds, and a DYO class for vehicles 10.00 and slower.
Carlson’s 1969 Chevrolet Nova would slide into the Pro DYO class, thanks to an 8.74 at 157 mph opening lap at Bradenton Motorsports Park to start his week. He added an 8.85 time slip from Gainesville Raceway, and a 9.09 slip from South Georgia Motorsports Park. But that would end his week, as engine problems put him on the sidelines.
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Carlson will not only return to Sick Week 2023 Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive in search of redemption, but will be doing so with a new engine combination, a 388 cubic inch LS engine complemented by a pair of 69 millimeter turbochargers.
“I hope to be competitive in Rowdy Radial this time,” said Carlson of the new eighth-mile class. “My new engine and turbos have shown promising low 5-second elapsed times.”
With his son Luke joining him once again as co-pilot, Carlson hopes to complete his third drag-and-drive event without issues, despite the challenges of the small 26-inch tall x 8.5-inch wide tires.
“This will be my first time running these tires,” said Carlson. “I hope there will be opportunity to make enough passes to dial in my tune.”
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Clyde Carlson and KWS Images.