Although he has a couple drag and drive project cars waiting in the wings, Mike Finnegan has shared with Sick The Mag that he wants to be back behind the wheel of ‘Blasphemi’ - his Gasser '55 Chevrolet with a supercharged HEMI - for a couple more events this year.

“After completing Sick Week, I’m in love with the car again,” said Finnegan of his ’55 Chevy. “I feel like that week helped us learn a lot, and I want to get back in the seat again.”

He admits the shorter drive distance and three run average that Sick At The Rock is a different way to tackle a drag and drive, but the two-day format should hopefully bring more participants.

“I hope it gets more enthusiasts to come out and try a drag and drive,” said Finnegan. “I might get with Tom and see if we can get a group to go cruising together Friday evening. I think that would be cool, and the local community could participate too.”

It was about two years ago when word came from Mopar that production of the popular Challenger and Charger models would cease after the 2023 model year, but also the well known Gen 3 HEMI platform engines. 2024 would usher in a smaller engine focus, as well as electric car discussions. But now, the rumor mill is swirling hard about the V-8 HEMI coming back to production as early as June 2025.

The engines are rumored to be using the Gen 3 architecture, and could have some minor tweaks and/or improvements as production ramps up. The base 5.7-liter, 6.4-liter Apache and supercharged 6.2-liter Hellcat are all rumored to be making a possible comeback.

Although the chances of seeing superchargers and turbochargers versus nitrous on drag and drive rides, there are still some bottle-fed rides that are holding their own.

One happens to be the 1972 Camaro of Lamar Swindoll Jr., and after completing four Sick drag and drive events in just over a year, Lamar is setting his sights on Sick At The Rock Presented by Motion Raceworks.

“After years of drag racing, I was ready for something different,” said Lamar. Drag and drive allows my wife and I to enjoy driving our hot rod on the open roads with our family members who join with their cars, hang out with other racers and their families, do a little site seeing and I still get to race my car down track. It's just a whole lot of fun!”

With a solid first outing at Sick Week in 2025, Lamar will make his next appearance with the Camaro in the new Sick Street Car Challenge class at the upcoming Sick At The Rock event. “I think it’s a great idea to have an event like this at least once a year for the guy that can’t attend a week long event,” said Lamar. “I think the shorter drive will be a great time for first timers to try out a drag and drive event.”

Based on the success of last year’s Edelbrock Sick 66 ‘one-off’ event, we figured if one was good, two must be better! The second 'one-off' event, Sick Smokies, has sold out on competitor spots today, and we’re here to tell you about your options going forward!!

The 2024 edition of Sick Week wasn’t the first drag and drive event Jacob Davis has participated in, but it would mark the first showing for a 1972 AMC Javelin, a previous race-only ride that he converted for Sick Week. Now, a year later, he’s preparing for a Sick At The Rock appearance.

After all the work to convert it to street legal and test it out, Jacob found that the car would give him some fits during last year’s Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive, but Jacob persevered and finished the event with an 11.06 average, bolstered by a best pass of 10.80 at 124.97 mph on day three.

“I’m really excited to see Sick The Mag stepping up to save some of these races and adding their own flare to it with a fun, weekend style drag and drive,” Jacob said. “It requires a lot less commitment of your time and investment of resources to enter a shorter event like this, and I’m actually doing it for my ‘bachelor party’ with some of my groomsmen.”

Some cars will come and go, but the ones that make for some of the best stories are the ones that have history with their owners. Colin Nowak has owned this 1995 Ford Mustang since high school, and after a dozen years cruising and racing it, he’s ready to roll into Rockingham Dragway for next month’s Sick At The Rock and tackle the Sick Street Car Challenge class.

If this supercharged Mustang looks familiar, it’s because Colin made a presence at the 2024 edition of Sick Summer Presented by Motion Raceworks, finishing second in the Modified class with a 9.18 average.

“Car did great,” said Colin. “We didn't have to mess with anything other than swapping tires, shock settings and fuel. Was pretty wild to see after day one I was in third.” He eventually moved to second on day three, where he would stay until the event was completed.

Now, he’s prepping for Sick Summer, Sick Smokies, and Sick At The Rock in 2025.

We’ve had an amazing response to our second ‘one-off’ event of 2025, Edelbrock Sick Smokies, being held October 12th through October 19th, 2025. It should be an amazing week of great racing and scenic drives, including the largest Gasser drag and drive showings ever!

Tomorrow, Wednesday, March 19th is your final chance to submit an ‘Expression of Interest’ form. Submitted ‘Expression of Interest’ forms get the jump on general registration to snag one of the coveted competitor spots by one hour (9 am versus 10 am).

Entries for the Summit Racing Equipment Sick Ward Presented by PEAK Performance are also available – we detail all the information in this story!

When we introduced Summit Racing Equipment Sick Ward Presented by PEAK Performance at Sick Week in 2022, it was an all-inclusive experience. We got requests for different levels of Sick Ward participation in 2023 after Sick Summer, and one year later at Sick Summer, we introduced the Sick Spit Show & Shine.

“When we first created Sick Ward, I wanted it to include the drag and drive experience,” said Tom Bailey. “But, give the participants some extra perks, including parking in the pits, as well as snacks and drinks.”

After a full year of hosting the events, we started hearing how some enthusiasts wanted to join us for the entire week, but didn’t need the pit access for their vehicles. “I understood the changing dynamic,” Tom said. “But there are some truly sweet rides that I felt deserved to have a special place to park in the pits to share with the enthusiasts.”

The basic Sick Ward admission is a multi-day spectator ticket, with a discount and some bonuses! A Sick Ward ticket to any Sick drag and drive event covers one person and general spectator parking for all track days, and in addition to saving a good chunk off individual day tickets, it includes a Sick Ward windshield banner and participant t-shirt.

For those that want the next level of Sick Ward participation, the Sick Spit Show & Shine is the ticket. Learn more in our story here!

The Edelbrock name has been a staple in the performance industry since they released their first product in 1938. Vic Edelbrock Sr. had made the move from Kansas to California, and had been at the helm of a successful repair business.

After buying a 1932 Ford roadster in 1938, which marked Vic Sr.’s entry into the world of hot rods, Vic Sr. would dive into the world of performance parts.

The ’Slingshot’ aluminum manifold, a 180-degree design for the Ford flathead engine that used a pair of Stromberg 97 carburetors, would be the first product to feature the ‘Edelbrock’ name.

It's not uncommon to see the Edelbrock Performance name at dozens of events, especially drag racing. So, we were excited to have Edelbrock join us for our Sick 66 as the title sponsor in 2024. “It was an amazing time,” said Billy Carroll of Edelbrock. “To combine Route 66 with some great participants made for an enjoyable week. It almost felt like I wasn’t working.”

In nearly three years since Palm Beach International Raceway (PBIR) closed the gates for the final time, there has been a lot of news about the facility that was supposed to never see racing again, and be converted to warehouses.

The original sale fell through after a lengthy battle with commissioners, the property sat untouched, and rumors circulated that there could be a chance of survival. Recently, we learned from two sources that the top bids to return racing to the South Florida have fallen short.

After three years sitting idle, will the money come through and nearly 60 years of racing history at PBIR come to a permanent end? Or will a buyer swoop in to save the track after the big name developer fails to come in with the payment?

Although many tend to focus on the competitors at Sick The Magazine events like our recently completed Sick Week, our Summit Racing Equipment Sick Ward Presented by PEAK Performance is just as important.

Built to give the enthusiast that wants the full drag and drive experience, minus the race track passes, Sick Ward has been part of each of our events, and is now open for the 2025 edition of Sick Summer, as well as Sick Michigan Miles and Sick Smokies.

“We’re appreciative of the large number of drag and drive enthusiasts that want to join us at a Sick The Magazine event each year,” said Tom Bailey. “After a few years of talking to our Sick Ward participants and listening to their feedback, we think we’ve hit on the right balance for the Sick Ward part for all of our 2025 events.”

“Bring a friend to the track / car show / event” is a phrase a lot of us have heard to encourage getting others to attend a car enthusiast event. A growing number of people get their first look thanks to the efforts of a friend or co-worker.

Tom Bailey noticed these efforts, and launched the Sick The Magazine Affiliate Program in December, a way to reward Sick The Mag event participants for bringing out fellow enthusiasts. After the first three months of the program, it has paid out over $20,000 in rewards for affiliate commitments.

“We were told not to do this by some promoters,” said Bailey. “Because they don't want to share the gate with the attendees, but we do. So, we are going to do it anyway!

“I have been to events where when I look at the crowd, my shirts outnumber the event shirts, but I didn't get anything for bringing those folks through the gate. And that was okay, but it got me to thinking, so we are going to change that.”

The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) has been through a lot in the last couple years, including being purchased by two different entities, ceasing to host their popular Nitro Jam / Pro-Am events, and losing sanctioning for several dozen tracks to the new World Drag Racing Alliance (WDRA) and the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA).

But an announcement today about ten events for the IHRA’s Pro-Am 2025 national event schedule signifies a big change in the organization, and a few of the race tracks on the schedule should raise some eyebrows.

The IHRA schedule includes Galot Motorsports Park and Maryland International Dragway, which were under IHRA sanctioning at the start of 2024.

But some of the tracks on the schedule, including Darlington Dragway, Milan Dragway and National Trail Raceway, were under NHRA sanctioning at the beginning of the 2024 season.

After competing in his wife’s Trans Am in 2023, Chuck Stefanski decided to up the ante and re-vamp his 1981 Pontiac Lemans station wagon for a full season in 2024.

Chuck Stefanski achieved some solid results, completing two drag and drive events, and scoring wins at two events. Now he’s got new goals for 2025, including the new Sick Street Car Challenge class at the Sick At The Rock event next month.

“I think this is an awesome way to showcase drag and drive, and giving the competitors several chances to win some real cash,” said Chuck. “This structure allows the spectators to stay at one track and see every pass. This event is going to set the pace for the future of drag and drive, and I am along for the ride!”

The 72nd annual Detroit Autorama in Michigan showcased hundreds of rides, including the ‘Great 8’ finalists for the coveted Ridler award. And although a lot of focus was on those beautiful rides, as well as the Ridler award winning ‘55 Chevrolet Nomad of Tom and Christy Bresnahan, there were a lot more awards given out, including the popular Drag and Drive category.

Drag and drive rides have to prove themselves on the track and the street, but the Detroit Autorama gave them a chance to do it under the lights at Huntington Place in Detroit, Michigan for a chance to claim an award. The familiar ’63 DIVCO Milk Truck of Nick Cryer, which was part of the Sick The Magazine display, scored the third-place finish in the category.

The recently completed Oldsmobile Cutlass of Steven Haefner would take a display spot in the Summit Racing Equipment booth, and by the end of the three-day show, Haefner collected a pair of awards, taking home first place in the Drag and Drive category, as well as Street Best Engine.

Following a couple seasons in the National Mustang Racers Association (NMRA) 8.60 Street Race class, Leticia Hughes made the jump to her first drag and drive event at the 2024 edition of Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive. Doing the event with husband Rick riding as the co-pilot, Leticia completed the week in her 2018 Ford Mustang GT with an 8.57 average and third place in the Sick Street Race Category.

“It was an amazing event,” said Leticia. “I didn’t think we would place top three; we just planned to have a decent tune up in the car, make a single pass each day, and hit the road.” After competing primarily in the NMRA series, Leticia decided to branch out and do a few new events in 2024. Leticia and daughter Abbey even wheeled the Sick BBQ-Ice Cream-Hot Dog truck on Sick Summer Presented by Motion Raceworks.

“Doing the drag and drive style of event was so much rewarding,” Leticia said. After completing her season at No Mercy at South Georgia Motorsports Park, Leticia and Rick decided the Mustang needed some upgrades. Those changes included a switch in power adders on the Stage 2 TKM Performance Gen 3 Coyote, as Leticia and Rick have installed a pair of HPT Turbochargers in the 68/70-millimeter size, as well as a custom air to water intercooler.

Leticia will have the latest round of upgrades done in time to enter our Sick At The Rock event in April, where she hopes to claim her share of the $32,000 up for grabs in our Sick Street Car Challenge class.

Several drag and drive events each year following the week-long format that Hot Rod Drag Week initiated in 2005. But we’ve seen a few events start to use the 2-3 day format, and Sick The Magazine’s will take that to the next level with our new Sick Street Car Challenge class at the Sick At The Rock event, April 10th - 12th, 2025 at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina.

“We have been trying to incorporate this into an event for a few years now,” Tom Bailey said of the new class. “Everyone we have mentioned it to has been all about it. Well, here it is - the Sick Street Car Challenge class!”

Registration to this two-day drag and drive format is now open to 200 lucky competitors, for a chance to collect their share of $32,000 in payouts. You don’t necessarily need to be the quickest overall either, as we have 32 different categories to award $1,000 in, and we’ve come up with some good ones to give every competitor a shot at some money.

The Sick Street Car Challenge, based on a two-day drag and drive format (Friday April 11th and Saturday April 12th), will compete on an eighth-mile distance. Street legal machines will battle for $32,000 in prize money across over two-dozen categories, with the ability to stack more than one category for huge payouts!

After a notable 2023 season where this 1993 Ford Mustang convertible picked up a trio of drag and drive wins, including the Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive and the Sick Summer Presented by TBM Brakes event, owner Devin Vanderhoof decided to make some major changes in 2024.

That list included a switch from a stock-style suspension to an aftermarket (parallel) 4-link suspension, double frame railing the Mustang, upgrading the roll cage to a 25.1 / 25.2 SFI-certification, and putting the car on a diet and removing around 200 pounds of heft.

Vanderhoof and Davis started their 2025 season with a win at this year’s Sick Week in the Modified class, including a new personal best pass of 6.37 at 227 mph at Gainesville Raceway (with eighth-mile numbers of 4.23 at 181 mph).

Just a couple week later, Vanderhoof and Davis returned to South Georgia Motorsports Park (SGMP) for the popular radial tire Lights Out event to participate in the ‘Braggin Rights’ street car class. After a few days of work, the team captured the overall title with a 6.38 at 228 mph final round blast.

But a recent test session at Carolina Dragway yielded a performance number they've been working towards for a long time.

For the 72nd time, Huntington Place in Detroit, Michigan has been filled to capacity with hundreds of rides for the 3-day Detroit AutoRama.

One of the largest indoor car shows, news has just dropped on the ‘Great 8’ selection, a necessity for those eight finalists in their hopes to earn the coveted Ridler Award.

First presented in 1964, the Ridler Award is one of the highest awards to be captured in the custom and hot rod car community. It is awarded annually, and to even earn one of those coveted ‘Great 8’ slots, the vehicles must fall under under strict “never been shown before” guidelines.

The Great 8 finalists at the Detroit AutoRama have been announced – who will win the prestigious Ridler Award?

The 72nd Annual Detroit AutoRama in Michigan has showcased everything from race cars to street bikes, and for the 2025 edition of this massive indoor show, Sick The Magazine is displaying twelve of some cool and quick rides proven in drag and drive events.

But one of the main attractions at the Detroit AutoRama is the dozens of rides hoping for a ‘Great 8’ selection, and ultimately, the Ridler Award.

Since it was first presented at the Detroit AutoRama in 1964, the Ridler Award is one of the highest awards to be captured in the custom and hot rod car community. It is awarded annually from a group of vehicles selected as the ‘Great 8’ and these vehicles must fall under under strict “never been shown before” guidelines.

With Sick The Magazine getting our area set-up on Thursday, we had a chance to walk the show and check out some of the amazing rides. Below are some of the ones that caught our eye as possible ‘Great 8’ selection and could be the next Ridler Award winner.