Could This be the Ultimate Mother-Daughter Road Trip? Leticia and Abbey Hughes to Pilot the Sick BBQ / Ice Cream Truck on this year’s Sick Summer Presented by Motion Raceworks
After putting the Sick BBQ – Ice Cream truck up for submissions to drive it on this year’s Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive, the responses poured in.
After considering all the options, it was determined that Rick and Jacki Steinke would command the familiar ride to start the 2024 drag-and-drive season.
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But what about Sick Summer Presented by Motion Raceworks? Would Tom Bailey relinquish his ride from last year and give the hot rod roller responsibility and ice cream sandwich distribution to someone to pilot through Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin?
The word came down at the beginning of May to send submissions, and we got over 50 people stating they wanted to slide behind the wheel for six days of Sick Summer fun. From those submissions, the field was narrowed, and the job will go to Leticia and Abbey Hughes from Kentucky.
Leticia, who regularly competes in the National Mustang Racers Association (NMRA) 8.60 Street Race class, participated in her first drag-and-drive at this year’s Sick Week, guiding a 2018 Ford Mustang to a third-place finish in the Sick Street Race class with her husband Rick riding as co-pilot.
When the contest was announced, Leticia immediately saw the chance to embark on a mother-daughter trip with recent high school graduate Abbey, and put in her submission.
Abbey is no stranger to racing either, getting her start in the popular National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Junior Street class at her local track, Beech Bend Raceway. The class allows kids between the ages of thirteen and sixteen years of age to participate in full size cars and trucks dialed 9-second or slower in the eighth-mile, and Abbey has competed in a couple different vehicles, and several different events and conditions.
“She’s raced with a medical boot on her foot, and even cut a perfect .000 reaction time in it,” said Leticia. “She also scored a Junior Street victory at the NMRA event at Rockingham in North Carolina last year.”
“I love the truck; it’s my favorite Sick vehicle,” Leticia said. “When I saw the post about looking for a team, I mentioned it to Rick. He said ‘You’re going to be spending your summer with Abbey before she leaves for college. What better mother and daughter trip than Sick Summer in the Sick BBQ – Ice Cream Truck?’ I told Abbey about the idea, and she was all-in, no hesitation.”
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine and Leticia Hughes.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com