Testing, Thrashing, Last Minute Heroics – It’s Time for Sick Summer Presented by Motion Raceworks!
With a week of solid weather ahead of us, the second annual Sick Summer Presented by Motion Raceworks is shaping up to be another solid event in the Midwest.
Hundreds of cars and trucks between the competition side and the Sick Ward are making their way to Byron Dragway in Illinois for the start for the week-long drag racing and street cruising combination known as drag-and-drive.
Sick Summer Presented by Motion Raceworks starts TODAY, June 9th, and goes through the 14th!! It’s the way to start your summer right: 350 cars, 4 different race tracks, awesome checkpoints, and over 600 miles of street driving! Click here for all the details!
Some are tested and ready days, or even weeks in advance for the event, while others are still busting their knuckles to make the 1 p.m. deadline to arrive in tech line to be able to compete.
From last-minute turn signal wiring, to pulling out a transmission with the final hours ticking away, this is what we’ve seen on last minute work to get into competition.
Jesse Lesko has been working on bringing his Pontiac Trans Am into the drag-and-drive world for the last three years, and set his sights on Sick Summer for the debut.
Just five days ago, Lesko was able to drive the twin-turbo ride around the block. As of Saturday afternoon, the car was assembled, shake down runs made and NHRA licensing was complete. “Never been more exhausted,” he said. “But car is together and working, NHRA licensing checked off and we're on the way!”
The Price family ’72 Mercury station wagon has been eyeballing a return to Sick Summer, with more power and some refinements, including a Haltech system.
Working through a few issues with assistance from Richard Nelson and Bryan Johnson, the family checked off all the tuning boxes to get the wheelstanding wagon ready for Sick Summer, but encountered a small setback last night.
“8000 pounds might be getting close to the limit,” said Howy Price. “We all missed a giant dip in the road, and tore a v-band clamp off the exhaust. A little bit of redneckery engineering and we are back on the road.”
It almost seems par for the course, as Brian Havlik’s classic ’55 Chevrolet was without an engine as Sick Summer approached, but a back-up plan was hatched.
“The big motor isn’t ready yet so we pieced together this nitrous grenade 496 (big block) over the last month,” said Brian. “It was the motor that came in Jes’s Opel that we knew nothing about, but it ran fairly well the limited time we ran it.”
Upon tearing everything apart for inspection, they discovered some problem areas to address, including bent valves, bent pushrods, bad valve springs, cracked cylinder heads, chips in the valve seats, three different main caps, torched bearings, stripped bolts, clearance issues, and a bunch more.
Thankfully the HotRods by Havliks gang stuck together and got it done. “We fought through it, bent up an Induction Solutions fogger for it, and we are coming for a good time! My 2 sons are coming as co-pilots, and is the sole reason for making this happen!”
We heard they might have forgotten the carburetor and fittings on their early morning departure.
Tom Llewellyn, who landed a top ten finish with his 1999 Ford Mustang in the Stick Shift class at last year’s Sick Summer, is a little behind where he hoped to be with the single-digit capable ride.
“Not ready yet; Getting closer,” he said on Friday morning. “Tune work tomorrow morning, then installing the engine diaper, and hopefully loading everything up on the trailer. I already loaded the mini trailer. Gonna be a long day tomorrow.”
Fellow Stick Shift class runner Dan Watts had a bit more work to do that Tom, as his engine had to come apart less than six weeks before Sick Summer.
“If I was half as knowledgeable at making changes on a Holley EFI, as I am at rebuilding this engine, it probably wouldn’t be toast again,” Dan said of the damage. “Watch your timing tables people, and consult with Rick Trunkett before you fat finger the up arrow.”
The 2003 Mustang Cobra has been in the 8-second range since last year’s Sick Summer, and Dan wants to contend for a top three spot.
Cameron Hatfield looks to bring a turbocharged Chevrolet Monte Carlo to the party, but he might be a little late based on testing results from last night.
“Third rip on the entire new combo, we lost a head gasket we think,” said Cameron. “Went from 11 psi of coolant and a big spike to 50 psi at 3/4 track.”
The best way to start a fun-filled summer is Sick Summer Presented by Motion Raceworks! 6 days, 4 tracks, over 600 miles, and one hell of a road trip!
See the 6-second / 200-mph rides of Alex Taylor, Bryant Goldstone, Cleetus McFarland, Clark Rosenstengel, Nick Taylor, and over 300 more street cars and trucks, as they travel the roads and battle on the drag strips, of the Midwest.
For information, daily routes, and discounted Spectator / Sick Ward tickets, CLICK HERE!
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine and the competitors featured.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com