For The Adventure – Participant Stories from The Road: Matt Donovan and ‘Garbage That Barfed’ ’38 Chevrolet Gasser
With as much as Sick the Magazine has grown, we are looking to expand our coverage even more in 2024! What can you do to help? Tell us your story, and we might share it here on “For the Adventure – Participant Stories from the Road!
We’re looking for you to contribute to the Sickness with stories, articles, event coverage, and more! You don’t need writing experience, just a desire to share your stories. It can be about a build you’re doing in your garage or driveway, your experience on a drag-and-drive (from a participant or cruiser perspective), or even an article about your plans to participate in a drag-and-drive.
Interested? Send your submissions to info@sickthemagazine.com and check your e-mails and spam folders. We might select your story, and will send you a follow up before it gets used! We will publish one story each week on the Sick the Magazine website on Thursdays! We can’t read your stories until you submit them, so get on it!
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When I first learned of the idea of Death Week, I immediately submitted my expression of interest with the only goal in mind was to make it thru the week with Garbage That Barfed. The months leading up to Death Week were as usual for the car; busted up transmissions, traction issues etc. But the months leading to Death week for me would take a very unexpected turn.
After experiencing some vision issues, I decided to get my eyes checked. I was referred to a specialist, and then scheduled for an MRI. On October 10th 2023, my life as I knew it changed. I was told I have a tumor growing between my left eye and brain, and was immediately referred to Indiana University Indy, and University of Michigan Ann Arbor. After several consultations, it was decided to go along with U of M and the testing began.
Of course, that meant not attending Death Week, or any other racing events. The sting of missing Death Week hurt, but missing out on any other events local wasn't too bad. And soon, winter would be rearing its ugly head, and prep for Sick Week would begin. Or would it? With trips to Ann Arbor almost bi-weekly, extensive tests, blood work, scans etc., the bank account was taking a hit harder than Andre the Giant being pile driven by Hulk Hogan.
I signed up for Sick Week anyway, with high hopes that things would work out and everything would be fine. Usually, we would go through the engine in Garbage, check everything over and freshen up the gaskets, do a service on the transmission and differential, and call it good for Sick Week. But in light of the medical bills rolling in like a freight train, we decided to let it go as the car really performed flawlessly last time out.
As the days grew shorter and the cold temps began to creep in, the doctors found that the vision in my left eye was changing. I began seeing double, sometimes spotty, and have a blind spot that goes from the 6 o'clock to 9 o'clock region of my vision. A super dooper high imaging CT scan was ordered, and it revealed a "tentacle" like appendage that was growing in a perpendicular fashion from the original growth, meaning the original diagnosis of Meningioma might not be correct.
I was informed at the next doctor visit, that driving should be minimal if needed. I asked "what about drag racing?" The doctor just looked at me laughing, until she realized I was serious. After a lengthy discussion, I had convinced them that I was okay to drive and okay to do Sick Week. I would never endanger the safety of myself or especially others around me.
Still unsure how we were going to make this happen financially, I began taking on as much side work as I could do. Thanks to a great group of friends, I had completed a bunch of work in the shop, and it was looking better that I wouldn't be sleeping in the car all week. Enter David Helvie of Group 5 Graphics. David is the owner and installer of the wrap on Garbage, my 1938 Chevy coupe Gasser. David had called and asked if I could make it over to his shop for a quick video testimonial about the work he has done on Garbage.
The next day I went to David's shop and we did a quick video promoting his shop and the work they do. I was about to get up from the couch, when he said-"hold on we need to do one more". So thinking it was another take, I sit back down and what happened next is a miracle. David and I begin talking about Sick Week and my desire to do the event, and the set back of recent health issues.
After some discussion, David says, "I have been very fortunate in my business, and have been afforded an opportunity to pass it on, and I would like to present you this check for $2500.00 to help you get to Florida to participate in Sick Week." ....I was emotional. In that short minute of time, getting to Sick Week just became a reality. I know have enough to get there, eat, sleep, and get home. If the headaches and vision stay calm, were going to have a great week in Florida!
We loaded the truck and trailer January 25th, and we hit the road at 3 am on January the 26th. Along with Garbage, and my little Garbage trailer, we had a cargo of second gen F body parts that Robert Williams purchased from Scott Klepinger. The plan was to meet Robert at Orlando, and pass off the parts to him to take home at the end of Sick Week. That changed when Robert’s son fell ill and was rushed to Mayo clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. Robert and Debbie had to pull out of Sick Week / Sick Ward entirely.
My navigator Reggie Gonzalez and I decided it was only right to help out and take the parts to Roberts shop in Cape Coral., then turn and burn to Orlando to get into the Cadillac Attack event at Orlando Speed World Dragway. We arrived at OSW late Saturday evening the 27th, pulled right up next to Clark and Amy Rosenstengel, and began what we hoped to be an epic Sick Week adventure.
Sunday, we made it through tech early, and Reggie and I began to help in tech lines, installing window stickers for class designation. The lanes went live for testing, and we were quick to get in the line. It felt great being suited up, and strapped in Garbage. Especially since the last time I was in the car I was almost 60 pounds heavier! I get the wave to go into the water box, adrenaline is pumping. I wait my turn, but while I do so, I say a quick prayer and double check my vision. All good.
I specifically lined up in the left lane because the blind spot in the left eye might inhibit me from seeing the tree well. I do the burn out, car feels, sounds amazing! Stage, come off the trans brake, carry the skinnies a little ways, and bye bye! 9.5x@138! The car is on a mission and I love it. We decide that once is good enough, and begin enjoying some beverages, watching some racing, and getting caught up with some of the greatest people on earth-Sick Weekers.
The next morning brings the drivers meeting, then we go live! Without much hesitation, they call our class and we get into the lanes. Fully expecting another pass close to our practice pass I am not too worried of anything. I get the hand motion to move into the water box. I do the burn out, but the car doesn't seem like it did a good burn out. There is little smoke, and it didn't stop spinning until I stepped off the go pedal. I get staged, come of the trans brake, and car lurches forward and hard left. I get it gathered up, and continue down the track angrily.
After watching the video, I never pulled completely out of the water box before doing the burn out. When I got on the trans brake, it looks like there is water dripping onto my radials, which I believe caused the horrible launch. Now the wait. I have to wait until the all run call before I can attempt another pass. Usually all run begins around 1-2pm, but this particular day had about 100 track oil downs that resulted in an all run call being made at 6-6:30 pm.
I admit, I am usually the 1 and done guy, so staying this late isn't helping the old head issues, and now I am really worried about the night drive and my vision. We do a much better burn out, stage, come off the brake and almost an identical pass as practice. Let’s pack and get outta here!
We had a very uneventful drive for the first 150 miles, even getting an astonishing 7.8mpg out of the thirsty Merlin. We were 14 miles from Yeehaw Junction on 60 west when the sound came....No warning, no alert from the gauges, nothing. I shut the car down and coasted to a stop on the side of the road in the Fort Drum wildlife refuge area. Reggie and I get to work pulling the valve covers after doing a quick visual inspection of the engine and transmission. Passenger side valvetrain yielded nothing strange.
Then the driver’s side showed a problem. The #1 exhaust rocker had a bunch of lash in it. Like Grand Canyon lash. We just lost a Morel Black Mamba roller lifter at the very least, possibly the cam as well. Our Sick week was over at midnight on the side of the road in the middle of a swamp.
We put out the distress call and Daniel Green answered. Within a couple hours Daniel showed up with his trailer, and we loaded the car and he and Reggie took it to a pilot truck stop near Yeehaw Junction. While they were gone, I stayed behind with my trailer in the pitch-black darkness thinking. Once they returned, we loaded my little trailer and headed back to Orlando to get my truck and trailer and go back to retrieve Garbage. Once we loaded Garbage up, we began the long drive back to Indiana with our tails tucked between our legs. Awake for 40 hours we decided to stop and get some sleep and continue our journey home the next day.
It didn’t take me long to get the hurt bullet out of Garbage and torn down. Immediately the damage reared its ugly head and was found. Exactly as we had thought-we wiped out a lifter and a cam lobe. My wife Tina and I finished tearing the engine down to figure out the next step, if there was a next step. A day later I had made several calls to local machine shops looking for a simple time line to get the block and components cleaned and checked. 6-8 months was the average lead time!
I was talking to Clark Rosenstengel one evening over the phone, and he asked if I had reached out to Steve Morris. So the next day, February 7th, I contacted Steve with my questions. I'll tell yout, Steve and I have been friends for a short time, but you'd thought we were family! He told me to get the block and components to him that Saturday and he'd take a look.
As of this writing, Steve has been in constant contact, and has been nothing short of a miracle for Tina and I and the engine for Garbage. I will proudly display his name on the car, and in swag. I will write another installment in this gut-wrenching series once we get the engine back for assembly, and tuning.
Written by Matt Donovan. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine, BME Photography and Matt Donovan.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com