Lutz Returns With Statement Pass in Testing, as Sick Week Party Takes Off!
Sick Week 2024 Presented By Gear Vendors Overdrive has launched — literally — at Orlando Speed World with a day of tech and testing.
A total of 331 entrants passing inspection of both safety and street car credentials, with a overcast and rainy morning giving way to blue skies and perfect on-track conditions for the afternoon. Testing continued into the night, where fans were even treated to a rocket launch from SpaceX during the Delta PAG racer welcome party!
Quickest of the day was Jeff Lutz, making his return in the Max Max Camaro last seen at Hot Rod Drag Week in 2016. After a 6.19/239mph run that saw the car all over the track, Lutz punched out a 6.12/232mph later in the evening.
Sweden’s Magnus Frost made his first Sick Week appearance in his battered but brutal Opel Ascona. A 6.48 had the team cheering, as they hope to continue the dominance of Swedes at Sick Week. Speaking of past champions, Stefan Gustafsson was back again in his C4 Corvette. After a quick launch the car got out towards the wall and Stefan shut it down with just inches to spare.
Bryant Goldstone registered a 6.58 to start his Sick Week campaign in positive fashion — don’t ever rule the Javelin out from being a contender for the overall win.
The excellent track preparation and air that was approaching sea level made for many pleasing time slips across the day. From Matt Moore’s 4.77 (eighth-mile) in his Rowdy Radial Mustang to Alan Whitaker’s 7.37/196mph in the big Monte Carlo, there was much fist-pumping and many high-fives around the Orlando Speed World start line.
Being a drag-and-drive, the same could not be said for everyone. Chuck Stefanski’s ’81 Pontiac Lemans wagon began positively with a 7.65 on its fourth full pass but was later getting a transmission replacement in the pits. Meanwhile, Tom Bailey was not broken mechanically but certainly in spirit as his struggles with the Hemi Durango (above) continued with a series of loose-traction runs.
Unbelievably, there are already motor swaps going on — even before the street miles. Danny Grubaugh’s AMC Gucci needed a transplant on its way over from Texas, while this silver truck above (which remains unidentified) was spotted underneath a shop crane.
Being Sick Week, there’s always a selection of weird and wonderful machines. This streetable dragster showed up to cruise the Sick Ward.
We’ve also got to mention Burt VanBennekom who has what we think is an ex-Top Sportsman Dodge Stratus he is going to drive on the street! Burt’s a badass.
Want to see all of these marvellous machines in action? Be at Orlando Speed World from 9am on Monday or check out Sick Week at one of the other Florida and Georgia tracks we will be at!
If you can’t make it to the event, check out the live stream on FRDM+.
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