Many people might associate the ‘LeRoy’ C5 Corvette as the car that kickstarted the Cleetus McFarland YouTube channel. But it was the C7 supercharged C7 Corvette known as ‘The Bald Eagle Machine’ that was featured first by Cleetus. The El Camino known as ‘Mullet’ has one of the more recognizable rides from the Cleetus’ garage, and it has captured a slew of drag-and-drive wins, as well as a World Cup Finals victory in 2022.

Mullet has run as quick as 6.3-seconds and over 235 mph at nearly 3600-pounds, but Cleetus knew the car needed changes. “I’ve been a little frustrated with Mullet lately,” said Cleetus this past May. “We’ve been trying to make it go faster, and it just doesn’t seem to want to go faster.” Now, the El Camino is in line for upgrades at Cameron Johnson Race Cars.

“The last time you saw us in 2022, total nightmare. We broke the motor on day 1.” The words spoken by Mike Finnegan, former co-host of the MotorTrend show Roadkill, as he and Tony Angelo opened an epic 2-hour movie showing what happened on Hot Rod Magazine’s Drag Week event in 2024. “If we just make it down the track, it’ll be a huge improvement,” said Angelo.

The road of Mike Finnegan and Tony Angelo tackling Hot Rod Drag Week is a storied one, and in this first part, we take a step back in time, covering Finnegan’s Drag Week past, and link the first movie release of his 2024 Hot Rod Drag Week experience.

After successfully completing his second drag-and-drive event at the Redwood Rally in 2023, Ryan Saiki plans to return in just over a week with some updates and ‘adjustments’ to a storied Chevrolet Corvette. This C3 Corvette embarked on its first drag-and-drive last year, and Ryan plans to make the second one just as memorable.

After making a solid impression (and several big wheelies) in an 1983 Chevrolet Malibu station wagon during 2022 and 2023, including the 2023 edition of Sick Week, Colin Gee started thinking about a new car build for drag-and-drive duty.

Little did he know that just over a year after he started that build, it would have a blown-up engine, then Colin sold the car, and started on another build just this month!

Despite making his mark initially the drag-and-drive community with an eye-catching 1995 Geo Tracker he refers to as ‘Project Samsquanch’, Vinnie Barbone couldn’t resist the calling of a model that truly inspired him, a Chevrolet Monza. “Basically, I was born into having an H-Body gene encrypted into my body.”

Some are tested and ready days, or even weeks in advance for this week’s Sick Summer 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.

This unique Beretta Z26 combines a V-6 engine from a 2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, some upgrades engine bits, and a 200-horsepower Direct Port NOS System. But yet still maintains a full interior, stereo, power windows, air conditioning and cruise control.

“Drag-and-drive put the spark back in drag racing for me. I like challenges, and I can see the challenge and fun in it.”

“I got hooked on drag-and-drives. It's all about driving your stuff. Cars are meant to be used, not idle.”

“Drag-and-drive is appealing to me because I believe it’s the ultimate test of man and car; to test the limits of your building and driving capabilities along with others. The community of drag and drives it’s self is a one off for sure.”

“It was such an awesome opportunity to be at the reopening of Route 66 Dragway last year. We are coming back with a group of great racers, and we have our sights set on showing all the fans what our street cars can do.”

“We can’t wait to be hanging with and meeting new people and friends again at our next drag-and-drive. Car and hot rod people, I think there’s no better crowd.”

Although there are hundreds of reputable engine builders, unless you are aiming for a restricted racing class or have specific needs, crate engines are a great choice for a street or strip build.

Recently, a pair of stick shift performances, one by a drag-and-drive competitor, as well as a Cadillac nearing the 6-second zone, got our attention from a test session in Michigan.

We know Jessie Harris isn’t afraid to exercise his 6.7-liter Cummins diesel-powered 1975 Chevrolet 1/2-ton pick-up on the street and the track during numerous drag-and-drive events. But what does it make for power?

After years of running test and tunes and bracket races, Amos Eason took the plunge into the drag-and-drive world by participating in his first drag-and-drive event at the One Guy’s Garage Drag Weekend event in his home state of Iowa in 2022.

It’s not uncommon for someone to have a job and a hobby where the line between work and play becomes fuzzy. For Darren Harden, it was both with classic cars and go karts. Drag racing took a back seat for a while, until drag-and-drive brought him back to the fold.

The car gets its name "The Nightmaro" from its attitude: black, loud (electronic cutouts which are constantly open), and its Christine-like ability to play games with me!

After a successful appearance on Sick Week in 2023, this blue Camaro will once again participate on Sick Week, but husband Ben will give the steering wheel duties to wife Amber. “Derek (Putnam, Sick Week announcer) kept saying Amber thought she could do better. So she's bound to try.”