The Roller Coaster Ride of Sick Week – Matt Donovan Reflects on Sick Week 2023 and What’s Next for Him
One year ago, Matt Donovan was celebrating his finish to the first-ever Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive. Along with his Pontiac gasser known as “Garbage That Barfed”, Donovan put together a class win in the B/Gas category, averaging out at 10.65.
To start his 2023 season, Donovan upgraded the big block Chevrolet engine to a 540 cubic inch monster, with over .800” lift of camshaft, Air Flow Research cylinder heads, a period correct tunnel ram, lots of compression, and hopes of 9-second runs.
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Making the tow south from Indiana, Donovan and new co-pilot Reggie Gonzalez were into day two of driving, a mere two hours from Bradenton Motorsports Park and some test laps on the revised combination. But just north of last year’s final checkpoint, things drastically changed.
After cresting the bridge by Don Garlits’ Drag Racing Museum in Ocala, Florida, a massive drop-off hole tweaked both right side axles on Donovan’s trailer, sending him towards the guardrail and embankment. Quick thinking got Donovan and Gonzalez to the break down lane without much additional damage, but the trailer would need serious attention.
The drag-and-drive veteran put the distress call out on Facebook in the Sick The Mag group, and after over 130 calls, text and messages came through in the next two hours, a solution was found.
Donovan patched his enclosed trailer up the best he could, and it was transported to fellow racer Greg Lubben at L & S Trailers for the necessary fixes to return to Indiana the following week.
Meanwhile, Donovan acquired an open trailer, loaded the Pontiac and his small tag-along trailer aboard, and booked it south to Bradenton Motorsports Park in time to shake down the new combination, carding a new personal best of 9.80 in the process.
But the second pass also returned some vibration, and a bent steering center link was discovered. Fellow Sick Week participant Mark Mannor jumped into action, getting Donovan fixed up and ready for Sunday tech-in and test day.
Two days later, Donovan rolled through tech inspection on Day 0 at Sick Week, hoping all his problems were behind him.
An afternoon test pass returned a drastic “death-wobble” but Donovan was able to get the car off the track and back to his pit area for review.
With the sun setting on Sunday, an inspection returned a broken drag link, steering box and steering arm, ending Donovan’s hopes of repeating as B/Gas champion.
But before he could even think about his Monday plans, several Sick Week participants devised an alternative solution.
“Craig Ridenour didn’t have a co-pilot,” said Donovan. “He was going to follow me. We got a bunch of friends together (Robert and Debbie Williams, Ridenour, Steve Haefner, Bob Bartram, Louie and Scott Brown), and hashed out the best way to move forward.”
Gonzalez came up with the idea of Donovan jumping in with Ridenour, and Gonzalez would catch a flight home on Monday morning.
“Gonzalez is the biggest hearted person I’ve met,” said Donovan. “He will be with me on the next event I’m able to do for sure.”
It’s unsure what the next outing for “Garbage That Barfed” and Donovan will be, but he has a lot of choices.
“We’ve got a lot of local (tri state) events we’d love to hit,” said Donovan. “I really want to do Death Week, and we are registered for the Airfield Drags in Michigan.”
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of the author, Hard Target Images and Matt Donovan.