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.”

A drag-and-drive can be an amazing experience, from the racing to the drives, checkpoints to the parking lot parties, trailer burnouts and even the thrash sessions. A drag-and-drive can also expose what rides are up to the challenge, but the community comes together to exchange information and help competitors endure and finish a drag-and-drive.

It’s among the most gut wrenching things a car enthusiast can experience when your ride is stolen. Advancements in GPS tracking and theft deterrents have made a dent to bring the numbers down to an extent, but thousand of thefts still happen. And although a recent theft during a drag-and-drive event didn’t have a 100-percent happy ending, the car was recovered thanks to the efforts of the car community and social media at large.

Despite appearances that things are good on the surface, a racer’s mind can be a hamster wheel of thoughts both good and bad on their next run. In Colin Gee’s case, he started thinking about the 1983 Chevrolet Malibu station wagon he had finished in 2023, and his goals for the future.

The Stark family first joined the drag-and-drive community at the 2019 edition of Rocky Mountain Race Week, with father Tom Stark wielding the shifter handle in his ‘55 Chevy wagon stick shift entry. But just three later, son Blayne and daughter MaCayla moved into the driver’s seat.

There are several proven models and chassis that have been successful over time in drag-and-drive competition. But we also see some unique examples. From station wagons to milk trucks, Triumphs to T-bucket roadsters, we’ve seen a lot. But this could be the only limousine we’ve seen participate in a drag-and-drive.

“Any idea how many times people have towed a car to tech, having never driven it, and made the week still? It’ll see the street for the first time in probably 20 years on the drive to Cordova on Monday.” Quotes like this on a just-finished vehicle gives you an idea you’re in for an epic week!

The drag-and-drive calendar has greatly expanded since the original drag-and-drive, Hot Rod Drag Week, first made an appearance in 2005. But do all the events, both big and small, stay true to the original concept David Freiburger created?

With the increase in the number of drag-and-drive events in the last three years, it’s becoming more commonplace to see competitors at more than one event during a calendar year. There are several that have made their mark in the drag-and-drive world, and one of the top ones is Bryant Goldstone.

Last summer, Chris VanWerden’s Nova garnered a lot of attention, but unfortunately for Chris, it was for the wrong reasons. But one year later, he’s burning the midnight oil to get it back in the game.

What does one have to do with the other, and how does it sound like both rides might be even more fun than before? It all started when Jonathan Whitaker took his ‘93 Ford Mustang Cobra on this year’s Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive.

After years of doing motocross as his hobby, Alex Zastrow decided to take the plunge into not only drag racing, but also into drag-and-drive. Some might consider that a daunting prospect, but with wife Courtney and brother Derek along for the ride, the Zastrows completed their first event at Sick Summer.

Last year, we saw Adam and Jason Kelley hit the ground at Sick Powerfest Presented by Dodge and M1 Concourse with a pair of Ford F100 pick-up trucks and a 3rd-generation Camaro. This year, they will bring two new burnout vehicles that we didn’t get to see last year to defend their title!

As the number of burnout contests increase, it’s not uncommon to find cars and trucks that are built for the sole purpose of creating clouds of smoke and destroying tires. But there’s a few that see street and drag strip use as well, and a unique one plans to make their return to Sick Powerfest a good one.

After a solid calendar of drag-and-drive events for 2023 where 30 events were held, we wondered what the 2024 landscape would hold. With constant reports of rising costs on everything from food to fuel, would the drag-and-drive community be able to support more events for 2024?

At the inaugural Sick Summer Presented by TBM Brakes, a healthy field of Stick Shift entries turned out. Aaron Gierke was one of 16 that completed the week, and the experience made him plan a comback for more fun, and single-digit runs, in 2024!

In an announcement Wednesday by Richard Freeman, owner of Elite Motorsports, he announced plans to expand into the NHRA’s Top Fuel category. A team largely known for their Pro Stock prowess with eight teams currently under their umbrella, Freeman definitely had the racing world buzzing with this news.

The third annual Sick Powerfest Powered by Dodge and M1 Concourse on Friday, August 9th, 2024 in Pontiac, Michigan is PACKED full of cool stuff for one big day: The World Burnout Championship with $25,000 on the line; the Sick Spit Show & Shine car show; a Manufacturer’s Midway, and a new addition for 2024: Dodge Thrill Rides!

The two lists that determine early entry for the 2025 edition for Sick Summer Presented by Motion Raceworks are the Top 100 Averages, and the Top Individual Runs.

Brent Sands’ goal is to be ready for the small tire battlefield of Rowdy Radial at Sick Summer Presented by Motion Raceworks next year. “Took me close to three years to finish the last one, so it’s going to be hard to get this one done in a year. At least I have most of the parts.”