After being away from the drag and drive game for a little over seven years, Jeff Lutz made his return at the 2024 edition of Sick Week.

That appearance ended one day short of a complete event, but it sparked Jeff’s interest in the drag and drive game once again, and Jeff will bring the iconic ’69 Camaro known as ‘Mad Max’ to the Sick At The Rock Presented by Motion Raceworks event, at Rockingham Dragway, to participate in the new Sick Street Car Challenge class!

“My son got a hold of me about the event, and said ‘we need to go do this event,’” said Jeff. “I asked him what he was taking, and he said ‘I’m riding with you.’”

Can the father and son combo outlast the Sick Street Car Challenge field?

Sick The Magazine started our print magazine in 2021 as a way to cover and highlight the drag and drive lifestyle, cars and people.

Recently, our flagship event, Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive, has been nominated by USA Today 10Best as a ‘Best Motorsports Race in the United States’ finalist.

“When we started the magazine in 2021, I knew an event would be the next step,” said Tom Bailey, founder of Sick The Magazine. “What I didn’t expect was how quickly Sick Week came to fruition, and the support of the community.”

“From the competitors that continue to amaze us with their performances, to the staff and volunteers that run the event, Sick Ward participants and the thousands of fans that come out to watch the action and cheer on their favorites, it means so much to so many.”

The Sick Wildcards program is launching, providing invites to Sick Week 2026 Presented By Gear Vendors Overdrive for the top drag-and-drivers this year.

They started their seasons with a bang at Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive, when Graham Hayes and the team of Devin Vanderhoof and Josh Davis not only won their classes, but finished in the top three overall.

Both of these powerful rides now set their sights on Rockingham Dragway, and the Sick At The Rock event Presented by Motion Raceworks.

With all four of our major Sick The Mag events sold out for 2025, next month's Sick At The Rock is one of your last chances to compete in a Sick The Mag drag and drive in 2025.

Despite the popularity of Sick The Magazine’s week-long major drag and drive events, Tom Bailey toyed with the idea of doing a smaller 2-3 day event format, with a shorter drive / cruise for street car-based classes, more categories with good payouts, and some additional classes to round out the event.

That idea, combined with some of the classes from the defunct National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) and National Mustang Racers Association (NMRA) series, has morphed into a pair of 3-day Sick The Mag events. The latest one, Sick On The Green, being held May 29th – 31st, 2025, is now open for registration!

The second Sick The Mag 3-day event of 2025, Sick On The Green, boasting over $60,000 in payouts, lands at the popular Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky. In addition to the popular Lil Gangsta’s class for a $10K payout, and Sick The Mag’s newest class, the Sick Street Car Challenge with over $30K in payouts, five popular classes will complete the list for Sick On The Green’s racing activities.

The class line-up includes:

- Small Tire Pro Stock: a 7-second naturally aspirated quarter-mile class on a 10.5" width slick.

- Coyote Stock: Ford cars with factory sealed Coyote crate engines and manual transmissions, on a 28 x 10.5" width slick tire, stick shifting to wheelies and 9-second times.

- Street Race 8.60 Index: Street cars and trucks vying in side-by-side competition, on an 8.60-second quarter-mile index, with a mandatory cruise.

- Open Comp: Cars and trucks in the 7-14 second range, quarter-mile competition format, using commonly accepted Open Comp class rules.

- Nostalgia Super Stock / Nostalgia Muscle Car Combo: 1955-1985 period-correct nostalgia cars in the 8-15 second range, on a quarter-mile distance, big and small tire cars (Nostalgia Super Stock), and small tire cars (Nostalgia Muscle Car).

- The Sick Street Car Challenge: a two-day drag and drive format (Friday May 30th and Saturday May 31st), competing on an eighth-mile distance, where street legal machines will battle for $32,000 in prize money across over two-dozen categories, with the ability to stack more than one category for huge payouts!

- Lil Gangsta’s 5.30 No-Time: a class that combines a $10,000 winner-take-all payout with a no time slips / scoreboards off format to keep the competition interesting. The class is based around a 4-tenths pro tree, a 5.30 index on the eighth-mile, and a small tire format.

The popularity of the drag and drive event format has brought thousands of people from the tests and tune side of drag racing to get to experience what many consider the next level of the street and strip combination of fun.

But drag and drive has also caught the interest of many a heads-up racer as well, and this ’67 Pontiac Firebird of Jim Trettel also marked his re-introduction to the sport. After taking a couple decades away from the sport, this first-year Firebird would be his ticket back.

“I had a really pristine ‘68 Firebird that was just too nice to make into a race car,” said Jim. “My brother had this ‘67 in the process of being restored, so we cut a deal to swap them. I then enlisted my brother-in-law Nathan Chesler of Cage Rage Fabrication to build the 25.5 SFI-spec chassis, suspension and turbo kit."

Can this classic Firebird combine its good looks with awesome performance at our Sick At The Rock Presented by Motion Raceworks?

Although he has a couple drag and drive project cars waiting in the wings, Mike Finnegan has shared with Sick The Mag that he wants to be back behind the wheel of ‘Blasphemi’ - his Gasser '55 Chevrolet with a supercharged HEMI - for a couple more events this year.

“After completing Sick Week, I’m in love with the car again,” said Finnegan of his ’55 Chevy. “I feel like that week helped us learn a lot, and I want to get back in the seat again.”

He admits the shorter drive distance and three run average that Sick At The Rock is a different way to tackle a drag and drive, but the two-day format should hopefully bring more participants.

“I hope it gets more enthusiasts to come out and try a drag and drive,” said Finnegan. “I might get with Tom and see if we can get a group to go cruising together Friday evening. I think that would be cool, and the local community could participate too.”

It was about two years ago when word came from Mopar that production of the popular Challenger and Charger models would cease after the 2023 model year, but also the well known Gen 3 HEMI platform engines. 2024 would usher in a smaller engine focus, as well as electric car discussions. But now, the rumor mill is swirling hard about the V-8 HEMI coming back to production as early as June 2025.

The engines are rumored to be using the Gen 3 architecture, and could have some minor tweaks and/or improvements as production ramps up. The base 5.7-liter, 6.4-liter Apache and supercharged 6.2-liter Hellcat are all rumored to be making a possible comeback.

Although the chances of seeing superchargers and turbochargers versus nitrous on drag and drive rides, there are still some bottle-fed rides that are holding their own.

One happens to be the 1972 Camaro of Lamar Swindoll Jr., and after completing four Sick drag and drive events in just over a year, Lamar is setting his sights on Sick At The Rock Presented by Motion Raceworks.

“After years of drag racing, I was ready for something different,” said Lamar. Drag and drive allows my wife and I to enjoy driving our hot rod on the open roads with our family members who join with their cars, hang out with other racers and their families, do a little site seeing and I still get to race my car down track. It's just a whole lot of fun!”

With a solid first outing at Sick Week in 2025, Lamar will make his next appearance with the Camaro in the new Sick Street Car Challenge class at the upcoming Sick At The Rock event. “I think it’s a great idea to have an event like this at least once a year for the guy that can’t attend a week long event,” said Lamar. “I think the shorter drive will be a great time for first timers to try out a drag and drive event.”

Based on the success of last year’s Edelbrock Sick 66 ‘one-off’ event, we figured if one was good, two must be better! The second 'one-off' event, Sick Smokies, has sold out on competitor spots today, and we’re here to tell you about your options going forward!!

The 2024 edition of Sick Week wasn’t the first drag and drive event Jacob Davis has participated in, but it would mark the first showing for a 1972 AMC Javelin, a previous race-only ride that he converted for Sick Week. Now, a year later, he’s preparing for a Sick At The Rock appearance.

After all the work to convert it to street legal and test it out, Jacob found that the car would give him some fits during last year’s Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive, but Jacob persevered and finished the event with an 11.06 average, bolstered by a best pass of 10.80 at 124.97 mph on day three.

“I’m really excited to see Sick The Mag stepping up to save some of these races and adding their own flare to it with a fun, weekend style drag and drive,” Jacob said. “It requires a lot less commitment of your time and investment of resources to enter a shorter event like this, and I’m actually doing it for my ‘bachelor party’ with some of my groomsmen.”

Some cars will come and go, but the ones that make for some of the best stories are the ones that have history with their owners. Colin Nowak has owned this 1995 Ford Mustang since high school, and after a dozen years cruising and racing it, he’s ready to roll into Rockingham Dragway for next month’s Sick At The Rock and tackle the Sick Street Car Challenge class.

If this supercharged Mustang looks familiar, it’s because Colin made a presence at the 2024 edition of Sick Summer Presented by Motion Raceworks, finishing second in the Modified class with a 9.18 average.

“Car did great,” said Colin. “We didn't have to mess with anything other than swapping tires, shock settings and fuel. Was pretty wild to see after day one I was in third.” He eventually moved to second on day three, where he would stay until the event was completed.

Now, he’s prepping for Sick Summer, Sick Smokies, and Sick At The Rock in 2025.

We’ve had an amazing response to our second ‘one-off’ event of 2025, Edelbrock Sick Smokies, being held October 12th through October 19th, 2025. It should be an amazing week of great racing and scenic drives, including the largest Gasser drag and drive showings ever!

Tomorrow, Wednesday, March 19th is your final chance to submit an ‘Expression of Interest’ form. Submitted ‘Expression of Interest’ forms get the jump on general registration to snag one of the coveted competitor spots by one hour (9 am versus 10 am).

Entries for the Summit Racing Equipment Sick Ward Presented by PEAK Performance are also available – we detail all the information in this story!

The announcement of Cleetus McFarland purchasing half ownership in Bradenton Motorsports Park recently didn’t come as a shock to many, as Cleetus currently owns the Freedom Factory circle track right next door in southwest Florida.

Cleetus is known for some radical ideas, but when he got together to discuss ideas with track co-owner and friend Victor Alvarez, they came up with a simple concept involving street cars and a top ten list.

“We’re doing this top ten list because I realized our cars are getting really fast,” said Cleetus. “Although it is fun to make a killer fast pass, it’s one of the most stressful forms of racing you can do. Everything has to go right.”

So, a plan was put together to get back to basics: using a test and tune night at Bradenton Motorsports Park instead of a big race, real street cars that needed to be driven in the gate, and creating a top ten list.

“I wanted to do something to make test and tunes more fun again for myself and my buddies,” Cleetus said. The initial race would be a 16-vehicle roster, and races would be paired by random chip draw each round, and a four-tenths pro tree start would be used, with no transbrakes allowed. A floating break out to keep a reasonable gauge on attainable performance would be used (meaning cars can’t run quicker than the accepted limit).

When we introduced Summit Racing Equipment Sick Ward Presented by PEAK Performance at Sick Week in 2022, it was an all-inclusive experience. We got requests for different levels of Sick Ward participation in 2023 after Sick Summer, and one year later at Sick Summer, we introduced the Sick Spit Show & Shine.

“When we first created Sick Ward, I wanted it to include the drag and drive experience,” said Tom Bailey. “But, give the participants some extra perks, including parking in the pits, as well as snacks and drinks.”

After a full year of hosting the events, we started hearing how some enthusiasts wanted to join us for the entire week, but didn’t need the pit access for their vehicles. “I understood the changing dynamic,” Tom said. “But there are some truly sweet rides that I felt deserved to have a special place to park in the pits to share with the enthusiasts.”

The basic Sick Ward admission is a multi-day spectator ticket, with a discount and some bonuses! A Sick Ward ticket to any Sick drag and drive event covers one person and general spectator parking for all track days, and in addition to saving a good chunk off individual day tickets, it includes a Sick Ward windshield banner and participant t-shirt.

For those that want the next level of Sick Ward participation, the Sick Spit Show & Shine is the ticket. Learn more in our story here!

The Edelbrock name has been a staple in the performance industry since they released their first product in 1938. Vic Edelbrock Sr. had made the move from Kansas to California, and had been at the helm of a successful repair business.

After buying a 1932 Ford roadster in 1938, which marked Vic Sr.’s entry into the world of hot rods, Vic Sr. would dive into the world of performance parts.

The ’Slingshot’ aluminum manifold, a 180-degree design for the Ford flathead engine that used a pair of Stromberg 97 carburetors, would be the first product to feature the ‘Edelbrock’ name.

It's not uncommon to see the Edelbrock Performance name at dozens of events, especially drag racing. So, we were excited to have Edelbrock join us for our Sick 66 as the title sponsor in 2024. “It was an amazing time,” said Billy Carroll of Edelbrock. “To combine Route 66 with some great participants made for an enjoyable week. It almost felt like I wasn’t working.”

In nearly three years since Palm Beach International Raceway (PBIR) closed the gates for the final time, there has been a lot of news about the facility that was supposed to never see racing again, and be converted to warehouses.

The original sale fell through after a lengthy battle with commissioners, the property sat untouched, and rumors circulated that there could be a chance of survival. Recently, we learned from two sources that the top bids to return racing to the South Florida have fallen short.

After three years sitting idle, will the money come through and nearly 60 years of racing history at PBIR come to a permanent end? Or will a buyer swoop in to save the track after the big name developer fails to come in with the payment?

The modern world is a demanding place on the mind. Chronic stress is an epidemic, distractions abound and it seems like even claiming just a few minutes for ourselves can be next to impossible. But have you considered drag-and-drive as an exercise in mindfulness, a soul-boosting break from real life?

We’ve seen plans change for dozens of competitors on drag and drive events, as the primary ride doesn’t get completed or suffers issues that keep it from making an appearance on day one.

For Craig Douglas, his 8-second ZL1 Camaro would see a dyno fire halt his efforts to get it to Sick Week. But Craig got the ‘green light’ to compete in his 1970 Dodge Dart instead, and his next stop is the Sick At The Rock event for the new Street Car Challenge class.

“If I finish the ZL1 in time, I might bring it,” Craig admitted. “It was a total loss, but I bought it back since I bought it new.” The Chevrolet looks to be a seven-second ride with the changes Douglas made, including a switch in power adder to a pair of turbochargers. But these Dart, also sporting a twin-turbo powerplant, has served as a solid ride for the drag and drive competitor that will enter his ninth year of competition, but his first two-day event, at Sick At The Rock.

“I have raced all over the USA, but never Rockingham, so I am excited to check it out,” said Craig of the track in North Carolina. “Dan Vanhorn seems to have done a great job with it.”

When it comes to survival of an engine, almost no component is as important as the motor oil protecting the internal components. In the harsh environment of drag-and-drive, one company has developed oil technology to the next level — Driven Racing Oil.

The Memphis, TN-based company developed its first formulations for NASCAR’s Joe Gibbs Racing team in the early 2000s. Since then, they have broadened their blends into oils suitable for a range of applications, including street and strip vehicles.

Sick The Magazine is proud to announce that Driven Racing Oil will be the presenting sponsor of Sick Michigan Miles, being held from August 10-17, 2025 around the great state of Michigan. From the Mackinac Bridge to the Woodward Dream Cruise, it will be a gearhead’s ultimate adventure.

As a partner with Sick, Driven Racing Oil has seen their sales boom as more racers and gearheads find out about the quality of the product. Tom Bailey from Sick The Magazine said Driven Racing Oil was the perfect presenting sponsor for Sick Michigan Miles.