The Fives Fall Again at Drag Week Day One
After a seven-year wait since Tom Bailey’s historic 5.997 pass, drag and drive has returned to the fives in spectacular fashion at day one of Hot Rod Drag Week at Route 66 Raceway today.
Drag Week Day Zero Wild Then Wet
Hot Rod Drag Week is back for its 21st year with the OG drag and drive event hitting up Route 66 Raceway, Byron Dragway, Cordova Dragway and World Wide Technology Raceway in St Louis with hundreds of cool street cars.
Multi-Tool – When Plan A and Plan B Didn’t Pan Out for Edelbrock Sick 66, John Audia Called Sonoma to Bring His Pick-Up to Route 66!
Some muscle cars just have the right vibe, the look, the sound, the performance. But for John Audia, his 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle didn’t have the safety equipment for the level of performance he wanted to achieve.
So, a new plan was put into place, acquiring a G-body Chevrolet with the right level of safety for the opportunity to run deep into the 6-second range. But when that didn’t look to be to be ready for this month’s Edelbrock Sick 66 event, Audia opted for Plan C, a truck that’s seen a lot of different uses, but not a drag and drive event - yet.
Bryant Goldstone Reveals Full Extent of Horror Fire Ahead of Drag Week Campaign
When disaster struck Bryant Goldstone’s Corvette, the car was badly damaged and its driver suffered second-degree burns. A month later, a small army of friends, businesses and fellow racers have helped put it back together—and he’s still chasing fives.
Garbage In Name Only – Matt Donovan Looks to Capture Second B/Gas Title in as Many Years at Edelbrock Sick 66!
After originally acquiring the ‘Garbage That Barfed’ name from David Freiburger at Hot Rod Drag Week nearly a decade ago, Matt Donovan has continued to evolve the Gasser-style 1938 Chevrolet coupe into a class-winning ride.
Five years after completing his first Hot Rod Drag Week in 2017, Donovan scored his first Sick The Mag event win in the B/Gas class with a 10.65 average at Gear Vendor Overdrive Sick Week. Now, he’s looking for a second-straight event week for 2026, and well as a second Sick The Mag event in as many years.
Unfinished Business: Brooks Fleharty Brings Radical Stick-Shift Mustang to Edelbrock Sick 66
Brooks Fleharty isn’t coming to Edelbrock Sick 66 to simply make the trip; he’s arriving with a vendetta.
In 2024, Fleharty and his team were sitting third overall at the first Sick 66 in their ’86 Ford Mustang, when a parts failure in Amarillo brought their event to an abrupt end. This time around, the Mustang is back with a proven combination, a new approach to getting down the road, and some serious goals.
I57 Drag and Drive Completes Their Second Year With A New Class, A New Track, and All New Winners After 3 Days Between Illinois and Indiana!
After a solid start with the 2025 edition of I57 Drag and Drive, the event returned for their second edition in 2026 with a new track in the rotation, and a new class was added to the roster.
Based around a three day format, I57 Dragstrip moved from the middle track in 2025, to the host track this time around, and would put a new track in the middle, Wabash Valley Dragway in Indiana, before returning to Illinois and I57 for the final day and to crown champions.
Editorial: Life’s a Gas
Drag racing is an ego-driven sport. There’s nothing more exciting than the thrill of beating the competition and nothing more humbling than losing.
The Stick Shift Record Continues to Be Re-Written – Sean Madden Set New Eighth-Mile Mark with a 4.21 at 174 MPH in ‘Django’ Corvette at US60 Dragway!
Unlike a lot of the classes and categories we witness on hundreds of tracks around the world, the Stick Shift contingent is usually governed by one rule: a manual transmission in the transmission tunnel.
In some cases, including the popular Outlaw Stick Shift ranks, the stick shift is regulated to a clutch activated H-pattern design shifter, a 10.5-inch width rear tire, no full tube chassis, and no big block engine platforms. No fuel regulations, no weight limits. Just see who can shift their way to the finish line first.
Just a week ago, Joel Grannas broke the H-pattern Stick Shift record that has stood for two years, wheeling his 2JZ-powered Mustang to a 6.490 at 222 mph pass. One week later, Sean Madden added his name to the Stick Shift record book in Kentucky.
The Two-For-One – After Two Years Of Planning, Brian Acton Makes the Change from Proven Turbocharged LS Combo to a Naturally-Aspirated Big Block Chevrolet For Hot Rod Drag Week!
The Street Race / Limited Street / 8.50-second based classes are among the most popular at drag and drive events, and there have been some familiar rides, and drivers, since the concept got its rule set at Hot Rod Drag Week in 2012.
When it comes to people that have mastered the category, Brian Acton and Jay Blanchard are in the top of the class. With multiple wins to their credit, including two Sick The Mag orange helmets from Gear Vendors Overdrive Sick Week, another from the Motion Raceworks Sick Summer, and three straight wins at The Circuit, Acton and Blanchard continue to be top contenders.
But recently, news broke that no one was expecting: the ’70 Chevrolet Nova was changing engines for Hot Rod Drag Week 2026, and going from turbocharged LS to naturally aspirated big block! We needed the details, and between Acton and Blanchard, details emerged, as well as some testing results to prepare for Drag Week.
Route Revealed for Edelbrock Sick 66, and You Can Be a Part Of It
The official route for Edelbrock Sick 66 has been revealed! A total of 1444 miles, tracing Route 66, will make for the ultimate 100th anniversary celebration of the Mother Road.
The Road Less Traveled in Michigan - an Inside Look on Aydan Bailey Forging a New Path to Successfully Defend His Title at the 2026 Sick Michigan Miles Presented by Driven Racing Oil!
One year ago, the usually quiet and reserved Aydan Bailey had a smile on his face during the award ceremony of the first Sick Michigan Miles presented by Driven Racing Oil. After a solid week of battling with Evan Uerkwitz, Aydan emerged with his first class title, as well as his first overall win, in five years of drag and drive competition.
But when the ’57 Chevy wagon known as ‘The Deuce Box’ returned to home base after that event, Aydan knew the engine was the limiting factor to pursuing the goals of a 4-second eighth-mile pass, and 7-second performances on the full quarter-mile distance. One year later, and several nights with not much sleep, Aydan emerged with his second-straight victory from Sick Michigan Miles.
Want to Race Your Street Car in Las Vegas? A New Level of “Street” Could Be in the Works for the Street Car Super Nationals, and Sick The Magazine Needs Your Help!
Many race series and classes that include ‘street’ in the name did start with either a car that could’ve been a streetable car, or a car that could pass for a streetable looking car. And although some of them have moved into a pure race car class, Tom Bailey and Sick The Magazine are looking into bringing the ‘street’ back to the popular Street Car Super Nationals (SCSN) event.
Bailey and SCSN promoter Mel Roth recently discussed adding a class to this year’s event, being held November 19th-22nd, 2026 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, that encapsulates the drag and drive vibe – and we need to hear if you’re interested!
The Stick Shift World Record Is Reset After Two Years – Joel Grannas Clocks 6.49 Pass in New 2JZ-Powered Fox Mustang Build During Test Session at Bradenton Motorsports Park!
The increasingly hot topic in racing the past few years has been stick shift cars, and although there are several classes with strict rules, the one that has gotten the majority of the attention is the Outlaw Stick Shift contingent.
With minimal rules based around the use of a H-pattern manual transmission, and in most cases, a foot-activated clutch, 28-inch tall x 10.5-inch width tires, the elapsed times started falling a few years back, where 6-second runs started to become a little more commonplace.
One of the veterans of the Outlaw Stick Shift wars is Joel Grannas, who got his Mark IV Supra down to a 6.63 at 212 mph pass during The Reunion event at Bradenton Motorsports Park (BMP) in early 2025. Recently, Grannas returned to BMP with a new ride, and made a big statement in the stick shift world.
The Fight to the Finish – Aydan Bailey Wheelies His Way to Overall Win on an Unpredictable Final Day of the Driven Racing Oil Sick Michigan Miles!
It was so good, we had to bring it back for a second helping – Sick Michigan Miles presented by Driven Racing Oil returned to the land of ten thousand lakes for an epic seven days in Michigan.
To keep things fresh, the Sick The Mag added a new track, new routes, and new checkpoints from the first edition of the event. The competitor list expanded to 223 entries on Day One, and after five days, a couple hundred rides returned to Mid Michigan Motorplex to say “we completed Sick Michigan Miles,” finalize their averages, and crown winners.
A Wild Day Two of the Driven Racing Oil Sick Michigan Miles At Northern Michigan Dragway Brings Lead Changes, Thrashes, and Some New Category Frontrunners!
Following a record-setting Day One of Sick Michigan Miles at Mid Michigan Motorplex, over 200 competitors and a couple hundred Sick Warders rolled over 200 miles on their odometers to reach Kaleva, Michigan and Northern Michigan Dragway.
Regarded by many as a hidden treasure of a track with tons of acreage with dozens of bracket cars scattered in the tree-covered pit areas, Northern Michigan Dragway would play host to the second day of racing action, and action there was!
Nothing ‘Mid’ About Day One at Sick Michigan Miles Presented by Driven Racing Oil, as Some of the Quickest Performances in Event History Are Delivered at Mid Michigan Motorplex!
One year ago, Tom Bailey’s idea of showcasing his home state of Michigan came to fruition with the first Sick Michigan Miles presented by Driven Racing Oil. Despite our best efforts, Mother Nature rained down on Mid Michigan Motorplex, a track most competitors wanted to tackle.
One year, the Ledfords are getting their shot by hosting the second edition of Sick Michigan Miles, as well as the 223 competitors that made it through tech. After some hints that some solid performances could be in the works based on Day Zero runs, competitors and enthusiasts watching from the fenceline and grandstands were eager to see what the track held in store for Day One.
Chuck Marlatt Leads The Way in Sick Michigan Miles Testing
Sick Michigan Miles Presented By Driven Racing Oil is underway with tech and testing taking place today at Mid-Michigan Motorplex.
Melling Performance, a Family-Owned Michigan Business, Celebrates 80 Years in 2026 – Joins Sick The Magazine for Multiple Events, Including Sick Michigan Miles!
When asked about automotive history, a common answer of where to look is Michigan, a place where numerous automotive assembly plants were built, and where the big three (Ford, GM, and Mopar) still have operations. Millions of automobiles have come out of Michigan, by companies still in business, as well as those that have shuttered their doors.
The automotive aftermarket and performance industry is also strong in Michigan, with one business, Melling Engine Parts and Melling Performance Parts, celebrating eighty years since they were founded in 1946.
Frank Webb Turns Up The Performance For His Shot at the Top Spot at Sick Michigan Miles Presented by Driven Racing Oil!
You can’t keep a former class winner down for long, and Frank Webb has been battling hard to get back to quick time slips and winning ways. After winning class at the 2024 edition of Sick Summer presented by Motion Raceworks, Webb found the struggle bus in 2025.
But this season we’ve seen him start to rebound back, and the ’78 Ford Fairmont has made some strong impressions. After 6-second performances at Street Car Braggin Rights, and a class runner-up at Speedfest, Webb comes into the Driven Racing Oil Sick Michigan Miles with some momentum, and a mission.