Right on the Number – Clocking the Perfect Pass in Hot Rod Drag Week, Rocky Mountain Race Week, Sick Week and Sick Summer 8.50-Second Limited Classes
If you’re a fan of drag-and-drive events, you’ve likely witnessed or heard about certain classes that are limited based on elapsed times due to a variety of factors.
Although Hot Rod Drag Week didn’t start out with the intention of making their Street Race classes into an index-based competition, that’s become the norm.
And the competition to run that 8.500 perfect pass has been heating up, as well as the list of drivers who have accomplished the task, from five events annually held in the US.
Sick Week 2027 Sold Out on Competitor Spots – Sick The Mag Has 5 More Event Options in 2027 You Can Participate In, Plus Sick Ward, Sick Spit Show & Shine, And Sick Wildcard Spots Up for Grabs!
From the first edition of Sick Week in 2022, it has gained a reputation for being a drag and drive event not to be missed. From the quartet of world-class race tracks featuring great track prep overseen by Sick Prep team, to the cool, crisp weather and scenic drives, it all comes together to create a platform where competitors consistently deliver record-setting performances.
Because of all these factors, Sick Week competitor spots have been in high demand since that first edition in 2022, and after five completed versions of Sick Week, that demand remains as strong as ever. The 2027 edition of Sick Week is no different, with just a minute ticked off the clock before the ‘Sold Out’ tag appeared.
If you didn’t grab one of those coveted competitor spots, there are multiple ways to join us for the adventure of Sick Week. PLUS, Sick The Magazine will host five event opportunities in 2027, giving you the chance to experience new destinations, and experience new memories.
From Hard Charger to Sick BBQ Truck Wheeler – Alex Brody Will Experience His Second Sick 66 at the Helm of the Sick BBQ / Hot Dog / Ice Cream Truck on the Edelbrock Sick 66!
Granted, the drag and drive event structure is based in proving what can survive and thrive in a street car. But closely behind, as thousands of competitors and enthusiasts have discovered, is the chance to experience new race tracks, travel new states, and create some incredible memories.
Originally wheeled by Tom Bailey at drag and drive events as a way to keep competitors fed at each track day, the Sick BBQ – Hot Dog – Ice Cream truck started to get a variety of two and three person crews at Sick The Mag event starting in 2023, opening the door to a different experience on a drag and drive and creating amazing memories for those duos and teams.
Just How Quick Are The Quickest Street Cars – Sick The Magazine Breaks Down the Top Ten Single Runs of All Time, from 2005 to 2026
The definition of what a ‘street car’ is one of the most debated topics in the car community. And if you dare benchrace on social media, get the popcorn and set aside some time, as some believe air conditioning, cruise control and lack of a roll cage are requirements.
Not far behind the “what makes it a street car” question is the ever-popular “what is a fast / quick street car?” Granted fast and quick are different measurements, and for this story, we’ll focus on the ‘quick’ side of things, which focuses on the elapsed time, and list the Top Ten Quickest Single Runs of Drag and Drive.
Going The Distance - Daniel Roberts Keeps Tradition of Exercising His Mustang Cobra on Sick The Mag Events, Will Do a 6,000 Mile Round Trip for His 4th DND Event at This Year’s Edelbrock Sick 66!
On the first Sick The Magazine’s ‘one-off’ event, Death Week in October 2023, the scenery changed, and so did some of the competitors. When you plan a drag and drive with over 2,000 travel miles, you see who is dedicated to ‘the adventure’ of a drag and drive, not just the competition.
One of the competitors on that epic event was Daniel Roberts, who brought out a rare 1996 Ford Mustang Cobra in the Mystic hue. And despite being one of just 2,000 originally built, Roberts has continued to modify and increase the Cobra’s performance over the last three years. With the Edelbrock Sick 66 event as his yearly drag and drive outing, Roberts has some new goals in mind, as well as an ongoing competition with friends.
Iron Clad – Garrett Hall Combines A Gasser Vibe, with a 1971 Ford F-100, To Result in the ‘Iron Pyrite’, a Battle-Tested Gasser Ready for Edelbrock Sick 66!
After a solid showing of Gassers during the Edelbrock Sick Smokies event in 2025, Sick The Magazine once again made them a featured class for our final drag and drive of 2026, Sick 66 presented by Edelbrock.
The Gasser category can showcase a wide variety of rides, and one of those that has done multiple events in the last year is this 1971 Ford F-100 pick-up of Garrett Hall. After several events this year, including a pair of drag and drive events, Hall now prepares for another fall adventure on the Edelbrock Sick 66 event.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Billy Hoskinson, Tess Wood and Tony Politano Team Up on a Stick Shift Ford Mustang to Tackle Sick Michigan Miles Presented by Driven Racing Oil, August 17-23, 2026!
With over a decade of experience, and winning, in the no-prep arena, Billy Hoskinson started to branch out a few years ago to tackle more ‘street car friendly’ classes. His first drag and drive experience came at the 2024 edition of Sick Week presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive, where he finished the week with a big block 1955 Chevrolet.
Since then, he’s done a few more drag and drive events, as well as entering his familiar Chevrolet S-10 pick-up in the Street Car Shootout class at Street Car Braggin Rights.
But the Ohio native will try out a new approach for his fourth drag and drive event, as Billy will be joined by Tess Wood (a.k.a. Miss Midnight Maverick) and Tony Politano to embark on the Sick Michigan Miles event, presented by Driven Racing Oil, in a 1985 Ford Mustang giveaway car!
From Flipping Cars to Rolling Hot Dogs – Jon and Kayleigh Whittle Will Pilot the Sick BBQ / Hot Dog / Ice Cream Truck on Driven Racing Oil Sick Michigan Miles!
It’s become about as much of a staple at Sick The Magazine events as the familiar faces you see on our staff. But the Sick BBQ – Hot Dog – Ice Cream truck that started as a way to keep competitors fed at each track day, has also expanded into a new chapter: living the adventure pf a drag and drive and creating amazing memories for a two-person team.
When we put out the call for possible teams for Motion Raceworks Sick Summer, the enthusiasts answered in a big way! Not only did we get a bunch of requests for Sick Summer, but a good chunk of applications also mentioned interest in Sick Michigan Miles presented by Driven Racing Oil, or the Edelbrock Sick 66.
From the stack of entries for Sick Michigan Miles, Jon and Kayleigh Whittle were selected to drive the Sick BBQ – Hot Dog – Ice Cream truck. And although they didn’t have the event on their 2026 bingo card, for Jon it is a chance to return to Michigan, as well as share the experience with his wife.
The End Of An Era – After 22 Years, Mike Copeland Will Close The Doors to Diversified Creations in Michigan, and Sell Off Everything – We Get An Exclusive Look Inside!
To say Mike Copeland has a love affair with everything automotive is an understatement. From working for some big names, to creating some amazing rides, to owning multiple businesses, even working at a lot of events, Mike has done it all.
Now, after over four decades working with cars, and a little over twenty-two years running Diversified Creations, Mike will close the doors at the end of August, 2026. In this article, we discuss what led Mike to create his business, what’s next, and get an exclusive look inside Diversified Creations.
A Clutch Decision - Brett LaSala Converts ‘Snot Rocket 3.0’ Mustang to a Stick Shift Transmission - Will Debut in Stick Shift Challenge Class at Great Lakes Dragaway in September 2026!
Since his first Mustang in high school, a 1990 Mustang that clocked elevens with a hint of nitrous, Brett LaSala has been a fan of the Ford pony car. Some years later, a 2013 edition Mustang, packing a twin turbo coyote engine and slathered in the unique ‘Gotta Have It Green’ color, put LaSala’s name on the map with a 6.98 at 206 mph pass in a fully street-legal ride.
This year, LaSala put his latest Mustang, ‘Snot Rocket 3.0’, to the test of winning a championship in the competitive Limited Drag Radial class. But after a second-straight victory, setting the class record, and jumping into the points lead in mid April, LaSala’s combination was hit with multiple rule changes, including a 200 pound weight increase, and the removal of his intercooler and lock-up converter.
Just days later, LaSala announced he would no longer compete in the series, listing “we would not be able to race the car competitively under those terms with any amount of effort” among his reasons. After a few months of speculation, LaSala announced that ‘Snot Rocket 3.0’ will get a manual transmission, as he preps the car for its first event in stick shift competition in six weeks!