Second Verse is Better Than the First – Tor Nupen Rebounds from First Sick Week Outing to Power ’68 Chevelle Through the 2027 Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive
Drag and drive events can be a rewarding experience, as the chance to meet, race and cruise with hundreds of fellow enthusiasts has grown to nearly 50 opportunities each year for the last two seasons.
But the track and street can also find a vehicle’s weak spots, and this means a number of first timers could fail to complete the event. Tor Nupen suffered this fate at his first drag and drive event, the 2025 edition of Sick Week presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive.
But he used it as motivation to better his 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle for a return appearance to Sick Week this year, with his son in the co-pilot seat.
Back In the Game – Jason Wall Returns to Racing at the 2026 Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive!
After over a decade away from the drag racing game, Jason Wall decided it was time to get back into it. There’s a ton of options for a street and strip capable ride, and although Jason had recently piloted his wife’s Hellcat Charger on Hot Rod Drag Week, he had a different target.
“I always liked these Collector’s Edition C4’s when I was a kid,” said Jason about the silver Corvette he acquired. “That never changed,” and he debuted this 1996 Corvette at this year’s Sick Week presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive.
Service With a Smile – Jesse Lesko and His Twin-Turbo Trans Am Are Aiming for the First Sick Sevens Class Helmet at Speedfest!!
It was 2024 that we got our first look at the 1998 Pontiac Trans Am of Jesse Lesko at the second annual Sick Summer Presented by Motion Raceworks. It was kind of a homecoming for Jesse, as the Illinois-born Air Force vet had since relocated to Texas.
Nearly two years later, Jesse completed the recent Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive with some of his best performances on track, and has his sights set on the new Sick Sevens class that will debut at Speedfest in Bowling Green, Kentucky on May 28th through the 30th.
Land, Air and Sea – Navy Veteran Scott Brown Trade Air Traffic for the Drag and Drive Proving Grounds at Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive!
After four decades and two different careers in the Navy, Scott Brown made the transition to his third career in Florida, a state with weather that encourages year-round outdoor activities.
Scott spent time enjoying that weather by riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle as recently as 2024. But later that year, he was ready for a change, and he’d embark on a fourteen month build to participate in his first drag and drive event at the 2026 edition of Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive.
Mystic Dreams – Twenty Years After Seeing His First Drag and Drive Event, Jeremy McMillian Battles the Odds to Participate at the 2026 Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive!
All it takes is one experience to set a chain of events in motion for a new enthusiast to make an event or the car community a part of their life going forward.
In the case of Jeremy McMillian, the 2026 edition of Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive would be his third Sick Week appearance, but his first behind the wheel as a competitor, marking the next step in the drag and drive path he started down two decades earlier.
One Step Back Resulted in Two Steps Forward for Sean Lemire and His 1972 Chevrolet Nova at Hot Rod Drag Week 2025
Sometimes being able to see the big picture, even if it means regrouping and not attending an event, can be the right move for a competitor.
In the case of Sean Lemire and his 1972 Chevrolet Nova, he was lined up to attend a pair of drag and drive events in 2024, but the Nova didn’t make the trip. Lemire chose to work on a few issues instead, and when he and the Nova made their first appearance at Hot Rod Drag Week in 2025, it was a memorable one.
That Old Feeling – After Some Time Away, David Lacey Returns to Drag Racing, With Some Street Driving As Well, on the 2026 Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive!
Unlike some forms of motorsports, drag racing can host both novice and professional drivers in various levels of performances, sometimes at the same event or same day.
The drag and drive event format takes this format to the next level, and is credited with bringing a lot of enthusiasts back to the drag racing game. With structures and classes for nearly every form of street-legal vehicle, plus the street drives between tracks, it was just the ticket for David Lacey and his classic 1957 Chevrolet.
Could a New Transmission from Liberty’s Gears Change the Future of Stick Shift Classes?
Many will admit what keeps a Shift Shift class interesting and balanced, regardless of drag and drive ‘average’ results, or heads-up racing action, is requiring a clutch-activated manual transmission, and for some, an ‘H-pattern’ shifter and linkage.
Today marks the first day for what many consider a serious change in transmissions, as the first Liberty’s Gears Extreme Billet manual transmission with a clutch-assisted set-up and a H-pattern shifter was shipped to a customer.
IHRA Acquires Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School!
In just over a year’s time, the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) sanctioning body has made some significant moves to reclaim their standings in both national and sportsman level racing.
Today, they added another level to their arsenal, as the IHRA announced the acquisition of Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School.
Surviving and Thriving – Andy Jaquess Takes the Natural Route to Complete Sick The Mag Events, Including Edelbrock Sick Smokies and Three-Straight Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive Events
There are a good number of naturally-aspirated rides at most drag and drive events, but when you look for Ford-powered rides, especially older models, that number drops a good amount.
There’s a smaller number of Ford-powered rides in the Naturally Aspirated category, and one of them is Andy Jaquess and his classic Mustang. After one visit to Sick Week in 2023, the Florida resident was hooked, and has made the annual drag and drive event a staple on his calendar.
After Nearly Seven Decades of Racing History, the Future of Pacemakers Dragway in Ohio is in Serious Doubt as Rezoning for Homes on the Track Property is Requested
Originally opening in 1956, Packers Raceway Park (and later known as Pacemakers Outlaw Dragstrip) has hosted everything from test and tune and bracket racing, to grudge racing and no-prep.
The track has faced financial hardships once before, closing for two years between 2019 and 2021. But 2026 could be the year that the track doesn’t recover from, as rezoning for a portion of the track property to into a mobile home park is on the table.
Second Verse – This 1997 Cobra Is Sean Kelley’s Ticket Back to Drag and Drive in 2026
After a ton of work to get a 1988 Fox Mustang ready for a Sick Week presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive 2024 debut, Sean Kelley was able to complete his first drag and drive. He returned one year later with goals of a top three in class and improved performance, but a testing crash at South Georgia Motorsports Park ended his chances.
Just over one year later, Sean is ready for a return, but with a new horse to ride, a 1997 Mustang Cobra. And although he missed the chance to debut it at Sick Week, he’s working to get back to the season-opening event and prove a point.
Texas Motorplex and Sick Prep Join Forces to Host a Record-Setting TX2K in 2026, With 12 Records Established Over a Week in Texas!
It’s been heralded as the event where street cars come in droves, competition is fierce, records are set, and thousands of spectators come to witness it all. And for the 27th time, the annual TX2K brought all those elements to Texas Motorplex for six days of amazing action.
As the first purpose-built all-concrete track celebrates 40 years of historic runs and events, TX2K looked to add to that history by bringing Sick Prep onboard to handle the track surface for the event. After six days of on-track action were in the books, the performances and records once again shared the headlines alongside the winners’ celebrations.
Time Machine – Brian Goldfarb Builds a Modernized DeLorean for More Than 88 MPH – and A Debut Date For Sick Week 2027!
As the drag and drive community has expanded and more events are added each year, we’ve seen more competitors and more cars join in the test the street and track bring to each event. We’ve even seen some new builds each year, from both veteran and new competitors.
Brian Goldfarb isn’t a new face to the drag and drive community, and has participated in Hot Rod Drag Week in the past. But for his second chapter, he decided to build something a little more unique, combining a rare classic ride with a modern powerplant.
TX2K to Celebrate 27th Year of Street Cars and Setting Records, and Sick Prep Will Have Texas Motorplex Ready for Six Days of Action!
With an established history of hosting an epic week in Texas, TX2K returns to Texas Motorplex just outside of Dallas for the third year in their 27-year history. The roster for drag racing and roll racing is loaded, and they’re ready for record-setting conditions.
Sick Prep will also make the trip to Texas, as Thomas Bemis, Weston Nichols and Gavin Carter will manage and prep the track as over 300 drag racers and over 150 roll racers will invade the storied facility.
Rare Air - Jordan Boudreaux Makes History at Sick Week as First Competitor to Finish Top Three in Class For Five Years In-a-Row!
When we first saw Jordan Boudreaux at the 2022 edition of Sick Week presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive, we couldn’t have known what him or the 2002 Ford Mustang known as ‘Gray Goose’ had in store.
He finished third in the 8.50-second limited 275 Street Race class with an 8.56 average, just behind Richard ‘RC’ Flint and William Lujan. Four years later, he would be sitting with them in the grandstands at the awards ceremony, with performances over a second quicker than when he started in 2022, and a Sick Week record-setting trophy in his hand.
After Buffalo Valley Dragway Appeared to be Shutting Its Gates for Good in October 2025, The Drag Strip Re-Opens for 2026 With A New Lease and a Familiar Name – Middle Tennessee Dragway
We’re not even a quarter of the way into 2026, and already there’s been news on multiple race tracks either closing or re-opening.
In the case of a pair of Tennessee race tracks, Jackson Dragway and River Road Raceway, after an announcement they would continue operating in 2026, now the gates are closed on both facilities.
But another Tennessee track, Middle Tennessee Dragway (a.k.a. Buffalo Valley Dragway), might be able to make the best of their second chances. After announcing the 2025 season would be the last, the track is getting new life in 2026, with a pair of events already held in February.
Walter Doyle Taking Aim On the 6-Second Zone with New Fox Mustang Drag and Drive Build!
In a world of classic muscle cars, Walter Doyle has taken the stealth look with his ’66 Chevelle and made it, along with stellar 8-second performances, stand out where the car is well-known in the drag and drive community.
Now, Walter is ready to add another steed to the stable, with a brand-new build, and his sights set on the top dogs, 6-second passes, and even more fun at more than just drag and drive events.
Sick The Mag Brings Their Own ‘Great 8’ To The AutoRama – One of America’s Largest Indoor Car Shows, Starting Today in Detroit, Michigan
For over seven decades, the Detroit AutoRama in Michigan has showcased tens of thousands of amazing rides, including hot rods, muscle cars, truck and motorcycles. It is a true plethora of automotive gatherings, with one of the big attractions of the AutoRama being The Ridler Award,
The drag and drive community has enjoyed a presence at the event in recent years, with Sick The Magazine bringing an ‘8-pack’ of cool and quick rides to our display at the AutoRama.
Sick Wildcards Return for 2026 Season with Expanded Offerings – More Entries and More Events – To Race Your Way into Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive in 2027
Sick The Magazine introduced the ‘Sick Wildcards’ in 2025 as a way for top performers to race their way into an ‘early entry’ for the 2026 edition of Sick Week presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive.
The success of the program in seeing some new faces at Sick Week earlier this month reinforces the idea, and Sick The Magazine will bring it back for the 2026 season, as well as expanding on the original concept with more events and more spots.