Nearly a decade after acquiring a name that some might have questioned, Matt Donovan has rolled into the double-digit number of drag and drive events he’s attended with a 1938 Chevrolet coupe.

Granted, the original ‘Garbage That Barfed’ 1941 Pontiac was upgraded to the current ’38 Chevrolet, but the spirit remains. And in addition to completing the unique Edelbrock Sick Smokies event, Donovan hopes to check off some personal goals.

Working in the performance industry has its perks, and one of those is getting lots of ideas for either a current or new project. In the case of Tim Irwin, who has over fifty years in the racing world, he needs to looks no further than the racing community and his current employer, Moser Engineering.

Irwin has owned and built some cool rides, including Gassers. “I’ve been a chassis builder for most of my working life, and know what it takes to build a competitive car,” Irwin said. That has played into his interest, as well as a car, for the quickly-approaching Edelbrock Sick Smokies event.

Some of us get a first or second car that resonates with us, sometimes enough to retain ownership, or the desire to have a similar model for the long haul.

But there are other enthusiasts that have to ‘pay their dues’ and bust their tail to get that car and/or the performance they have been picturing in their life. That was the case with Dean Trowbridge, who will join us for Edelbrock Sick Smokies and his first drag and drive with this Willys Gasser.

Some classic rides enjoy a lengthy ownership under the individual that originally purchased them, and in the case of this ’63 Ford Galaxie 500, it was also raced not long as after leaving the dealership.

After more than five decades of ownership, The Galaxie changed hands in 2018 to a new owner, Bobby Frizzell. He has continued to exercise the car on the track, and will add in the street element in a couple weeks when he embarks on Edelbrock Sick Smokies.

Almost every car has a story to tell, whether it has a long family history, or a special day such as being driven to a wedding.

For Jeremy Bonnett, racing and the love of automobiles and motorcycles has spilled into not only time spent with his family, but also in building cars at their home shop. They created a couple that have seen time in the drag and drive community.

The latest one, this ’33 Willys named ‘Last Penny’ was finished in 2024, and Jeremy will join 70-plus Gassers to go for a second drag and drive event win at next month’s Edelbrock Sick Smokies!

With time spent in the automotive performance industry, as well as a good amount of time spent drag racing, it’s fair to say that Greg Overman is an enthusiast.

But when one of his friends participated in a Sick The Mag drag and drive event, it would set in motion a small group of friends attending the Edelbrock Sick 66 event in 2024.

That same group of friends will embark on another drag and drive adventure together, as set their sights on the Edelbrock Sick Smokies event, October 12-19th, 2025 .

Sick The Magazine’s first “one off” event in 2023, Death Week, put the competitors through three states, four different race tracks, and over 2,000 miles street miles. One of those competitors was Daniel Roberts with his stick shift 1996 Ford Mustang, and his adventure would lead to a yearly adventure for Roberts, Overman and a few others.

From the first event in 2022, Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive has gained a reputation of a drag and drive event not to be missed. Four world-class race tracks, great track prep, optimal weather, and scenic drives combine to create a platform where competitors consistently deliver record-setting performances.

As such, it also came with high demand for competitor spots, which sell out each year in a matter of minutes. The 2026 edition of Sick Week is no different, with just minutes ticked off the clock before the ‘Sold Out’ tag appeared.

But if you didn’t grab one of those coveted spots, Sick The Magazine will host multiple event opportunities in 2026, giving you the chance to experience a new adventure. Plus, we will offer more chances than ever in 2026 to get a competitor spot into Sick Week for 2027.

Gassers can be a window into how drag racing was for thousands of enthusiasts, both spectators and racers. The Gasser look, as well as the wheels up performances has become popular once again.

This unique Henry J is not the first one that Troy Lightner has owned, but represents his dive back into racing after taking a few years away from the sport.

Lightner made his first trip to a drag strip with his brother when he was fourteen years old, and the racing bug bit down hard. “I have been involved in drag racing since 1964,” said Rightner. That level of commitment usually means building a car, and Rightner was no exception.

We first saw Jack Weatherford and his classic Gasser Chevrolet at the opening event of the 2025 drag and drive season – Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive.

His second appearance at a Sick The Mag event in 2025 will be Edelbrock Sick Smokies, where Weatherford looks to not only improve his performance and compete with 70-plus Gasser rides, but possibly bring along a couple people that played a role in the iconic movie ‘Two Lane Blacktop.’

There plenty of ways to start an argument on social media, and one of the easiest questions to start with is “what is a street car?” 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 “what is a fast / quick street car?” Granted fast and quick are different measurements, and for this story, we’ll focus on the elapsed time “quick” side.

Following the performances we’ve seen on the jam-packed 2025 schedule of drag and drive events, one could be forgiven for looking back at past year results and wonder just how quickly the cars and drivers have advanced.

A lot has happened in the twenty-one years of competition of drag-and-drive since Hot Rod Drag Week got the train rolling in 2005.

On that first year, Carl Scott averaged an 8.581 at 157.13 mph after five days and over 1,000 street miles, and the community has expanded, more events added, and the averages continue to improve over the next 2 decades.

Ned Dunphy’s winning average at the recently-completed Hot Rod Drag Week, a 6.175-second performance, takes the top spot from Jeff Lutz, who held it for nine years!

That got our minds chugging – just how quick are the best ten averages in drag and drive history?

Trends can come and go, but some will show staying power. Gassers are seeing life in many areas of the country, but definitely have a strong showing in the southeast region.

This ’57 Chevy has seen life in a couple different configurations, but was almost left for dead and junked. Randy Quay breathed new into this classic, and will embark on his first drag and drive event as part of over 70 Gasser entries on Edelbrock Sick Smokies, October 12-19th, 2025.

There are those that decide to do this a little bit different, even if at first glance it doesn’t appear as such.

Although this 1966 Ford Mustang may appear to be a clean example of a Gasser build upon an initial inspection, the classic Ford hides a few secrets that will be on display as part of the 70-plus Gassers at the Edelbrock Sick Smokies event October 12th through the 19th.

A former street racer, Russell Grimes has turned to racing on the drag strip more in the last fifteen years, and decided to take on a new build. “While I was building a customer’s car, I decided to build a 60's themed drag car and here we are,” said Grimes.

With over 70 Gassers currently signed registered for Edelbrock Sick Smokies coming up October 12th through the 19th, 2025, a good chunk of them have cool back stories, even if it will be the competitor’s first drag and drive event.

This ’63 Studebaker Lark carries a good bit of racing history, and owner Jeff Sixt does have a good bit of drag and drive experience. Sick Smokies will mark the first event Sixt and the car he calls ‘Stu Debaker’ will embark on the adventure of an event that involves street drives and drag racing, and he is excited about it.

The Ford Thunderbird debuted as a 1955 model, just two years after Chevrolet 2-seater Corvette first hit. Combining some cool features, including style, comfort and speed, including a factory supercharged engine option in 1957, the T-bird was a hit with over 16,000 sold the first year.

Hard to imagine that one of those models, this green 1955 example owned by Dan Wiechowski, was sitting under a tree. Pushed aside by at least three owners for other priorities, Wiechowski saw it on social media, rescued it, and will embark on his first drag and drive with it at Edelbrock Sick Smokies next month!

On almost every drag and drive event we cover, there’s at least one vehicle with interesting stats, a cool back story, or some cool modifications that draws you in.

It stands as a good reminder that being interested in the car hobby is a blast, and that’s before we get to the racing and cruising together part!

The Ford Lightning pick-up truck that is the subject of this article, owned by Jason Long, has served numerous purposes over a two-plus decade ownership, and will serve as the key to his first drag and drive event appearance at the Edelbrock Sick Smokies next month.

Car and racing friends can just take things to the next level. They might encourage you to spend money on a part or upgrade, but they will be right there to help you install it when the time comes.

For Eric Bennecker, a love of Pontiac vehicles, combined with three close friends, resulted in the building of this unique Pontiac station wagon Gasser. It will join over 70 more Gasser entries at next month’s Edelbrock Sick Smokies!

Bryant Goldstone brings a wealth of not only drag and drive experience, but as the owner of an automotive shop, the knowledge that sometimes cars, repairs and timelines don’t always work out 100-percent.

When Goldstone debuted his new 1953 Chevrolet Corvette at the Performance and Racing Industry (PRI) show last December, it brought a lot of discussion about competing for the top of the pack in drag and drive.

The drag and drive community has grown significantly since the first Hot Rod Drag Week in 2005, and every year, dozens of first-time participants join the community.

Unfortunately, we have some members depart the drag and drive community earlier than expected, and we’ve recently learned that multi-time winner Randall Reed has passed.

Reed first jumped into the drag and drive with an appearance at Hot Rod Drag Week in 2017, competing in the popular Street Race Small Block Power Adder class. Over seven years, Reed competed in nearly a dozen drag and drive events, scoring multiple wins.