Following a Storied Debut at the 2025 Edelbrock Sick Smokies Event, Jimmy Dale Will Combine Family and Florida Sights for His 2nd Drag and Drive at Sick Week 2026 presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive!
A lot of us likely dreamed of doing things with cars when we were kids. Whether it was with a family member, or participating with friends, some of us get a chance to carve a little time of each year to experience the fun, and extended family, that the car community can bring.
For Tom Gunner (a.k.a. Jimmy Dale), his 2025 season was a reflection of a lot of hard work to drive race cars as much as possible. His infectious smile was only matched by the enthusiasm he and good friend Michael Poland share in bringing the popular Lil Gangstas class to many an event.
His 2025 also included his first chance behind the wheel of a car during a drag and drive, when Mike Finnegan tossed him the keys to the popular Datsun 240 known as the ‘Rotsun’ for the Edelbrock Sick Smokies event. The impression it left confirmed to Jimmy Dale that he wanted to attend another Sick event in 2026, and he will do so at Sick Week presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive.
The 2026 edition of Gear Vendors Overdrive Sick Week, February 1st through 7th, will showcase some of the best in drag and drive! Brett LaSala, Tom Bailey, Jeff Lutz, Stefan Gustafsson, Randy Seward, Bob Gruber, and more will be looking for another class win, while trying to survive over 900 street miles of driving through Florida and South Georgia! Get your tickets now, save some coin, and get entered in our Holden SS wagon giveaway for FREE! CLICK HERE for more info on Sick Week!
“Imagine being a 12-13 year old kid that just wants to race cars,” said Jimmy Dale. “That’s me, and I can’t believe I get to live this dream on so many levels.” Normally behind the wheel of ’50 Shade of Brown’ Ford Mustang that guided him to a $30,000 win at the World Series of Pro Mod, as well as a $10,000 victory at Sick on The Green, Jimmy Dale has been known to pop up in other cars as well.
“I’ve driven a lot of stuff, including some hairy fast no prep cars,” Jimmy Dale said. Those experiences led him to the drag and drive world, and Finnegan’s challenge to wheel the Rotsun. “I like seeing my friends wheeling some of the stuff I’ve built,” said Finnegan. “Jimmy Dale is a wheel man, and finishing Sick Smokies in the Rotsun is proof that he can do just about anything.”
“It was probably the most amazing week I’ve spent in a car,” said Jimmy Dale. “The views, the sunsets, the drives, it’s going to be hard to top it.” But because of Finnegan’s influence and the resulting memories, Jimmy Dale has a different plan in place for Sick Week 2026.
“I got to do Sick Smokies with Poland, and my girl Mo Dale,” Jimmy Dale said. “She and I were talking about bringing our son along for the next one, and it played into my initial plans perfectly.”
Those plans were finding a car to drive around the Georgia area for a week in the fall of 2025, which were scrapped when Jimmy Dale got the keys to the Rotsun. But the idea played out a couple months later, when he located the car he will drive on Sick Week.
A 1979 Ford Fairmont, discovered by good friends Tony and Tess Politano, would be the vehicle of choice for Jimmy Dale and family during Sick Week. Sporting an LS swap and single turbo, Jimmy Dale and Poland figured it needed a shakedown run. So, the car was driven from California all the way to Bradenton, Florida, arriving in time for the recent Snowbird Nationals.
“If the Fairmont survived that run, no doubt she’ll be good for Sick Week,” said Jimmy Dale. Will he be able to keep his winning streak alive and complete his second drag and drive event in less than four months? See Jimmy Dale and family join over 300 cars to start the 2026 drag and drive season at Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive, February 1st through the 7th. Discounted advance tickets and event details are available at the Sick Week event page by CLICKING HERE!
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine and Jimmy Dale Racing.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com