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.
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All classes would be first time winners at I57 Drag and Drive, and leading it off would be the Unlimited class champion, Tom Franks. A veteran and the drag and drive ranks, his ’79 Ford Fairmont ‘Fastura’ clocked a best of 5.47 at 128 mph to claim the victory.
The second quickest class, the 5.50 index class, got a boost from the 5.80 index designation in 2025. At the end of the three days, Rick Castleberry earned the win.
The second index-based class to get an adjustment would be the 6.50 index class, run in 2025 as a 6.40-second based contingent. A familiar face scored the win, as Steve Rzewnicki’s scored his second drag and drive class victory of the season.
The final of the index classes would be the 8.00-second index class, and Evan Brefeld would become the first champion, driving his Chevrolet Camaro to victory.
Scoring a victory for the late model muscle cars would be Paul Daugherty, who shifted the manual trans in his Dodge Challenger to the Stick class title.
The DYO (Dial Your Own) class is a popular one amongst several drag and drive events, and Curtis Denzik did the best at I57 Drag and Drive to grab the title.
The new class to join the I57 Drag and Drive line up for 2026 was the Tailgate class, where Clint Livengood took the first ever win for the class.
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine, Jacob Siecinski and Tom Franks.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com