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, and 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.
Sick Michigan Miles presented by Driven Racing Oil is LESS THAN 2 WEEKS AWAY - August 17-23, 2026! Join us for a week in Michigan, combing drag racing and street cruising! Sick Ward and discount advance spectator tickets are available; CLICK HERE for details on Sick Michigan Miles!
Sharing the automotive and drag racing passions is something that Jon and Kayleigh got into right away. Jon met his to-be wife Kayleigh after moving from Florida to Tennessee, and she fit right into his automotive lifestyle. “She took my C5 Corvette and she drives the wheels off it,” said Jon.
Growing up in Orlando, Florida, Jon got his dosage of drag racing at local track, and Sick Week stop, Orlando Speed World Dragway. With a Fox Mustang in his possession, it all made sense. “The car thing started when I was a teenager,” said Jon. “I started with a go cart, then I flipped that for a (Chevrolet) S-10, then flipped that for a Fox body (Mustang).”
That Mustang, a 1990 GT edition that Jon describes as ‘mostly blue’ has been in his possession since high school. “Feels like I’ve had it forever and driven it a ton,” he said. The Mustang followed him when he made the move to Tennessee in 2013. “It was a lifestyle change,” Jon said. “I’ve always liked the country vibe (of Tennessee), but it’s exploded to where some of it feels like Orlando.”
After meeting his now-wife and discovering drag and drive events, Jon and Kayleigh jumped in by participating with the Corvette, mostly in Sick The Magazine’s Sick Ward. “Once we found out about drag and drive events, and started going with the Corvette, I wanted to get the Mustang set up for it,” said Jon.
The Mustang has since seen action at Sick The Magazine’s Edelbrock Sick Smokies, and this year’s Sick Week presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive, where Jon carded a 12.10 average in the Stick Shift class. He will also participate on Edelbrock Sick 66, and Southeast Street N Yeet events this year. They’ve even acquired a second Fox Mustang for Kayleigh as well.
But the duo was looking for a different drag and drive experience, and submitted an application for piloting the Sick BBQ – Hot Dog – Ice Cream truck when we made the call for Sick Summer. “It looks like a lot of fun,” he said. “We always seek it out during events, and thought it would be a blast to wheel it. I hope it has a lot of air for the horns!”
It plays into Jon and Kayleigh’s attraction to drag and drives. “I’ve always loved to race, but the interaction with people (on drag and drive events), that’s the big thing,” said Jon. “The racing is great, but the drives and the people are the deal for us.”
Jon got to partake in the first Sick Michigan Miles presented by Driven Racing Oil in 2025, filling the co-pilot role with Don Gatlin. “I told her that she needed to get to Michigan,” Jon said. “The drives sold me on this event, so we were really excited to get the call to drive the Sick BBQ – Hot Dog – Ice Cream truck.”
For those that submitted an entry but were not picked for Sick Summer or Sick Michigan Miles, we also need a two-person team for our Edelbrock Sick 66 event (September 26th - October 3rd, 2026). If you’d like to apply, send us an e-mail to info@sickthemagazine.com.
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine and Jon Whittle.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com