Garbage In Name Only – Matt Donovan Looks to Capture Second B/Gas Title in as Many Years at Edelbrock Sick 66!
After originally acquiring the ‘Garbage That Barfed’ name from David Freiburger at Hot Rod Drag Week nearly a decade ago, Matt Donovan has continued to evolve the Gasser-style 1938 Chevrolet coupe into a class-winning ride.
Five years after completing his first Hot Rod Drag Week in 2017, Donovan scored his first Sick The Mag event win in the B/Gas class with a 10.65 average at Gear Vendors Overdrive Sick Week. Now, he’s looking for a second-straight event week for 2026, and well as a second Sick The Mag event in as many years.
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“This is for the fucking adventure,” Donovan said of his continued participation of the drag and drive events. “And to see my friends and have a blast.”
It’s a bit quicker, and a bit more fun since that Sick Week win in 2022. Donovan moved into the low 9-second range on the quarter-mile, thanks to a 555 cubic inch Big Block Chevrolet from Steve Morris Engines. On the half-track distance, that got him a best single run of 5.96 at 113 mph, and a 6.12 average at last year’s Edelbrock Sick Smokies.
That got Donovan his first Sick The Mag orange helmet as the winner of the B/Gas class. But he’s not sitting on his laurels, as the gasser has already seen a win this year at Rocky Mountain Race Week in the Gasser class.
Donovan also stepped up the performance parts arsenal on the Chevrolet coupe, with the engine getting a larger camshaft, to complement a pair of Steve Morris-prepped Dart Pro II 320 cc cylinder heads with shaft rockers. It’s getting fed air and fuel from a tunnel ram sporting twin 1000 cfm Holley carburetors.
Donovan didn’t forget about the driveline, as the Turbo 400 3-speed automatic got Sonnax transmission internals, while the Moser 9-inch rear end got new 35 spline axles, spool, and a 4.10 ratio set of gears.
All of this has Donovan setting his goals on breaking into the 5.6-second range on the eighth-mile standard that the Edelbrock Sick 66 event is held on. But, despite all the changes, and what should be a noticeable bump in power, Donovan’s experience in drag and drive is keeping his focus in the right places.
“The first goal is to get there,” Donovan said. “The second goal is to have fun. Third goal is to finish, and fourth, try for another Orange Helmet.”
Edelbrock Sick 66 will be at Mo-Kan Dragway, Bonne Terre Drag Strip and Midstate Dragway from September 26th to October 3rd, 2026. Get your spectator tickets online now and save $5, kids 12 and under are free! For more event information head to www.sickthemagazine.com/sick-66.
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine and Matt Donovan.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com