Third Time’s the Charm – Nick Cryer Dominates Edelbrock Sick Smokies with a Trio of Personal Best Runs, the Overall Victory, and a Sick The Mag Orange Helmet!
After several years of entertaining audiences, and completing several drag and drive events in his family’s wheelstanding 1963 Divco (Detroit Industrial Vehicles COmpany) Milk Truck, Nick Cryer made the switch to a more serious 1933 Ford Coupe at the 2025 edition of Motion Raceworks Sick Summer.
Nick’s drag and drive debut came up a single day short of completion, but Nick would rebound at his next two drag and drive events, Hot Rod Drag Week and Edelbrock Sick Smokies. And we got a glimpse at what the ’33 Ford could deliver for performances in 2026.
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We first reported on the new build a few years back- CLICK HERE to read the initial story and see early build photos on the car.
JT Race Cars handled the initial construction, and Nick, along with fellow Edelbrock Sick Smokies competitor Mike Turner, and John Tehaar, did the finishing work. Borowski Race Engines was taped for the 427 cubic inch LS powerplant between the frame rails, sporting a pair of mirror-image VS 80-millimeter turbochargers.
Backing the dyno-proven mill, which cranked out 1257 rear-wheel-horsepower on a safe tune, is a Coan Engineering Turbo 400 transmission. Coan’s Ultimate Turbo III version meant a host of upgrades, including 1st and 2nd gear leave, clean neutral, and internal converter dump valve, and one of Coan’s torque converters was employed in the build as well.
After completing the final checkpoint on the fourth day of this year’s Motion Raceworks Sick Summer, Nick made a discovery that would sideline the ’33 Ford. “I lost a rod bearing and scored the crankshaft,” said Nick. Despite a trio of runs between 7.29 and 7.34 in the first four days, Nick would be an enthusiastic spectator on the final day.
Fast forward three months, and the ’33 Ford was repaired and ready for Hot Rod Drag Week. Despite starting the week with a best pass of 9.84 from the first two days, Nick and his daughter co-pilot Vayda learned what the Coupe wanted. Their performance showed it, clocking a best of 7.16 at 192 mph on Day Three, followed by a pair of 7-second runs on the final two days for an 8.32 average.
Originally slated to bring the Divco Milk Truck to his final drag and drive of the year, Edelbrock Sick Smokies, Nick called the ‘33 Ford onto the field after the Divco had some issues at Hot Rod Drag Week.
“We hurt the wiring and motor at Hot Rod Drag Week,” Nick said. “So, it’s getting a refresh. “The engine damage” was not too bad, as it broke a lifter and tore up the camshaft. But the wiring was in bad shape so it all got cut out and is getting redone.”
Could the ’33 Ford seriously contend for the overall title, as well as survive the mountain roads and different tracks of Sick Smokies? “From the data at Hot Rod Drag Week we knew we had a stator issue in the convertor,” said Nick. “Once we had that changed, it was ‘do we go test locally (before the event), or do we go test and race, and see if we can tune for the conditions and different tracks?’”
They opted for the latter, and from Day One, Nick and co-pilot Ryan Brockman held the top spot and never relinquished it. The only car to clock a 4-second run on the eighth-mile based event, Nick continued to improve his performance at each and every track stop.
After opening with a 4.69 at 156 mph on Day One at Rocket City Dragway, Nick whittled that down to a 4.626 at only 147 mph at Knoxville Dragway, a new personal best for the car. After the Day Five drive through Tennessee to north Georgia for Day Six, Nick dropped another new best, a 4.608 at 157 mph pass, at Brainerd Motorsports Park.
The final day would be the cherry on top, as after another 4.60 result on his first run, Nick tuned it up for his second shot. That run returned the low e.t. of the event, a 4.543 at 158.56 mph blast, and solidified Nick’s average at a 4.631.
This got Cryer the win in the Hot Rod category, the overall event win, and the coveted Sick The Mag orange helmet from Racequip. “It was a great week, and I’m still trying to accept that I’m holding this helmet,” said Nick after receiving his awards.
With his first win in hand, Nick said his goals are still the same as when he started building the car. “The 6-second pass was the first goal I set, and still is the main objective,” Nick said. “Once we get it, a 6-second average will become the next goal.”
Now, with his win at Edelbrock Sick Smokies, Nick got the top Sick Wildcard of five from the event, and exercised his option to purchase a competitor slot to the 2026 edition of Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive.
And although all signs point to Nick being able to click off a 6-second pass in the quarter-mile with ease based on his Edelbrock Sick Smokies eighth-mile runs, he’s taking a realistic approach to next year’s Sick Week.
“I’m thinking I’ll be on the learning game again,” said Nick. “Right now, I’m on VP Racing Fuels Q16 and with my intercooler it’s a little warmer than I’d like. So, I’m seriously considering switching to methanol, which would put me right back into ‘testing and race’ mode like we did at Sick Smokies.”
With the Cryer family normally participating with 3-5 people amongst 1-3 rides in a drag and drive, who will get the nod to co-pilot when Nick runs the ’33 Ford in Sick Week for the first time? “I think my daughter Vayda wants the seat,” Nick said.
Can Nick Cryer conquer his goal of a 6-second run at Sick Week next year? Don’t miss your chance to witness all the quickest runs, as over 300 competitors aim to compete in the ‘Super Bowl’ of drag and drive events, Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive, February 1st through the 7th, 2026! CLICK HERE for more details, Sick Ward entries and discount advance spectator tickets.
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine, Nick Cryer and Tom Wilhelm.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com