Spray Is The Way – Lamar Swindoll Tops The Winner’s List From an Epic Week on Route 66 on Edelbrock Sick 66!
With four days of drag racing at a trio of tracks, and six days of cruising the streets, including plenty of Route 66 pavement, Edelbrock Sick 66 returned to the starting point, Mo-Kan Dragway, for a final day of racing and to crown champions.
After Mother Nature limited our racing action on the first two days of the event, the final day had some solid performances, and some first-time winners were honored at the end of the day.
Mother Nature Wins at Midstate – Edelbrock Sick 66 Gets Rained Out at Midstate Dragway, Canceling the 4th Day of Racing, But We Find the Cruising Hot, as Sick 66 Makes Its Way Back to Bonne Terre!
Following a rain-soaked drive day on Wednesday, September 30th, Edelbrock Sick 66 returned to Midstate Dragway to start the second half of drag racing at three tracks over three days.
But Mother Nature would once again reign supreme, as persistent sprinkles turned into heavier drizzles, halting the action several times, until the track surface was wet enough to gives us an unrealistic time window to complete the first session.
Round Three Complete – Edelbrock Sick 66 Hits Midstate Dragway for Third Day of Racing, Where Some Competitors Survive and Thrive, While a Few Find the Limits of Their Rides!
Edelbrock Sick 66 visited the third new track in as many days, as the pack of competitors, Sick Ward Cruisers and spectators traveled to Havana, Illinois for a date with Midstate Dragway and the third day of competition.
This would be the final day of racing for the ‘first wave’ of Sick 66 race tracks, and competitors knew a good run early could set them up nicely for the shorter 145-mile drive, followed by a drive day on Wednesday, September 30th.
The Good Land – Day Two of Edelbrock Sick 66 at Bonne Terre Dragstrip Finds the Battle for Overall Champion Heating Up, A Stick Shift Record Set, and We Tally Up More Miles on Route 66!
After two days of Mother Nature giving us fits on Edelbrock Sick 66, Monday, September 28th dawned clear and sunny. The all-concrete racing surface at Bonne Terre Dragstrip was prepped and readied for the 175 competitors that survived Day One.
Lamar Swindoll Jr. came in the favorite based on previous performances, but as we’ve seen before, the street miles and the different tracks can shuffle the averages at any time, and Sick 66 was no exception.
The Sun Shines Through – Day One of Edelbrock Sick 66 Brings a Wide Variety of Cars, Including Over 2 Dozen Gassers, to Mo-Kan Dragway, and Lamar Swindoll Leads the Pack!
Mother Nature was the only one getting action on a soggy Day Zero on Saturday at Mo-Kan Dragway, and Day One of Edelbrock Sick 66 started with drizzle as well. But by 10:30 a.m., the clouds broke, and the crew at Mo-Kan started to get the track dried out.
With competitors ready for the cackle of the PA to get them to the staging lanes for the first shot at the track just after 1 p.m., a lot of eager participants were hoping for a good first pass to turn in their time slip and hit the road for the nearly 300 miles of travel for Day Two.
From Hard Charger to Sick BBQ Truck Wheeler – Alex Brody Will Experience His Second Sick 66 at the Helm of the Sick BBQ / Hot Dog / Ice Cream Truck on the Edelbrock Sick 66!
Granted, the drag and drive event structure is based in proving what can survive and thrive in a street car. But closely behind, as thousands of competitors and enthusiasts have discovered, is the chance to experience new race tracks, travel new states, and create some incredible memories.
Originally wheeled by Tom Bailey at drag and drive events as a way to keep competitors fed at each track day, the Sick BBQ – Hot Dog – Ice Cream truck started to get a variety of two and three person crews at Sick The Mag event starting in 2023, opening the door to a different experience on a drag and drive and creating amazing memories for those duos and teams.
Iron Clad – Garrett Hall Combines A Gasser Vibe, with a 1971 Ford F-100, To Result in the ‘Iron Pyrite’, a Battle-Tested Gasser Ready for Edelbrock Sick 66!
After a solid showing of Gassers during the Edelbrock Sick Smokies event in 2025, Sick The Magazine once again made them a featured class for our final drag and drive of 2026, Sick 66 presented by Edelbrock.
The Gasser category can showcase a wide variety of rides, and one of those that has done multiple events in the last year is this 1971 Ford F-100 pick-up of Garrett Hall. After several events this year, including a pair of drag and drive events, Hall now prepares for another fall adventure on the Edelbrock Sick 66 event.
Multi-Tool – When Plan A and Plan B Didn’t Pan Out for Edelbrock Sick 66, John Audia Called Sonoma to Bring His Pick-Up to Route 66!
Some muscle cars just have the right vibe, the look, the sound, the performance. But for John Audia, his 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle didn’t have the safety equipment for the level of performance he wanted to achieve.
So, a new plan was put into place, acquiring a G-body Chevrolet with the right level of safety for the opportunity to run deep into the 6-second range. But when that didn’t look to be to be ready for this month’s Edelbrock Sick 66 event, Audia opted for Plan C, a truck that’s seen a lot of different uses, but not a drag and drive event - yet.
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 Vendor 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.
Unfinished Business: Brooks Fleharty Brings Radical Stick-Shift Mustang to Edelbrock Sick 66
Brooks Fleharty isn’t coming to Edelbrock Sick 66 to simply make the trip; he’s arriving with a vendetta.
In 2024, Fleharty and his team were sitting third overall at the first Sick 66 in their ’86 Ford Mustang, when a parts failure in Amarillo brought their event to an abrupt end. This time around, the Mustang is back with a proven combination, a new approach to getting down the road, and some serious goals.
This Cougar Brings A 16-Year Family History, A Son’s Dedication to His Mother, and Josh Dowies Introduction to Drag-and-Drive!
Auto enthusiasts can be drawn to a particular vehicle for several reasons. It could be the styling, the power, the handling, or even the chance to fulfill a dream of owning one when you couldn’t earlier in life. But then there’s cars and trucks with history, or a family connection, and the bonds and memories created with these rides can be some powerful ones.
The 1968 Mercury Cougar of Josh Dowies has a sixteen-year history in his family starting when his father bought the car for his mother to drive. “She always wanted to have a little hot rod to cruise around,” said Josh. She passed away back in 2017, and the car sat until 2022, when Josh bought it. “Getting to build this car has been as much for me, as it has been for my mom and in memory of my mom."
Josh Reich Partners Up on New Drag-and-Drive Truck Build – Sights Set on Sevens and a 2025 Debut
After putting together a Chevrolet Colorado a couple years back, Josh Reich made himself a little more well known in 2024. The single turbo pick-up scored a win and a top five finish from a pair of drag-and-drive events, and although some might have expected Reich to continue to refine the Colorado for 2025, he’s changing direction with a new build and new goals.
“My good friend Rodney Geist was building it for himself to show off his fabrication skills, and promote his business. Rod isn't a drag racer, or one to do a drag-and-drive, so we decided to partner up.”
From the Road – Sights of the Second Half as Edelbrock Sick 66 Cruises Through Texas and New Mexico
Day five of Edelbrock Sick 66 meant we had officially crossed the halfway point of the eight day trip spanning five states and six tracks. After covering Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma, Sick 66 had made its way into Texas after a drive day on the fourth day. Amarillo Dragway hosted racing on day five, and then the tour would roll into New Mexico for street miles on day five and six.