All In the Family - Nick Taylor Scores Emotional First Win with PEAK Street Car Shootout Victory at the NHRA Route 66 Nationals in Joliet, Illinois
Event Coverage Derek Putnam Event Coverage Derek Putnam

All In the Family - Nick Taylor Scores Emotional First Win with PEAK Street Car Shootout Victory at the NHRA Route 66 Nationals in Joliet, Illinois

As part of a number of their national events each year, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) adds in a special class to showcase. For the last three years at Route 66 Raceway and the Route 66 NHRA Nationals, the NHRA has included the PEAK Street Car Shootout.

Showcasing some of the quickest rides in the drag and drive community, eight competitors were selected for the 2026 event, including the three former winners – Bryant Goldstone, David Schroeder and Tom Bailey – to battle it out for the chance to hold a unique NHRA ‘Wally’ trophy.

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Alex Taylor and David Schroeder Travel Route 66 (Raceway) in Six Seconds on Day One of the PEAK Performance Street Car Shootout at the NHRA Route 66 Nationals
Event Coverage Derek Putnam Event Coverage Derek Putnam

Alex Taylor and David Schroeder Travel Route 66 (Raceway) in Six Seconds on Day One of the PEAK Performance Street Car Shootout at the NHRA Route 66 Nationals

Once a year, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) visits Joliet, Illinois and Route 66 Raceway for their Gerber Collision and Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance.

Part of this event is the PEAK Street Car Shootout, showcasing some of the quickest rides in the drag and drive community, and for the four time in 2026, a select number of competitors were invited to make an appearance in Illinois to determine the champion.

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Power Couples – It’s a 6-Second 200 MPH day for Nick and Alex Taylor, Along with Steve and Val Morris, to Lead the Day One Results of the Mickey Thompson Turn & Burn!!
Event Coverage Derek Putnam Event Coverage Derek Putnam

Power Couples – It’s a 6-Second 200 MPH day for Nick and Alex Taylor, Along with Steve and Val Morris, to Lead the Day One Results of the Mickey Thompson Turn & Burn!!

After a couple days of testing at the Mickey Thompson Turn & Burn at Summit Motorsports Park, the drag and drive portion of the event got underway on Thursday.

By the end of the day’s racing action, five cars would collect 6-second time slips, before heading out for the street portion of the day’s activities, as well as a pair of checkpoints. And for the racers that got them, they got to share them with family members on site.

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Big Block (Nicky) Bobby - the ‘Uncle Sam’ Camaro Gets a New Heart, and New Goals, for a Campaign Trail Starting at the Mickey Thompson Turn & Burn
Derek Putnam Derek Putnam Derek Putnam Derek Putnam

Big Block (Nicky) Bobby - the ‘Uncle Sam’ Camaro Gets a New Heart, and New Goals, for a Campaign Trail Starting at the Mickey Thompson Turn & Burn

When we first saw the ‘Uncle Sam’ 1991 Chevrolet Camaro, it looked like a patriotic Pro Stock ride that had been revived to begin a second chapter on the track, and on the street. Nick Taylor made the necessary changes to have it ready for the first Sick Week presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive in 2022.

After completing that event with his first 6-second time slip thanks to a twin-turbo LS and a Powerglide combination, Nick has participated in a variety of drag and drive, no prep and drag racing events. And after both some success and some results that have fallen short of his goals, Nick makes some big changes to Uncle Sam for 2026.

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High Fives – Tom Bailey Sets New Speed Record in Route to Capturing Peak Street Car Shootout Victory at Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway
Event Coverage Derek Putnam Event Coverage Derek Putnam

High Fives – Tom Bailey Sets New Speed Record in Route to Capturing Peak Street Car Shootout Victory at Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway

Once a year, the National Hot Rod Association visits Joliet, Illinois and Route 66 Raceway for their Gerber Collision and Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance.

Part of this event is the PEAK Street Car Shootout, showcasing some of the quickest rides in the drag and drive community, and for the third year in 2025, eight contestants rolled into Illinois to determine the champion.

Leading the eight rides would be the defending champion Schroder-Ens team, with David Schroeder at the wheel of the nitrous-fed C7 Corvette. 2023 event winner Bryant Goldstone returned at the wheel of his ’73 AMC Javelin, looking for a second title in three years.

The remaining six spots included Tom Bailey with the ‘Sick Seconds 2.0’ 1969 Camaro, Craig Groebner and his twin-turbo ’71 Chevrolet Nova, Alex Taylor’s ’55 Chevrolet, the ’82 Camaro of Nick Taylor, Tom McGilton and his 2013 Camaro, and the lone naturally-aspirated ride, the ’85 Ford Mustang of Ed Ensor.

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The ‘Uncle Sam’ Camaro is Back on Track, and Nick Taylor is Ready to Hit the Drag-and-Drive Campaign Trail, Starting at Sick Summer
Derek Putnam Derek Putnam Derek Putnam Derek Putnam

The ‘Uncle Sam’ Camaro is Back on Track, and Nick Taylor is Ready to Hit the Drag-and-Drive Campaign Trail, Starting at Sick Summer

After being on the sidelines for close to two years, what better time to bring back Uncle Sam than an election year? The 1991 Camaro got finished in time to participate in the first Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive in 2022, and Nick Taylor is ready to return to the drag-and-drive scene in 2024.

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The Schroeder Ens Team Scores Peak Street Car Shootout Victory at Gerber Collision and Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway
Derek Putnam, Event Coverage Derek Putnam Derek Putnam, Event Coverage Derek Putnam

The Schroeder Ens Team Scores Peak Street Car Shootout Victory at Gerber Collision and Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway

After four days of fun with drag-and-drive rides, including some road miles on Thursday, a pair of time runs Friday, and eliminations on Saturday and Sunday, a winner has been crowned in the second annual PEAK Street Car Shootout as part of Gerber Collision and Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Chicago’s Route 66 Raceway.

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