Considering he has experienced waves of success with his ’55 Chevy known as Blasphemi, Mike Finnegan’s thought is keeping his foot on the pedal! So, he’s bringing his supercharged HEMI-powered classic Chevy to this week’s Sick On The Green, and it might be getting double class duty.

Finnegan is looking forward to Sick On The Green for more reason than just the racing. “I have never been to the waterpark (at Beech Bend Raceway Park),” said Finnegan. “And I haven’t rode the coaster in a while, so I’m excited to head back. Plus, I’m bringing the family with me.”

We’re less than three weeks away from Sick On The Green, May 29th through the 31st, 2025 at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Kentucky.

With the popular Lil Gangsta’s class with two separate days to win thousands of dollars, the Sick Street Car Challenge with over $30K up for grabs, plus seven more classes on the docket, who will take home their share of over $60K in payouts?

In addition to the six classes inspired by the former National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) and National Mustang Racers Association (NMRA) series, we’re adding the popular Lil Gangsta’s 5.30 No-Time class, the Sick Street Car Challenge, and a Stick Shift class Presented by Tremec Transmissions, to the line up in Kentucky!

When we saw Tyler Garlock at the first edition of the TBM Brakes Sick Summer event in 2023, his 1998 Ford Mustang grabbed our attention for the constant 8-second runs witnessed during the week in the Stick Shift class.

Fast forward a couple years, and Tyler has completed a new ride for local racing, as well as a return to drag and drive in 2026, and just like the Mustang, this clean Fairmont packs a few surprises.

As a project he built from the ground up starting in 2012, Mike Finnegan might not have foreshadowed his 1955 Chevrolet could be a race car, let alone a drag and drive ride.

The car that employs an old-school HEMI powerplant, thus the name ‘Blasphemi’ from the engine swap, got its first use to do a 2,600-mile road trip from California to North Carolina for the start of Hot Rod Power Tour.

But just a few years later, Finnegan made the choice to jump from pit reporter and drag and drive enthusiast to competitor, and for his 2025 Sick Week adventure, he brings us along for a 5-part breakdown on YouTube.

There is a growing number of enthusiasts that prefer a manual transmission for their ride, and the racing community, as well as several events on the drag and drive calendar, have embraced this with a specific class.

Sick On The Green will join that list, as the 3-day event in Bowling Green, Kentucky will feature a Stick Shift class sponsored by Tremec Transmissions.

Tremec will also be onsite with their display trailer and several transmissions, as well as team members to discuss their products. “We are looking forward to being a part of Sick On The Green,” said Mike Kidd of Tremec. “Beech Bend Raceway Park is a great track, and I’m sure the competition will be exciting!”

Although he has a couple drag and drive project cars waiting in the wings, Mike Finnegan has shared with Sick The Mag that he wants to be back behind the wheel of ‘Blasphemi’ - his Gasser '55 Chevrolet with a supercharged HEMI - for a couple more events this year.

“After completing Sick Week, I’m in love with the car again,” said Finnegan of his ’55 Chevy. “I feel like that week helped us learn a lot, and I want to get back in the seat again.”

He admits the shorter drive distance and three run average that Sick At The Rock is a different way to tackle a drag and drive, but the two-day format should hopefully bring more participants.

“I hope it gets more enthusiasts to come out and try a drag and drive,” said Finnegan. “I might get with Tom and see if we can get a group to go cruising together Friday evening. I think that would be cool, and the local community could participate too.”

“There are just two weeks until the Sick Week event, the next drag-and-drive we’re going to compete in here on Finnegan’s Garage, and I have some problems.”

This is how Mike Finnegan, the host of the popular Finnegan’s Garage YouTube channel and recently concluded Roadkill show, started his most recent video upload. The urgency to get his 1955 Chevrolet packing a supercharged HEMI engine, appropriately named ‘Blasphemi’, completed and ready for Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive is apparent, but peppered with humor and a little sarcasm.

Finnegan has had a love-hate relationship with drag-and-drive events, and although not uncommon to some participants, Finnegan has experienced a variety of reasons for not completing the event.

Will he complete Sick Week in his first appearance since 2022?

As trends come and go, one thing that’s shown staying power is the drag racing world and the history behind it. As each year rolls by, the history of racing, as well as the cars that participated as part of it, become talking points at more benchracing sessions and staging lane gatherings. It’s just cool to see cars with history come back into focus once again, and for Darin Hendricks, he’s ready to write the next chapter of a storied history for this Ford Mustang Cobra.

Now, the fact this is a real deal 1993 Ford Mustang Cobra, one of 5100 originally built for the model year (including the rare Cobra R models). But despite its collectability, Darin was anything but gentle with it. “It has spent most of its life as a race car,” said Darin. But after almost two decades as a race ride, Darin is ready for the next chapter - drag-and-drive action with a supercharged combination under the hood, and a 5-speed manual transmission!

Richard Guido is not afraid to put in the work and miles to attend a drag-and-drive. And we'll see this brutally quick, stick-shift Pontiac GTO on Edelbrock Sick 66 starting next week!

On a special anniversary, some couples might choose to give each other special gifts, renew their vows, and even take a special trip. For Bridget and Jason Morris, they chose to spend her twentieth anniversary by participating in Sick Summer Presented by Motion Raceworks in Bridget's 2006 Pontiac GTO.

For the second time in a month, multiple drag-and-drive names we recognize are making their mark at local tracks, big events, and even test-and-tune sessions to post personal best times.

This 1997 Mitsubishi caught our eye at this year’s Sick Summer, but it wasn’t until owner Ryan Spurlin visited the tower on day four at Great Lakes Dragaway asking for a cylinder head in a parts call. Ryan’s no quit attitude not only got him through the build of the car, but also the push to fix the issues and finish Sick Summer.

The Stark family first joined the drag-and-drive community at the 2019 edition of Rocky Mountain Race Week, with father Tom Stark wielding the shifter handle in his ‘55 Chevy wagon stick shift entry. But just three later, son Blayne and daughter MaCayla moved into the driver’s seat.

What does one have to do with the other, and how does it sound like both rides might be even more fun than before? It all started when Jonathan Whitaker took his ‘93 Ford Mustang Cobra on this year’s Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive.

At the inaugural Sick Summer Presented by TBM Brakes, a healthy field of Stick Shift entries turned out. Aaron Gierke was one of 16 that completed the week, and the experience made him plan a comback for more fun, and single-digit runs, in 2024!

It’s easy to stare at a clean 1967 Chevrolet Nova, but Corey Bohl’s Chevy takes that factor up a notch with the cool gasser vibe. Powered by a small block Chevy with a tunnel ram and a pair of Holley carburetors on top, the cool factor increased when Corey slid a manual trans in the transmission tunnel. Could it all survive Sick Summer?

Some are tested and ready days, or even weeks in advance for this week’s Sick Summer event, while others are still busting their knuckles to make the 1 p.m. deadline to arrive in tech line to be able to compete. From last-minute turn signal wiring, to pulling out a transmission with the final hours ticking away, this is what we’ve seen on last minute work to get into competition.

After a solid 2023 season that got Rob Courtney a third-place finish at Sick Week, and a win at Sick Summer, he comes into 2024 with new targets. “I want all 8-second passes, and try to get the record from my boy Tony (Niemczyk).”

Nick Cole-Mann, the first LS H-pattern stick shift in the sixes in January last year, set his sights for 2024 on the overall record. A month ago, the twin-turbo `91 Chevrolet S-10 pick-up clocked a 6.64 at 209 mph. “The only thing that separates me and that number one spot is a warmer race track,” Cole-Mann stated. Today, that track appeared.

This ‘78 Camaro model might only have 41,000 original miles, but a few drag-and-drive events has spurred the owner to make changes for an upcoming appearance at Edelbrock Sick 66.