The Next Step of Street Race (Classes) – The 8.50-Second Based Sick Street Race and Street Race 275 Got a New Look at Motion Raceworks Sick Summer
When the Street Race class got its first refresh as part of the OG drag and drive event, Hot Rod Drag Week, in 2012, the 8.50-second threshold was never intended to be an index, a target, or a goal. Just a marker on roll cage limitations.
Since that time, the class structure has evolved to include different rulesets and ideals at different events, but the 8.50-second basis remains the same. And after changing the game on a few things in the drag and drive world with the first Sick Week in 2022, Sick The Magazine added a few more changes to the recent Sick Summer presented by Motion Raceworks event.
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The pair of classes focused around the 8.5-second mark, normally contested at Sick Week presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive, and Motion Raceworks Sick Summer, are Sick Street Race and Street Race 275. These two classes can make up 8-12 percent of the competition at Sick Week and the Sick Summer events.
This drops the majority of these two classes into the B drag radial group, where depending on the event, they could mix it with a variety of other classes. But, for the first time at Sick Summer this year, the Sick Street Race and Street Race 275 classes were called up together.
This not only gave the competitors a chance to talk in the lanes, but also give them a chance to see how the competition stacked up on the track. The crowds at each track also got to see the classes in a different light, as the side-by-side competition provided a new angle to watching drivers try to get as close to the perfect 8.500 pass, which one driver did on the first day.
“The Sick Street Race and Street Race 275 competitors have supported us well since our first Sick The Mag event,” said Tom Bailey. “Watching the competition evolve, we wanted to try a new step to give these drivers the same playing field as a group.”
It worked out better than we thought it would. Although drivers are going for the best pass, not necessarily trying to get to the finish line first against their opponent, the similar class cars lined up with each other not only provided another level for competitors, but also the fans watching the side-by-side runs!
“These competitors battle down to thousandths of-a-second on their averages,” said Tom. “Watching them do it side-by-side was great.”
What are your thoughts? Did you like this idea, and should we expand it to other classes as well?
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com