After ten years, a soft opening in 2022, and being shuttered for almost two years, a drag strip in West Virginia will get a second chance. And a former IHRA / PDRA championship family will lead the charge to put action on the track once again.

‘Been there, done that’ - it’s a phrase that could be applied to a lot of things in the world, especially car builds. Sure, there are unique builds out there, but a majority of them have similar drivelines that are employed by thousands of other examples. Until now.

There are so many things you can focus on as part of a drag-and-drive, and one that I’m diving into today is the tight competition that comes with the Hot Rod Drag Week Street Race class, as well as the Rocky Mountain Race Week Limited Street class, Sick Week and Sick Summer’s 275 Street Race and Sick Street Race classes, and the Midwest Drags Street Race classes.

Throughout history, it’s been shown that certain racers work harder, test more or spend more money to win in heads up drag racing. You can have a class where a lot is mandated or controlled, and still there are going to be those that run quicker than others.

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.

One year ago, at Sick Powerfest Powered by Dodge and M1 Concourse, we saw Chris Mills in a clean, black 1968 Plymouth Road Runner that finished third in the burnout competition. Now, Chris returns to M1 Concourse with a new car and a new plan.

After participating in the first Sick Summer as a co-pilot, Jim Shipley returned to Sick Summer in 2024 for a competitor spot. Wheeling a unique 1988 Ford LTD Country Squire station wagon, would Shipley survive the week?

Although it’s becoming more common to see some familiar rides and names at more than one drag-and-drive event per season, a large majority will choose to participate in different styles of events. And we’re seeing dozens of drag-and-drive competitors putting together solid event results outside of the drag-and-drive event calendar.

Erik Lawson has been drag racing since the age of fifteen, and he even passed the drag racing addiction to his son Cooper, who regular enjoys seat time in his junior dragster. But the Lawson boys also enjoy time racing with some street time mixed in.

Despite making his mark initially the drag-and-drive community with an eye-catching 1995 Geo Tracker he refers to as ‘Project Samsquanch’, Vinnie Barbone couldn’t resist the calling of a model that truly inspired him, a Chevrolet Monza. “Basically, I was born into having an H-Body gene encrypted into my body.”

A drag-and-drive can be an amazing experience, from the racing to the drives, checkpoints to the parking lot parties, trailer burnouts and even the thrash sessions. A drag-and-drive can also expose what rides are up to the challenge, but the community comes together to exchange information and help competitors endure and finish a drag-and-drive.

It’s among the most gut wrenching things a car enthusiast can experience when your ride is stolen. Advancements in GPS tracking and theft deterrents have made a dent to bring the numbers down to an extent, but thousand of thefts still happen. And although a recent theft during a drag-and-drive event didn’t have a 100-percent happy ending, the car was recovered thanks to the efforts of the car community and social media at large.

Despite appearances that things are good on the surface, a racer’s mind can be a hamster wheel of thoughts both good and bad on their next run. In Colin Gee’s case, he started thinking about the 1983 Chevrolet Malibu station wagon he had finished in 2023, and his goals for the future.

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.

There are several proven models and chassis that have been successful over time in drag-and-drive competition. But we also see some unique examples. From station wagons to milk trucks, Triumphs to T-bucket roadsters, we’ve seen a lot. But this could be the only limousine we’ve seen participate in a drag-and-drive.

“Any idea how many times people have towed a car to tech, having never driven it, and made the week still? It’ll see the street for the first time in probably 20 years on the drive to Cordova on Monday.” Quotes like this on a just-finished vehicle gives you an idea you’re in for an epic week!

The drag-and-drive calendar has greatly expanded since the original drag-and-drive, Hot Rod Drag Week, first made an appearance in 2005. But do all the events, both big and small, stay true to the original concept David Freiburger created?

With the increase in the number of drag-and-drive events in the last three years, it’s becoming more commonplace to see competitors at more than one event during a calendar year. There are several that have made their mark in the drag-and-drive world, and one of the top ones is Bryant Goldstone.

Last summer, Chris VanWerden’s Nova garnered a lot of attention, but unfortunately for Chris, it was for the wrong reasons. But one year later, he’s burning the midnight oil to get it back in the game.

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.