Jeff Lutz Gears Up for Sick Week with Goals of 5-Second Runs and Completing the Week in What Could Be One of His Final Drag and Drive Events
After a decade plus of racing multiple venues, including the popular Street Outlaws and No Prep Kings series, Jeff Lutz took an opportunity to get back to another chapter of street cars in his life in 2024, participating in his first drag and drive event in seven years at Sick Week presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive.
In the two years since that return to first drag and drive, the iconic ’69 Camaro known as ‘Mad Max’ has lived up to its name, returning some solid runs, but also leaving Jeff frustrated at times.
As before, he finds himself busy with plenty of work and projects, but ready to start the season at Sick Week, with some goals to accomplish, in what could be his final ride.
The Detroit Auto Show Among First to Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Route 66 with ‘The Drive Home VII: Route 66’ - Driving the Entire Length of the Cross-Country Road!
Route 66 has become a highway that many travel and automotive enthusiasts are familiar with, even if just for its significance to United States history.
One of the original highways to be used in the US Numbered Highway System, it was established on November 11th, 1926 with road signs in place the following year.
Several events, as well as movies, tours, even just some friends on spirited drives, have enjoyed the many unique characteristics of Route 66.
In 2026, the cross-country road will celebrate 100 years of use, and the Detroit Auto Show is among the first to honor it with ‘The Drive Home VII: Route 66 – A Century of Adventure’ by traveling the entire length of the road.
Brett LaSala Looks to Build on a Solid 2025 Season by Prepping Popular ‘Snot Rocket 3.0’ Mustang for Multiple Events and Classes in 2026
Just over six months after Brett LaSala captured his first drag and drive victory at the 2024 edition of Sick Week presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive, news broke that his 2012 Mustang known as ‘Snot Rocket 2.0’ had been sold.
The Modified class winning average of 6.34 ranks amongst the top ten averages of all time, and it came as an overall victory for LaSala as well.
Anyone that thought the new ‘Snot Rocket 3.0’ might take a while to get ironed out, LaSala eliminated those doubts at Sick Week in 2025, clocking an improved 6.24 average for the week, and a 6.07 at 236 mph run on the final day, the second quickest run ever in the drag and drive community.
That would be just the start of a storied year for LaSala in 2025, and he’s gearing up for 2026 with plans for Sick Week again.
After Sitting Closed for Over Two Years, Wayne County Dragstrip (a.k.a. Nahunta Dragway) Will Re-Open, as Drag Racer and Vlogger John Doc Acquires the North Carolina Track!
Although a few drag race tracks did close in 2025, a few new ones are under construction, or have been reported as coming back to life. The IHRA (International Hot Rod Association) made headlines in late December 2025 by announcing a pair of tracks, Memphis International Raceway and Heartland Motorsports Park, would have new life after sitting closed for a couple years.
But the IHRA wasn’t the only one to end the 2025 calendar year with track news, as in North Carolina, a deal was quietly being put together to acquire a track that had sat unused for over two years. Now, news has broken that it has been sold to a new owner, with plans to re-open for racing in 2026!
Following a Storied Debut at the 2025 Edelbrock Sick Smokies Event, Jimmy Dale Will Combine Family and Florida Sights for His 2nd Drag and Drive at Sick Week 2026 presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive!
A lot of us likely dreamed of doing things with cars when we were kids. Whether it was with a family member, or participating with friends, some of us get a chance to carve a little time of each year to experience the fun, and extended family, that the car community can bring.
For Tom Gunner (a.k.a. Jimmy Dale), his 2025 season was a reflection of a lot of hard work to drive race cars as much as possible. His infectious smile was only matched by the enthusiasm he and good friend Michael Poland share in bringing the popular Lil Gangstas class to many an event.
His 2025 also included his first chance behind the wheel of a car during a drag and drive, when Mike Finnegan tossed him the keys to the popular Datsun 240 known as the ‘Rotsun’ for the Edelbrock Sick Smokies event. The impression it left confirmed to Jimmy Dale that he wanted to attend another Sick event in 2026, and he will do so at Sick Week presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive.
A New Track Breaks Ground to Begin Construction in Northeast Florida, and Could see Drag Racing Action By May 2026!
After having four tracks closed in the last decade, Florida finally got a win light when information was relayed about a pair of tracks in the planning stages, or starting construction, in early 2024.
One of those tracks, Lead Foot City, was completed on the west side of the state in Brooksville in time to see racing action by December of 2024. Today, it was announced that Hicken Power Drag Strip had broken ground to start construction on a track in northeast Florida.
Coming Off a Winning 2025 Season, Mike Finnegan is Thrashing to Prepare for the 5th Annual Sick Week – What Will He Be Competing In?
Mike Finnegan has been around racing in multiple forms in his personal and professional life. In the drag and drive community, Finnegan has experienced a few different roles, from a pit reporter to competitor.
After experiencing various forms of success, mostly behind the wheel of his 1955 Chevrolet gasser known as ‘Blasphemi’, Finnegan is gearing up for the 2026 edition of Sick Week with a new vehicle build, a twin turbo 1961 Cadillac, and is determined to make it to the event.
From PRI Show Floor to Race Track in Less Than a Week, Devin Vanderhoof Starts Testing New Car for 2026 Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive!
After selling his well-known Fox Mustang convertible in the summer of 2025, Devin Vanderhoof set a timeline in motion to have a new car ready for the 2026 edition of Sick Week presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive.
Dubbed ‘Reddi Whip’, the Mustang debuted in the Holley booth at the recent PRI Show in Indy, with the front clip removed so everyone could see the new twin turbo PAR Racing Engines mill. But with Sick Week 2026 just over six weeks away, Devin wasted no time after springing the Mustang from the show in Indy, to focusing on finding a track for testing.
This Twin-Turbo Monte Carlo Looking to Make an Impact in the Street Race 8.5-Second Class at Sick Week and Sick Summer in 2026!
Although the popular Street Race / Limited Street classes were not originally designed to be index-limited classes, the competition pushing performances to the edge of the 8.50-second roll cage limits has made them into some of the toughest classes to compete in.
It’s not unheard of to see car counts north of 30-50 competitors, and twice in Hot Rod Drag Week event history, a competitor has clocked all 8.50-second runs during the week. And although Eric Burroughs and his Monte Carlo are not strangers to the Sick Summer event, 2026 will mark the first time he’ll dive into the thick of the Street Race class competition at a Sick The Mag event.
Can Trevor and Erin Branden’s GT-R Become the First 7-Second Average in the Sick Week Freaks Class at the 2026 Gear Vendors Overdrive Sick Week?
Every year, there’s conversations about performances, and in some cases records, for a class or engine platforms in racing. Drag and drive competition isn’t immune to this, and one of the points that constantly comes up is the lack of import-based vehicles in drag and drive events.
Although there is a growing number of import vehicles competing in events, most of them average in the 9-second and slower range. The current record holder for Sick the Mag events is Trevor and Erin Branden’s 2010 GT-R, and although the car has proven itself with multiple wins at numerous events, the Brandens are coming to Sick Week with a new goal in mind.
PEAK Performance Looks to Bring Their Best, Including a Peak Ambassador, to Sick Kart Kaos in Pursuit of a Win
The Performance and Racing Industry (PRI) Show is just one day away from getting under way, with three days of performance and racing parts and service on deck to overload the senses.
Indianapolis doesn’t just host the PRI Show, as for the fourth time, Sick Kart Kaos brings racing and performance enthusiasts together at Fastimes Indoor Karting on December 11th for the fastest winter party in Indiana.
Sick Kart Kaos will showcase 80 drivers for qualifying, “auditioning” to be one of the lucky members to join a team for final competition. The eight teams consist of Sick The Magazine's group of great partners, and PEAK Performance is one that’s been with us since we started the Sick Week event in 2022.
Gear Vendors Overdrive Brings Experience to the PRI Show, and Hopes to Use That for Sick Kart Kaos As Well
The Performance and Racing Industry (PRI) Show brings a large contingent of racing and performance enthusiasts together for a trio of days to see the latest and greatest parts and services in Indianapolis up close.
Sick Kart Kaos uses that same recipe to bring racing and performance enthusiasts together, but with helmets and karts instead, as we’ll invade Fastimes Indoor Karting on December 11th for the fastest party in Indianapolis.
Starting with eight teams, made up of Sick The Magazine's group of great partners, will battle on the track, and one of them will be Gear Vendors Overdrive.
The Fourth Edition of Sick Kart Kaos Shapes Up For December 11th at Fastimes Indoor Karting – The List of 80 Competitors Is Released!
Created as a way to kick off the first night of the Performance and Racing Industry (PRI) Show in Indianapolis, Sick Kart Kaos brings drag and drive enthusiasts together on a different type of track. And for the fourth time since 2022, Fastimes Indoor Karting will host a party like no other on December 11th, 2025.
The invite-only event will take on a new look in 2025, as eight teams will be made up of Sick The Magazine's group of partners. Those teams will play witness to the largest gather of competitors ever, as Sick The Mag opens the doors to 80 hopefuls to attempt qualifying.
Melling Performance Excited, Hoping for Beginner’s Luck as They Participate on Their First Sick Kart Kaos in 2025
Sick Kart Kaos is THIS WEEK, Thursday, December 11th, as we host the fastest party during the Performance and Racing Industry (PRI) Show in Indianapolis.
Eight teams will duke it out at Fastimes Indoor Karting, created from Sick’s great group of sponsors and supporters. One that will be competing in Sick Kart Kaos for the first time in 2025 is Melling Performance, who hopes to bring as solid an effort to karting as they do to the PRI Show.
Can Edelbrock Make a Big Impression at Sick Kart Kaos and Grab Their First Team Win in 2025?
The Performance and Racing Industry (PRI) Show celebrates the racing and performance industries by bringing enthusiasts together in Indianapolis for three days to check out the latest and greatest parts and services.
Bringing together enthusiasts is something Sick The Magazine has done with our print magazine and events since 2021, and for 2025, we will host Sick Kart Kaos for the fourth year. Using Fastimes Indoor Karting on December 11th, Sick The Mag will host one of the fastest gatherings during the PRI Show, and one of the eight teams is the Edelbrock group.
XS Power Charged Up for Another Shot at Sick Kart Kaos, as Well As This Year’s PRI Show with a New Product
It started as an idea in 2022, and over the first three years of the Sick Kart Kaos event, the competition has continued to evolve and intensify. 2025 promises to be more of the same, as December 11th will bring eight teams together to duke it out with 32 drivers.
Held on the first night of the Performance and Racing Industry (PRI) Show, Sick Kart Kaos brings together teams of Sick The Mag's sponsors and partners. The 2025 edition will bring more drivers than ever before, and several teams look to play that to their advantage.
XS Power Batteries first joined the Sick The Magazine sponsor row in 2024 at Sick Week, and at last year’s Kart Kaos, the XS Power Batteries team grabbed a second-place finish, with familiar face Remy Viator as a part of it.
Driven Racing Oil to Return to Sick Kart Kaos to Defend Championship, as Well as Debut a Sizable Product Offering to PRI Show
The Performance and Racing Industry (PRI) Show brings a large contingent of racing and performance enthusiasts together for three days to check out the latest and greatest parts and services in Indianapolis.
Sick Kart Kaos uses that same recipe to bring racing and performance enthusiasts together, but with helmets and karts instead, as we’ll invade Fastimes Indoor Karting on December 11th for the fastest party in Indianapolis.
Eight teams, made up of Sick The Mag's fantastic group of partners, will battle on the track, and one of them will be Driven Racing Oil. And they will bring a combination of proven experience, as well as a few new faces.
Summit Racing Looks to Balance Team and Top Times at Both the PRI Show, and Sick Kart Kaos, December 11th, at Fastimes Indoor Karting
As a part of not only Sick The Magazine’s print magazine since its inception, but also our events since the first Sick Week, Summit Racing Equipment has been all about meeting the unique demands of the drag and drive community, while matching the energy that events bring.
That energy is matched by Summit’s Motorsports and Events Director Tommy Dupree, who kicked his and Summit’s support for the drag and drive community up a couple notches after participating in Hot Rod Drag Week in 2021.
Dupree hopes to bring that energy level to the Performance and Racing Industry (PRI) Show in Indianapolis, as well as Sick The Magazine’s Kart Kaos at Fastimes Indoor Karting on Thursday, December 11th.
Tom Bailey Aims to Take Sick The Mag’s Kart Kaos by Storm on December 11th at Fastimes Indoor Karting during PRI Show Week
Created as a way to kick off the first night of the Performance and Racing Industry (PRI) Show in Indianapolis, Sick The Magazine hosted Kart Kaos at Fastimes Indoor Karting for the first time in 2022. With the PRI show ending at 5 p.m., 4-person teams made their way to Fastimes for testing and qualifying rounds, and ultimately shooting for a chance to take home their share of the $2000 purse.
A solid list of teams and drivers have populated the indoor karting venue during the PRI show every December since that first night, but Tom Bailey and the Sick The Mag team have failed to land the top spot. That stat, combined with feedback from other teams and drivers, has led to multiple changes for what should be an exciting 2025 edition of Sick The Mag’s Kart Kaos.
A Tale of Two Tennessee Tracks - Jackson Dragway and River Road Raceway Set to Close After 2025 Season, But Jackson Dragway Instead Announces a 2026 Season in the Works!
Less than three weeks ago, it was announced on social media that a pair of Tennessee-based race tracks, Jackson Dragway and River Road Raceway, would be closing the gates after their 2025 seasons.
But November 23rd would bring some good news for at one of the two tracks, as Jackson Dragway posted that they would not only be changing their stance to host a 2026 season, but was also doing so with sanctioning from the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association).