All New ‘Sick Sevens’ 7.50-Second Class Shapes Up for Speedfest Event at Beech Bend Raceway Park May 28-30th, 2026 – Who Will Take Home the Coveted Sick The Mag Orange Helmet and $5,000?
The fields are starting to shape for the inaugural Speedfest, taking place May 28th through the 30th, 2026 at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky. This unique event combines the class structures of Sick The Magazine, Street Car Takeover and Braggin Rights together for the first time.
One of the three Sick The Magazine classes on the quarter-mile format is the new Sick Sevens class (7.50 index). The number of cars built with a 7.50-second limited 25.5 SFI chassis / roll cage, as well as those that are close to that performance level, are getting a shot with this new class.
Former Sick Week Winner Gets a Big Boost, as Bill Spangler Returns to Drag and Drive at Mickey Thompson Turn & Burn in Ohio!
As an experienced and successful racer in classes where consistency is key, it was no surprise to see Bill Spangler capture the Dial-Your-Own (DYO) class victory in his 1980 Ford Fairmont known as ‘FUB’ at the first Sick Week presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive in 2022.
But now, after a stint away from drag and drive, Bill is ready to make his return to the street and strip action. But the familiar big block Ford combination under the cowl hood has stepped aside for a modern powerplant and a power adder as well.
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.
Building on a Trio of Solid Sick Summer Presented by Motion Raceworks Finishes, Cameron Alley is Ready to Take an Orange Helmet Home From the Sick 8.50 Shootout Class at Speedfest This Month!
Some of the toughest competition at the major drag and drive events can be in the Street Race / Limited Street 8.50-second based classes. Some of the more successful in the classes tell tales of testing and getting the data, especially for a variety of weather conditions to run the pass needed to be competitive.
Cameron Alley has been plugging away at the eight-and-a-half second game in drag and drive for a while, and his track record at the Motion Raceworks Sick Summer event reflects the hard work he’s done. Back-to-back second place finishes in 2023 and 2024 gave way to a class win in 2025, and Cameron is hungry for another helmet chance, with his first shot at this month’s Speedfest.
Level Up – Jamie Doller Acquires a New Camaro Project, with Plans of a 6-Second Drag and Drive Ride On the ‘To-Do’ List!
A familiar ride in the drag and drive community, Jamie Doller and his 1971 Chevrolet Camaro has participated in several events, capturing the class win in Rowdy Radial at the 2025 edition of Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive.
But despite having lots of 4-second eighth-mile and mid 7-second quarter-mile performances, Jamie was ready to start collecting quicker and faster time slips. And although he considered cutting up his classic Camaro for a more extensive roll cage to allow for quicker than 7.50-second time slips, he found an alternative, and the ideas are already brewing.
Cleetus and Team Reveal the Return of the Cheap Car Challenge to This Year’s Sick Summer Presented by Motion Raceworks – New Rules, New Builds – Who Will Emerge the Champion?
After competing in the first three Sick Week presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive events, with familiar cars like ‘Mullet’, ‘Ruby’ and ‘McFlurry’, Cleetus McFarland and crew switched things up for 2025 with their ‘Cheap Car Challenge’ for Sick Week 2025.
The premise was a $7500 budget for each two-person team, and with less than 48 hours to acquire a ride, each of the three teams was at South Georgia Motorsports Park for Sick Week Day Zero.
This time, the basic Cheap Car Challenge idea remains the same, but with a few more rules, and a new starting point: Sick Summer presented by Motion Raceworks. There’s a little more to the budget, more time to get the builds right, and possibly more than just bragging rights on the table.
Second Verse is Better Than the First – Tor Nupen Rebounds from First Sick Week Outing to Power ’68 Chevelle Through the 2027 Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive
Drag and drive events can be a rewarding experience, as the chance to meet, race and cruise with hundreds of fellow enthusiasts has grown to nearly 50 opportunities each year for the last two seasons.
But the track and street can also find a vehicle’s weak spots, and this means a number of first timers could fail to complete the event. Tor Nupen suffered this fate at his first drag and drive event, the 2025 edition of Sick Week presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive.
But he used it as motivation to better his 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle for a return appearance to Sick Week this year, with his son in the co-pilot seat.
Back In the Game – Jason Wall Returns to Racing at the 2026 Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive!
After over a decade away from the drag racing game, Jason Wall decided it was time to get back into it. There’s a ton of options for a street and strip capable ride, and although Jason had recently piloted his wife’s Hellcat Charger on Hot Rod Drag Week, he had a different target.
“I always liked these Collector’s Edition C4’s when I was a kid,” said Jason about the silver Corvette he acquired. “That never changed,” and he debuted this 1996 Corvette at this year’s Sick Week presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive.
Service With a Smile – Jesse Lesko and His Twin-Turbo Trans Am Are Aiming for the First Sick Sevens Class Helmet at Speedfest!!
It was 2024 that we got our first look at the 1998 Pontiac Trans Am of Jesse Lesko at the second annual Sick Summer Presented by Motion Raceworks. It was kind of a homecoming for Jesse, as the Illinois-born Air Force vet had since relocated to Texas.
Nearly two years later, Jesse completed the recent Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive with some of his best performances on track, and has his sights set on the new Sick Sevens class that will debut at Speedfest in Bowling Green, Kentucky on May 28th through the 30th.
Land, Air and Sea – Navy Veteran Scott Brown Trade Air Traffic for the Drag and Drive Proving Grounds at Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive!
After four decades and two different careers in the Navy, Scott Brown made the transition to his third career in Florida, a state with weather that encourages year-round outdoor activities.
Scott spent time enjoying that weather by riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle as recently as 2024. But later that year, he was ready for a change, and he’d embark on a fourteen month build to participate in his first drag and drive event at the 2026 edition of Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive.
Mystic Dreams – Twenty Years After Seeing His First Drag and Drive Event, Jeremy McMillian Battles the Odds to Participate at the 2026 Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive!
All it takes is one experience to set a chain of events in motion for a new enthusiast to make an event or the car community a part of their life going forward.
In the case of Jeremy McMillian, the 2026 edition of Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive would be his third Sick Week appearance, but his first behind the wheel as a competitor, marking the next step in the drag and drive path he started down two decades earlier.
One Step Back Resulted in Two Steps Forward for Sean Lemire and His 1972 Chevrolet Nova at Hot Rod Drag Week 2025
Sometimes being able to see the big picture, even if it means regrouping and not attending an event, can be the right move for a competitor.
In the case of Sean Lemire and his 1972 Chevrolet Nova, he was lined up to attend a pair of drag and drive events in 2024, but the Nova didn’t make the trip. Lemire chose to work on a few issues instead, and when he and the Nova made their first appearance at Hot Rod Drag Week in 2025, it was a memorable one.
That Old Feeling – After Some Time Away, David Lacey Returns to Drag Racing, With Some Street Driving As Well, on the 2026 Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive!
Unlike some forms of motorsports, drag racing can host both novice and professional drivers in various levels of performances, sometimes at the same event or same day.
The drag and drive event format takes this format to the next level, and is credited with bringing a lot of enthusiasts back to the drag racing game. With structures and classes for nearly every form of street-legal vehicle, plus the street drives between tracks, it was just the ticket for David Lacey and his classic 1957 Chevrolet.
Could a New Transmission from Liberty’s Gears Change the Future of Stick Shift Classes?
Many will admit what keeps a Shift Shift class interesting and balanced, regardless of drag and drive ‘average’ results, or heads-up racing action, is requiring a clutch-activated manual transmission, and for some, an ‘H-pattern’ shifter and linkage.
Today marks the first day for what many consider a serious change in transmissions, as the first Liberty’s Gears Extreme Billet manual transmission with a clutch-assisted set-up and a H-pattern shifter was shipped to a customer.
IHRA Acquires Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School!
In just over a year’s time, the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) sanctioning body has made some significant moves to reclaim their standings in both national and sportsman level racing.
Today, they added another level to their arsenal, as the IHRA announced the acquisition of Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School.
Surviving and Thriving – Andy Jaquess Takes the Natural Route to Complete Sick The Mag Events, Including Edelbrock Sick Smokies and Three-Straight Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive Events
There are a good number of naturally-aspirated rides at most drag and drive events, but when you look for Ford-powered rides, especially older models, that number drops a good amount.
There’s a smaller number of Ford-powered rides in the Naturally Aspirated category, and one of them is Andy Jaquess and his classic Mustang. After one visit to Sick Week in 2023, the Florida resident was hooked, and has made the annual drag and drive event a staple on his calendar.
After Nearly Seven Decades of Racing History, the Future of Pacemakers Dragway in Ohio is in Serious Doubt as Rezoning for Homes on the Track Property is Requested
Originally opening in 1956, Packers Raceway Park (and later known as Pacemakers Outlaw Dragstrip) has hosted everything from test and tune and bracket racing, to grudge racing and no-prep.
The track has faced financial hardships once before, closing for two years between 2019 and 2021. But 2026 could be the year that the track doesn’t recover from, as rezoning for a portion of the track property to into a mobile home park is on the table.
Second Verse – This 1997 Cobra Is Sean Kelley’s Ticket Back to Drag and Drive in 2026
After a ton of work to get a 1988 Fox Mustang ready for a Sick Week presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive 2024 debut, Sean Kelley was able to complete his first drag and drive. He returned one year later with goals of a top three in class and improved performance, but a testing crash at South Georgia Motorsports Park ended his chances.
Just over one year later, Sean is ready for a return, but with a new horse to ride, a 1997 Mustang Cobra. And although he missed the chance to debut it at Sick Week, he’s working to get back to the season-opening event and prove a point.
Texas Motorplex and Sick Prep Join Forces to Host a Record-Setting TX2K in 2026, With 12 Records Established Over a Week in Texas!
It’s been heralded as the event where street cars come in droves, competition is fierce, records are set, and thousands of spectators come to witness it all. And for the 27th time, the annual TX2K brought all those elements to Texas Motorplex for six days of amazing action.
As the first purpose-built all-concrete track celebrates 40 years of historic runs and events, TX2K looked to add to that history by bringing Sick Prep onboard to handle the track surface for the event. After six days of on-track action were in the books, the performances and records once again shared the headlines alongside the winners’ celebrations.
Time Machine – Brian Goldfarb Builds a Modernized DeLorean for More Than 88 MPH – and A Debut Date For Sick Week 2027!
As the drag and drive community has expanded and more events are added each year, we’ve seen more competitors and more cars join in the test the street and track bring to each event. We’ve even seen some new builds each year, from both veteran and new competitors.
Brian Goldfarb isn’t a new face to the drag and drive community, and has participated in Hot Rod Drag Week in the past. But for his second chapter, he decided to build something a little more unique, combining a rare classic ride with a modern powerplant.