Sick Week Invades The Sunshine State
By Evan J. Smith
Now in its second year, Sick Week has established itself as a premier Drag-and-Drive event, featuring five days of racing on four track that include Orlando, Bradenton, Valdosta and Gainesville as destinations.
The 2023 edition saw over 350 cars entered and that kicked up the expected excitement that comes with the run-whatcha-brung aspect of this unique form of drag racing. The vehicles range from mildly modded, modern street cruisers to the most incredible Pro Mod-style cars that can run deep 6s in the quarter-mile at speeds over 215 mph!
As the name suggests, participants must make a minimum of one pass at each track and they must also complete each transit from track to track in the same vehicle. Unlike NMRA and NMCA True Street, racers are allowed to swap tires and work on the car. It’s common to see racers tow a small trailer, which is legal, but no trailers are permitted to haul the race vehicles.
Sick Week is the creation of Tom Bailey and he’s assembled a team that now produces a magazine as well as the event. Another genius idea is the Sick Ward, which allows folks to do the drive, “pit” at the tracks and enjoy the camaraderie in the evenings, but without the racing component. This year, participants were blessed with pristine weather and great track conditions that helped produce incredible on-track performance. As of Thursday, Michael Westburg of Sweden led the pack in his 1991 Chevrolet S10, averaging 6.47. He is followed closely by Stephan Gustafson who has managed 6.52. Meanwhile, Jason Pickett is holding steady in third (8.15 average) with his 1993 Buick Hearse. We also witnessed Alex Taylor deliver a personal best 6.90 at 206 mph with her popular 1955 Chevrolet and she also won the Unlimited Iron class with a 6.98/206.95 mph 5-day average.
Sick Week offers a host of classes, including Unlimited, Unlimited Iron, Modified, Pro Street, Super Street, Stick Shift, Naturally Aspirated, Rowdy Radials (1/8-mile), Sick Week Freaks, Beetles, Street Race 275, Sick Street Race, Pro DYO (Dial Your Own), DYO and Sick Bullseye Challenge. And while some seasoned racers run hot and heavy for a class win, others just enjoy the challenge of racing and driving from track to track. To be frank, simply making it the whole week is an accomplishment.
NMCA fans can see Sick Week cars running at select events, consult NMCADigital.com for more details.
By Evan J. Smith
Now in its second year, Sick Week has established itself as a premier Drag-and-Drive event, featuring five days of racing on four track that include Orlando, Bradenton, Valdosta and Gainesville as destinations.
The 2023 edition saw over 350 cars entered and that kicked up the expected excitement that comes with the run-whatcha-brung aspect of this unique form of drag racing. The vehicles range from mildly modded, modern street cruisers to the most incredible Pro Mod-style cars that can run deep 6s in the quarter-mile at speeds over 215 mph!
As the name suggests, participants must make a minimum of one pass at each track and they must also complete each transit from track to track in the same vehicle. Unlike NMRA and NMCA True Street, racers are allowed to swap tires and work on the car. It’s common to see racers tow a small trailer, which is legal, but no trailers are permitted to haul the race vehicles.
Sick Week is the creation of Tom Bailey and he’s assembled a team that now produces a magazine as well as the event. Another genius idea is the Sick Ward, which allows folks to do the drive, “pit” at the tracks and enjoy the camaraderie in the evenings, but without the racing component. This year, participants were blessed with pristine weather and great track conditions that helped produce incredible on-track performance. As of Thursday, Michael Westburg of Sweden led the pack in his 1991 Chevrolet S10, averaging 6.47. He is followed closely by Stephan Gustafson who has managed 6.52. Meanwhile, Jason Pickett is holding steady in third (8.15 average) with his 1993 Buick Hearse. We also witnessed Alex Taylor deliver a personal best 6.90 at 206 mph with her popular 1955 Chevrolet and she also won the Unlimited Iron class with a 6.98/206.95 mph 5-day average.
Sick Week offers a host of classes, including Unlimited, Unlimited Iron, Modified, Pro Street, Super Street, Stick Shift, Naturally Aspirated, Rowdy Radials (1/8-mile), Sick Week Freaks, Beetles, Street Race 275, Sick Street Race, Pro DYO (Dial Your Own), DYO and Sick Bullseye Challenge. And while some seasoned racers run hot and heavy for a class win, others just enjoy the challenge of racing and driving from track to track. To be frank, simply making it the whole week is an accomplishment.
NMCA fans can see Sick Week cars running at select events, consult NMCADigital.com for more details.
