Drag Illustrated Issue 181, March / April 2023 | Page 126

ONE OF THE UNIQUE ASPECTS OF SICK WEEK IS THE SCENIC DRIVES , WHICH PRESENT UNIQUE PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMPETITORS LIKE JAMES MCENTIRE AND HIS NATURALLY ASPIRATED ’ 68 CAMARO .

stops at a roadside dive bar followed by KSR Performance , where the road outside was considerably more rubbery by the night ’ s end .

Gainesville Raceway ’ s big Thursday morning crowd got to witness perhaps the cleanest racing of the week . Most racers were “ one and done ,” happy with their first time slips and getting on the road . Westberg used a 6.452 to stay in charge , while LaSala actually put his Mustang down during the slick prep session for a soft 6.923 . Taylor recorded her fourth straight 6-second pass , though she was battling electrical gremlins once again in her ’ 55 Chevy .

The final drive of the week took racers on a spectacular beach drive — watching Pro Mods cruise next to the Atlantic Ocean will never get old ! The final checkpoint of the week was a biker bar just outside of Daytona , giving racers a chance to party into the evening or simply get a photo and move on .

Back at Orlando Speed World , the deciding runs were made . Westberg finished the week with an average of 6.464 for the overall and Unlimited class win , in what was his final event in the truck as he is moving to a Pro Mod Camaro build next . LaSala finished with the quickest radial average in drag-and-drive history at a 6.743 to win Modified , while Taylor also averaged in the sixes with a 6.986 to earn the Unlimited Iron victory .

With a dozen other classes also wrapped up , there were many racers leaving Orlando smiling , while others simply had to lick their wounds and hope for better luck next year .

The Sickest of the Sick trophy , which goes to the racer who best exemplifies the spirit of drag-and-drive , was awarded to Michigan ’ s Carl Stancell . After crashing his Chevy Blazer at Sick Week last year , he repaired the car only to torch a head on the first day of 2023 ’ s version . But instead of quitting , he found another motor and went 45 hours without sleep to make sure he stayed in the event , finishing with a 9.922-second average .

With drag-and-drive events exploding across the country , the next stop for the Sick brand will be Sick Summer presented by TBM Brakes from June 4-9 across Illinois , Wisconsin , and Iowa . DI

CLINT SODOWSKY OPENED SICK WEEK WITH A 7.926 IN HIS ’ 68 CAMARO . AFTER THAT , HE HAD A 7.60-SECOND BRACKET CAR , POSTING A WEEK-BEST 7.611 ON THE FINAL DAY AT ORLANDO TO WIN IN PRO STREET WITH A 7.697 AVERAGE .

FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW , A SWEDISH COMPETITOR TOOK THE OVERALL SICK WEEK CROWN . MICHAEL WESTBERG AND HIS ’ 91 CHEVY S10 GRADUATED FROM A TOP 3 PLAYER ON DAY ONE TO THE UNLIMITED AND OVERALL LEADER AS THE WEEK WENT ON AND THE OTHER 6-SECOND CONTENDERS HAD TO DROP OUT . HE RAN IN THE 6.40S ON FOUR OF THE FIVE DAYS , CLOSING THE WEEK WITH A 6.464 AVERAGE .

EVEN AT AN EVENT PACKED FULL OF UNIQUE RIDES , FEW ENTRIES STOOD OUT MORE THAN JASON PICKETT ’ S “ HAULIN ’ ASH ” ’ 93 BUICK HEARSE . PICKETT WAS * DEADLY * CONSISTENT IN THE LOW 8-SECOND RANGE OTHER THAN A 9.76 ON THE FINAL DAY , CONCLUDING WITH AN 8.479 AVERAGE TO FINISH THIRD IN THE UNLIMITED CLASS .

MOORESVILLE , NORTH CAROLINA-BASED FABRICATOR EXTRAORDINAIRE ERIC YOST BROKE HIS DRAG-AND-DRIVE HIATUS IN A BIG WAY , RACING TO THE SUPER STREET WIN IN HIS ’ 68 CAMARO . HE FIRED OFF A STRING OF 7.40-SECOND PASSES TO END UP WITH A 7.461 AVERAGE , HOLDING OFF THE 7.50S OF BRADLEY ARNOLD AND ANDREW DOPITA .

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