Street/Strip Epidemic At Sick Week 2026

Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive and put on by Sick the Mag, Sick Week is a destination winter event encompassing a week of drag racing, street cruising and overall mayhem. Drag & Drive events are nothing new and we’ve covered several cars from these events on Street Muscle Mag, but the lack of convention offers a refreshing challenge to racers. And Sick Week is special because it allows racer to get out of the cold and kick the season off with some hardcore drag racing, plus street driving in Florida and Georgia when the rest of the country is socked in with snow.

Tom Bailey, Luke Nieuwhof and the Sick Week team put a great spin on Drag & Drive, offering more than drag racing. Participants can enter the “Sick Ward” and Spin and Shine for those who want to do the drive and hang at the track, but don’t want to race. They also have cool merch, a hot dog van that cruises the pits feeding everyone, fantastic social media and announcing, and great classes for the novice racer up to Pro Mod-level competition.

For 2026, Sick Week began in Gainesville, Florida, before the tour headed north to South Georgia Motorsports Park in Valdosta. Competitors then made the trek back to the Sunshine State to Bradenton Motorsports Park, Orlando Speed World, and finally back to Gainesville for the last day.

Racers must turn in one time slip per track and drive the race vehicle to each venue to be eligible for prizes. Most racers tow a small trailer with spare parts, race tires and tools as things break along the way. The event has loads of support from manufacturers like Mickey Thompson Tires and companies like Summit Racing Equipment.

Street Muscle Magazine hit the Bradenton and Orlando days and what we saw was nothing short of amazing.

Without strict guidelines for vehicle builds (NHRA safety rules do apply), racers truly created out-of-the box cars and trucks with incredible engine/driveline/body combinations. Fans get up close with the movers and shakers, which include a wide demographic from regular guys and girls and professional racers, to TV stars and social media influencers.

For some, a personal best elapsed time at each track is the goal, for others just completing the five days and long drives is a win. Either way, we took it all in, experiencing the cars, passion and dedication and came away with a real respect for Drag & Drive.