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Nick Cryer Wins Sick Smokies Drag-and-Drive Event in Great Smoky Mountains

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Sick Smokies: A Seven-Day Drag-and-Drive Through America's Great Smoky Mountains

The Sick Smokies drag-and-drive event took place over seven days, featuring daily driving routes and six days of drag racing. A total of 270 street cars, including approximately 50 gassers, participated, traversing America's Great Smoky Mountains.

Race Tracks Utilized

The event utilized five provincial eighth-mile drag strips. Racing commenced at Rocket City Dragway in Huntsville, Alabama, followed by three days in Tennessee at Music City Dragway near Nashville, Fitzgerald Motorsports Park at Crossville, and Knoxville Dragway. Competitors then moved to Brainerd Motorsports Park in Georgia. The final day concluded at Rocket City Dragway after a dedicated driving day through Tennessee and North Carolina.

Scenic Driving Routes

Participants navigated several notable routes. These included the Tail of the Dragon, recognized for its 318 turns over 11 miles, as well as cruising through downtown Nashville, the curvaceous Foothills Parkway, and the 69km Cherohala Skyway, which featured autumn foliage. Another route included a winding drive over Lookout Mountain near Chattanooga, passing Ruby Falls.

Key Racing Moments

The organizers prioritized gasser participation, resulting in approximately 50 old-school gassers competing together daily. These vehicles performed half-track burnouts, dry hops, and wheelies.

During Day Two at Music City Dragway, Reggie Moore's 'Organ Grinder' Model A rat rod made contact with the Christmas Tree, causing irreparable damage to the timing system. Consequently, all times from Day Two were declared null and void. The day concluded with heads-up arm-drop races, flagged by Ashley Canfield.

Roadkill Reunion

Sick Smokies served as a gathering for several vehicles from the former television series Roadkill. Mike Finnegan's 'Blasphemi' ’57 gasser and the 'Rotsun' ’71 Datsun 240Z (loaned to Jimmy Dale) were present, alongside Robert Williams's 'Bis Bomb' ’67 Chevy Biscayne. All three cars successfully completed the event. Finnegan noted his satisfaction that these vehicles remain operational.

Overall Event Results

Nick Cryer, driving a ’33 Ford three-window coupe, secured the overall victory, maintaining his lead throughout the event. He achieved a best run of 4.54@159mph on the final day, resulting in an average of 4.63@155mph.

Lamar Swindoll Jr. placed second in his ’72 Camaro with a 5.098@140mph average, and Jarrod Aspegren finished third in his ’64 Nova with a 5.099@145mph average.

While initially designated as a one-off event, participants expressed strong interest in a future iteration. Although not scheduled for the immediate next year due to Sick's existing event calendar, 2027 is being considered as a potential date for a repeat event.

Standout Participants and Vehicles

  • Zach Blausey's 1923 T-bucket: Drove over 1600km, utilizing a hammock attached to the car for sleeping, and performing nightly flamethrowing displays.

  • Robert Freund's Tesla Model S: Modified with a twin-turbo BBC engine, performed high five-second or low six-second runs until a collision with a deer on Day Five led to its withdrawal.

  • Jarrod Aspegren's ’64 Nova: Debuted a twin-turbo LS-powered Nova, earning third place overall. His son, Connor, also raced the car in the Junior Street class, securing second place.

  • Mike Finnegan's 'Blasphemi': Achieved its fastest eighth-mile times, winning the A/Gas class and finishing fifth overall.

  • Troy and Larry Henderson's newly built ’63 Nova gasser: Completed their first event.

  • Rob Tansey's 'Gatekeeper' gasser: Experienced a rear wheel issue on Day Six but was repaired with replacement parts and finished the event.

  • Tom 'Jimmy Dale' Gunner and 'Rotsun': Drove Mike Finnegan's 'Rotsun', managing persistent head gasket failures to complete the event.

  • Rich Guido's ’65 GTO: Won the Stick-Shift class despite a front tire blow-out and a broken tailshaft during the event.

  • Jay and Tonya Grabiak: Received the Spirit of the Smokies award for their dedication to gasser culture.

  • Nick Cryer's ’33 Ford replica coupe: Secured his inaugural overall victory with his twin-turbo LS-powered vehicle.

  • Jack Weatherford's ’55 Chevy, 'The Beast': A tribute to Two-Lane Blacktop, with additional styling related to The Nightmare Before Christmas.

  • Will Owens's ’68 Barracuda: Debuted a 1400hp+ turbo 6.4L Gen III Hemi-powered vehicle, built over four years.

  • Richard Sparks's ’63 AMC Rambler Classic 770 Cross Country gasser: Showcased his vehicle, which he converted into a gasser the previous year.

  • Tom Bailey's ’69 Ford Torino Talladega: Drove his rare vehicle, equipped with a twin-turbo Coyote engine and six-speed transmission. The car performed effectively on driving legs but achieved a 7.86@100mph best on the track.