BE SURE TO BOOKMARK THIS PAGE FOR UPDATED GALLERIES!
EG Nation is hitting the road with the drag & drive specialists from Sick The Magazine for the one-of-a-kind Edelbrock Sick Smokies event, October 12 – 19. And if you can’t make it in person, we’ll take you along for the ride! Nearly 300 drag & drive participants will cover almost 900 miles as they push their cars to the limit at five different dragstrips over seven days. Of course, the Sick Ward will be in full effect as well, with countless show-n-shine vehicles that will go along for the ride. If the elevation changes aren’t enough of a twist, for the first time, a Sick event will feature over 70 Gassers racing from 23 states! We will provide updated galleries on this page as time allows, so please check back here often.
Unlike traditional racing, drag & drive events require competitors to race their cars at the track and then drive those same cars on public roads to the next venue — no trailers allowed. Over multiple days, racers log hundreds of miles per day, fixing what breaks on the roadside, relying on ingenuity, grit, and spare parts crammed into their trunks or small trailers. It’s a format that doesn’t just reward horsepower — it celebrates endurance, reliability, and mechanical creativity.
From Pump Gas to Drag Week to Sick Smokies
While the format exploded in popularity in the 2000s with events like Hot Rod Drag Week, its roots date back even further. One early pioneer was the COMP Cams Pump Gas Drags hosted by Hot Rod in the early 2000s. Held at Memphis Motorsports Park, Pump Gas Drags challenged competitors to run on real pump fuel, then drive a street route before returning to the strip to prove their cars were as capable on the road as they were fast in the quarter mile.
In 2005, Hot Rod took the concept of the Pump Gas Drags to a whole new level, expanding it into a multi-day gauntlet to crown “The Fastest Street Car in America.” It was so popular that other events started popping up in different regions, and a whole new genre was born with the advent of Rocky Mountain Drag Week, Race Week 2.0, and Sick Week. By the 2020s, drag & drive had grown into a legitimate motorsports segment with global attention and record-breaking cars that can run 6s and then drive 1,000 miles home the next day.
And no promoter has taken the segment further than Tom Bailey of Sick The Magazine. A past Drag Week winner, Bailey has expanded the Sick brand to include several regional drag &drive events across the country. Each event is carefully planned to be an epic destination experience for participants, and they usually sell out in minutes. Edelbrock partnered with Sick last year, also, for Edelbrock Sick 66.
Sick Smokies: The Next Adventure
Edelbrock’s involvement in Sick Smokies underscores the brand’s deep roots in performance culture and its commitment to supporting real-world enthusiasts who drive what they race. There will be a tent on site for customers to get questions answered at all the dragstrips. For EG Nation, Sick Smokies isn’t just another event — it’s a chance to hit the road with the community, experience the adrenaline of the competition, and celebrate the ingenuity that defines modern drag & drive events.
We’ll be there every step of the way — catching as much of the action as possible, documenting the builds, the breakdowns, the roadside fixes, and the triumphs. Because at the end of the day, drag & drive isn’t just about setting ET records. It’s about proving your car — and your crew — can handle anything the road throws at you. And that goes for us too! Updates may not arrive until late at night, but be sure to check back to this page regularly to see the happenings from each day.
The Edelbrock Sick Smokies Route
Our journey will begin on Sunday, October 12, as everyone converges on the home of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, at the aptly named Rocket City Dragway in Harvest, AL (just outside of Hunstville). Here, all the drag & drivers will be teched-in for the classes they intend to run. Starting at 2 p.m., they are allowed to make some test hits to make sure their cars are dialed in for day 1.
Monday, October 13, Day 1
The day everything kicks into high gear with gates opening at 9 a.m. If you are a spectator, you’ll want to be there early. Unlike traditional drag racing, the goal of many drag & drivers is to make a “one-and-done” pass for the least amount of wear and tear on the vehicle. They want to get as close to their target as possible so they can set the car into street mode and hit the road to the first checkpoint. There are three checkpoints en route to the next venue: (M80) Gordon House in Williamsport, TN; (M128) The Parthenon in Nashville, TN; and (M143) Scoreboards Bar & Grill.
Tuesday, October 14, Day 2
The day dawns at Music City Raceway (M161) in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. Gates open at 9 a.m. Racing is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The first checkpoint is Keller’s Bar & Grill (M196) in Castalian Springs, TN, while the second is Long Road Cafe (M288).
Wednesday, October 15, Day 3
Crossville Dragway (M298) in Crossville, TN, is the place to be with the same run times. The drive to the next venue is not far, but the racers soon enter the hilly terrain with the first checkpoint at Historic Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary (M365) in Oliver Springs, TN. The second stop is at Lokar Manufacturing (M392) in Knoxville, TN.
Thursday, October 16, Day 4 and Drive-Day Friday, October 17, Day 5
Knoxville Dragway (M416) in Maynardville, TN, is the next eighth-mile onslaught with racing from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. With Friday being a drive day, participants can travel as far down the road as they want to reach their next stop, allowing them to hit checkpoints between the two at any time. Here is the order: Frostee Freeze (M445) in Tazewell, TN; Veterans Overlook at Clinch Mountain (M461) in Bean Station, TN; English Mountain Dragway (M501) in Newport, TN; Adventure Distilling Co. (M514) in Cosby, TN; Foothills Parkway Overlook (M564) in Walland, TN; Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort (M594) and optional The HQ, both in Robbinsville, NC; Middle Ocoee Put In (M680) in Ocoee, TN, and last but not least Twin Peaks (M733) in East Ridge, TN.
Saturday, October 18, Day 6
After a long day of driving, it’s back to the races at Brainerd Motorsports Park (M735) in Ringgold, Georgia with the usual opening times. Checkpoint one will be at Aces EFI (M747); checkpoint two is Lookout Mountain Pizza (M775) in Rising Fawn, GA; and finally, on to the Space and Rocket Center (M880) back in Huntsville, AL.
Sunday, October 19, Day 7
It all ends back where it started at Huntsville Dragway in Harvest, AL, only this time, spectator gates open an hour later at 10 a.m., and racing takes place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will be for all that marbles. Who will win the first-ever Edelbrock Sick Smokies?? Tune in here to find out, and be sure to follow along on our social channels as we maneuver through the mountains of eastern Tennessee!
A special note for Sick Smokies and Sick Ward participants
Stop by the Edelbrock tent during the event to sign our event banners. One will be given away at the awards ceremony. Additionally, sign up for a chance to win a VRS-4150 850 CFM carburetor, which will be given away at the awards ceremony as well. Lastly, we’ll be giving away our Staff Pick again, designed and built by Dane Hamrick in our cam shop; he always makes the best awards! Good luck, and safe travels to all the Sick Smokies participants and spectators. We’ll see you there!
