Jason Rousseau’s Malibu Leads the News of Day Zero at Edelbrock Sick 66 at Ozark Raceway Park in Missouri – Today We Start Day One!
Even though Day Zero doesn’t have the urgency or tension of Day One of a drag-and-drive event, a lot of checkmarks, testing and figuring out last minute details can make or break the last night of normalcy before the time slips count.
The Edelbrock Sick 66 event, the first time a drag-and-drive will follow Route 66 as the majority of the drive, got underway yesterday at Ozark Raceway Park in Missouri.
A once in-a-lifetime drag-and-drive: Edelbrock Sick 66, is underway! Don’t miss your chance to join us - October 11th through the 18th, 2024. It’s Route 66, over 30 checkpoints, 6 tracks, and an epic experience. CLICK HERE for general information, routes and tracks we will be at!!
After tech inspection and preliminary checks were done to ensure the streetability and safety of each car and truck, a test session was held to give competitors a chance to see how their machines stacked up.
Last year’s Death Week winner Jason Rousseau laid down the number the beat yesterday, as his first shot in his recently revamped Chevrolet Malibu resulted in a 5.50 pass on the eighth-mile standard. After surviving the 2,000 mile trip on Death Week in 2023, Jason looks to still have the upper hand.
After sitting out the majority of the season, focused on their son’s Junior Dragster efforts, Rick and Jackie Steinke brought the ‘Honk if Parts Fall Off’ 1967 Chevy Chevelle to Sick 66, and were rewarded with a 5.62 result on their only run of the day.
Lamar Swindoll Jr. recently made a change from the small block combination in his 1972 Camaro to a 632 cubic inch big block. He made a pair of runs yesterday, the best being a 5.52 for the nitrous-fed machine.
Alexis Zarate made her drag-and-drive debut yesterday with a twin-turbo ’69 Camaro, and although she left the starting line before the Christmas Tree was activated, her onboard data showed a 5.87 pass. She’s excited about her chances as we roll into day one.
After a trio of runs, the Chevy II gasser of Robby Wysuph laid down a solid 5.75 pass, making several people do a double-take at the scoreboard. Could Robby put the gasser at the top of the list on day one?
Brooks Fleharty made a couple runs in his turbocharged 1986 Ford Mustang, getting a pair of 5-second laps in return. Word is they were thrashing to get to the track in time, and the machine still has a good amount left in the tank.
There are several combatants in the 6-second range, including stick shift lifer Richard Guido and fellow long hauler and burnout king Rajveer Ahuja. So, if the 5-second players can’t survive the road trip, there will be plenty of competitors ready to pounce on that top spot.
Day one gets underway today with gates opening for racers at 7 am, spectators at 8 am, and racing action starts at 9 am. Once competitors hand in a time slip, they will join Sick Ward participants, along with several manufacturers, including title sponsor Edelbrock, Driven Racing Oil, Mickey Thompson Tires, to Mo-Kan Dragway for day two action.
Want to join us? CLICK HERE for information, routes, and more! Come join us today at Ozark Raceway Park for the start of an epic adventure!
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com