Sick Street Race class was INTENSE!
The final day of Sick Summer and the 8.50 Class Pandemonium
Sick Street Race and 275 Street Race are my favorite classes, but you all know that…. Sick Summer 2024 has been one of my favorite events to watch and attend, simply for the insanity of the tight racing! The top teams from each class came into Day Five with ideas and plans to move up or hold their spot! Let’s break down the runs from each of the top teams.
From the Beginning
To tell the full story, let’s start on Day One for the Sick Street Race class. Cameron Alley, in his SN95 Mustang, led after day one with his 8.511 run. Following Cameron were TJ Linebaugh with his 8.513, then Brian Acton with a 8.543, fourth being held by Keith Fenstad and his 8.618 and fifth with Mike Chenoweth’s 8.649.
Moving to the end of Day Two, Cameron continued his lead with an 8.5145 average, with TJ behind by 0.0035, third place of Brian Acton with a 8.5365, Keith in fourth at 8.609 and Mike holding strong in fifth with a 8.7345.
Racing at Tri-State proved difficult for many racers, but the Sick Street Race class were determined to land that target ET! The Quickest Pass of day for the class was set by Brian Acton with an 8.521, not enough to move up, but also quick enough to hold his third place spot. With TJ running the second quickest pass, an 8.521, he had moved his average into a TIE with Cameron Alley, the class leader! With both racers holding an 8.51967 average going into day four at Great Lakes Dragway.
Now it gets interesting
Day Four racing was intense, with Brian Acton again making the quickest pass of the day for the class with an 8.511. Jay saying they “had found a crimped wire on Wednesday night, and that allowed us to go down Broadway.” With the 8.511, and TJ submitting an 8.574, this moved Brian into Second place, following Cameron’s 8.52 average by just 0.0063!!
Racing did not begin until 11 on Day Five, and actually started with the C Class cars, meaning that racers would be running in the heat of the day. This isn’t something out of the ordinary for racers in this class, as it takes many passes each day for that magical pass.
During the first session of the A/B Radial run, Brian Acton locked in second place with an 8.510 timeslip, returning shortly running an 8.514 in their attempt to run the best ET possible. TJ Linebaugh’s first pass was too quick at 8.478, returning later to run a third place locking 8.649.
Cameron Alley, being in A/B Slick, he would have to watch his competitors make passes ahead of his attempt. His first pass would not work to secure his #1 spot, running an 8.658. This was at 2:11pm, he was back in the burnout box at 2:20pm. Sadly, he had the unfortunate struggle to shear his ring gear on this pass!! Through a Racer in Need parts call by Derek Putnam, the needed replacement was found and Cameron and his copilot went to work repairing the car in time for the Open Run Session. Two hours after being pushed off the track, the team returned to the track for an attempt to better their 8.658 ET. The car responded to the changes in tuning a little too well and went too fast with an 8.457, dang! They returned to the pit to regroup as they knew they had to make it work since the lanes were closing soon. At 4:54 pm, Cameron released the button and sent the car down track to another pass that would be too fast, an 8.496! Literally 0.004 too quick (it takes longer than 0.004 seconds to say “quick”). Adding to the dismay, Cameron’s car erupted in smoke at the top end of the track. At the time, everyone thought it had exited a rod. Fortunately for the team, the blower belt had simply left the chat, taking the transmission lines with it. With precious time left, Cameron’s father let Brian and Jay, now in First Place, know that Cameron would not be making another pass.
Drag and Drive racing is one of the most difficult forms of automotive racing because of days like Day Five of Sick Summer….
Cameron would have to settle for Second Place for the second year in a row. TJ rounding out the Top Three. Ketih Fenstad would hold fourth place all week, completing the event with an 8.6248. Mike Chenoweth would stay in fourth until the final day, dropping all the way to 15th after submitting a 20 second ET when his transmission decided it no longer wanted to drag race. Fifth would be taken by Michael Puckett in his Malibu wagon with a 9.2416 Average.
Brian Acton and Jay Blanchard would collect their second orange helmet of the year, after winning Sick Week’s Sick Street Race earlier this year. This is Brian and Jay’s 4th 8.50 style class win of 2024!
Final Class Results:
Racer Name - Vehicle - Average ET
Brian Acton - 1970 Chevrolet Nova - 8.523
Cameron Alley - 1997 Ford Cobra - 8.5476
TJ Linebaugh - 1978 Ford Fairmont Wagon - 8.5564
Keith Fenstad - 1978 Ford Fairmont - 8.6248
Michael Puckett - 1978 Chevrolet Malibu Wagon - 9.2416
Kenny Zachman - 2003 Ford Mustang - 9.3274
Joshua Lapins - 1999 Pontiac Trans Am - 9.3834
Aaron Gerling - 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle 300 - 9.6582
Andrew Hiestand - 1979 Ford Fairmont - 10.2174
Nate Hines - 1984 Chevrolet Camaro - 10.3186
Mark Mathey - 2016 Dodge Challenger Hellcat - 10.5334
Jay Hansen - 2008 Jeep SRT-8 - 10.8354
Gary Dufek - 2021 Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang - 10.8498
Rob Livingston - 1970 Chevrolet El Camino - 10.9536
Mike Chenoweth - 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner - 11.151
Alan Roberts - 1968 Chevrolet Camaro - 11.2436
Thomas Urbik - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette - 11.3852
Russell Beschta - 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme - 12.1274
Amos Eason - 1974 Chevrolet Nova - 13.649
Paul Kwiatkowski - 1974 Chevrolet Nova - DNF
Shaun Enoch - 1979 Chevrolet Camaro - DNF
Article written by Mike Narx. Photos by Mike Narx, Eric White, Keith Fenstad and Mike Chenoweth.
