HOT ROD magazine was a decades-old , legendary car culture publication when David Freiburger launched the first-ever HOT ROD Drag Week in 2005 . The event birthed the drag-and-drive format as it ’ s known today , and due in large part to the magazine ’ s coverage of the event , stars were born . Covers featuring the winning cars appeared on newsstands across the country , while drivers became legends as stories of their cross-country exploits spread on the pages of HOT ROD and across the internet . ¶ One of those stars is Tom Bailey , and after generating a huge following in the drag-and-drive community – and hot rodding in general – he decided to come out with his own magazine , Sick the Magazine . Dedicated to covering drag-and-drive events and the unique culture that surrounds them , Sick the Magazine published its first double issue in late August 2021 . ¶ Just a couple months later , on October 1 , Bailey and his team unveiled plans for Sick Week , a five-day drag-anddrive event set to take place the first week of February at three tracks in Florida – Bradenton Motorsports Park , Orlando Speed World Dragway , and Gainesville
IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF SICK WEEK ’ S OPENING DAY , COMPETITORS PACKED INTO THE BRADENTON MOTORSPORTS PARK STANDS FOR A DRIVER ’ S MEETING TO GO OVER THE PLAN FOR THE WEEK .
100 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 175