Sick Week brings drag racers to cruise Bay Area roadways

BRADENTON, Fla. - Some of the fastest cars you'll ever see may be cruising Bay Area roads this week. They're in town for Sick Week, a drag racing event that stretches from Bradenton to Georgia.

They can go a quarter-mile in seconds and some may not be what you expect.

For example, Nick Cryer's dragster is a 1963 milk truck. He brought it down from Chicago for Sick Week.

Cooper Bogetti didn't have to drive far to get his 1995 Ford Mustang to the track in Bradenton, but after this race, he'll pack up and drive 900 miles over the next few days, stopping to race at tracks in Orlando, Gainesville, and Georgia along the way.

"The camaraderie in this event is just insane," said Bogetti. "I've got a 1995 Ford Mustang with a Chevy power plant built specifically built for this style of racing where we get to drive from back to track, follow around 350 cars."

The drag and drive competition event is put on by Sick the Mag. The first races are at  Bradenton Motorsports Park and then they'll move on to tracks in Florida and Georgia. 

"Keep an eye out because you might see some real monsters on the roadway," said Luke Nieuwhof, the editor of Sick the Mag.

Their cars must carry their own trailers and everything they need for the week.

"It's the ultimate adrenaline rush for these guys, so then they calm down, hit the public roads, and they’ll just cruise along at the ordinary pace that you see on the roads. Until it’s time for the next race and then they’ll turn it back up again," said Nieuwhof.

The races are just starting and winning is the ultimate goal, but it's also about enjoying the ride.

"Winning would be nice, but it’s definitely not all I’m concerned with. The main concern is just completing it and having fun," said Bogetti.

The racers will be back on Friday. They'll start their last runs at 2 p.m at Bradenton Motorsports Park. For more information visit https://www.sickthemagazine.com/sick-week.