Seven days of racing, driving and adventure will take competitors from drag strips to downtown streets and across some of Michigan’s most iconic roads.
Sick Michigan Miles Presented by Driven Racing Oil is set to take over Michigan August 17-23, bringing approximately 250 of America’s quickest and fastest real street cars together for a week of drag racing, cruising and adventure. Competitors will race at four different Michigan drag strips while putting their street cars to the ultimate test on the highways in between.
The week begins Monday, August 17, with testing and tech at Mid-Michigan Motorplex before competition officially gets underway Tuesday. Racers will then travel from track to track throughout the state, with race days at Northern Michigan Dragway, Ubly Dragway, Lapeer International Dragway and a return to Mid-Michigan Motorplex for the event finale.
Unlike traditional drag racing, Sick Michigan Miles isn’t about simply winning a single race. Competitors will submit one run from each race day, with the quickest average elapsed time across the week determining the overall winner.
The schedule gives competitors plenty of opportunity to experience Michigan beyond the racetrack, with dedicated drive days and routes designed to showcase the state. The week will include stops and scenery such as the Mackinac Bridge and Michigan’s coastal areas, while Friday night will see Sick Michigan Miles take over downtown Lake Orion, with the streets around Sick Town Hall closed for a special gathering of competitors and fans.
Returning to defend his Michigan Miles title will be Aydan Bailey, who dominated the inaugural event in his 1957 Chevy wagon. Bailey averaged a 5.242-second elapsed time across last year’s competition, with a best run of 5.215.
This time around, however, Bailey will be chasing the title with a substantially different combination. The wagon has received a new LSX-based engine package as Bailey looks to push the car into the sevens on the quarter-mile tracks while targeting the high-four-second range on the eighth-mile surfaces.
“Michigan Miles was the first win for me and for a Bailey family member at a Sick event,” Bailey said. “I may not be able to run fives but at least I can say that.”
The new combination represents another step in the evolution of Bailey’s wagon, which was already proven to be well suited to the varying conditions encountered during a Sick event.
“This year we have a new engine package that is targeting sevens on the quarter mile and should hopefully get us into the high fours on the eighth-mile tracks of Sick Michigan Miles,” he said.
With multiple track surfaces, different track configurations and a week of highway driving ahead, Bailey says the wagon’s existing setup should give him a solid platform from which to develop the new combination.
“This wagon has a great setup for varying track surfaces. It’s got a long wheelbase that really helps,” Bailey explained. “We will be searching for a baseline with this new motor. We have a lot of new sensors and data logging on the car now too which should really help with that.”
The racers won’t be alone on the road, either. Participants in the Summit Racing Equipment Sick Ward Presented by PEAK Performance will join the competitors throughout the week, adding another dimension to the event and giving fans additional opportunities to experience the Sick Michigan Miles atmosphere.
Sick Michigan Miles Presented by Driven Racing Oil Schedule
Monday, August 17: Mid-Michigan Motorplex – Testing & Tech (testing from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.)
Tuesday, August 18: Mid-Michigan Motorplex – Race Day 1 (racing 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.)
Wednesday, August 19: Northern Michigan Dragway – Race Day 2 (racing from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.)
Thursday, August 20: Drive Day
Friday, August 21: Ubly Dragway – Race Day 3 (racing from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.)
Saturday, August 22: Lapeer International Dragway – Race Day 4 (racing from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.)
Sunday, August 23: Mid-Michigan Motorplex – Race Day 5 (racing from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.)
Spectator tickets for Sick Michigan Miles are available now, with fans able to save $5 by purchasing tickets online at https://www.sickthemagazine.com/michigan-miles. Children 12 and under get in free.
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