HOT ROD Drag Week 2022

[JRS]

"It's the most wonderful time of the year..."

HOT ROD Drag Week is the competition where street-legal drag-race cars run quarter-mile time trials every day for five days, driving on public roads between four different drag strips for a road trip of 1,000-plus miles unassisted by support vehicles. It's the ultimate test of a street/strip car, with trophies awarded in multiple classes for vehicles with various levels of modifications. The one car with the lowest average elapsed time over the week of racing is named HOT ROD's Fastest Street Car in America.

After 2020's event was cancelled and the '21 event saw many big names not make it to the show I think we're all hoping for a return to form this year. And there are definitely/hopefully/maybe some returnees.

First off, overall winner last year Dave Schroeder is back with the blue Pro-Mod style C7 Corvette. It's seen some tweaks, and he'll be hoping for even better times than last year. Tom Bailey was laid out by Covid last year but is raring to go once more - what price a repeat or betterment of that 5.998sec pass from 2019? Bryant Goldstone is rebuilding the AMC Javelin that he bent last year and hopefully he'll make it too.

Elsewhere, hoping to see Alex Taylor continue her search for more speed in her '55 Chevy - she's been in the sixes with it now, and hopefully the new gig with Lucky Costa on HOT ROD Garage is paying enough to keep her in speed parts The mad Swede Magnus Frost should be back with the freshly-rebuilt Opel Ascona, which is great - I love that car. Also one that I'm very fond of is Mikael Borggren's Volvo 240 wagon, hopefully he's there.

Aaaand then there's Mike Finnegan, and Blasphemi. The world's fastest, yet least reliable, Hemi-powered '55 Chevy gasser. He's not driven it in a while because - again! - the engine was blown up (to put it mildly), due to a transmission mishap at another event - the shift linkage was put on the gearbox wrong, so when he pulled for a gear it went into first and sent the revs into *expensive noises* territory. But the engine shop delivered his freshly-rebuilt engine the other day, and all he had to do was stab it in the car. That didn't work out brilliantly, because Roadkill - it all went in, but there was a water leak coming from the bellhousing. Turns out it just needed some sealant on one of the bolts, but the time delay has meant that he's arriving at Drag Week without testing.

Again.

The car's seen some other modifications, mostly around making it a bit more usable on the street. He had plenty of headroom to keep the car quick though, so I don't think it'll have slowed too much from that A-Gas record of an 8.5xx. And it's not as if he can run any quicker anyway (NHRA rules mean he has to put a funny car rollcage in to go faster than 8.5, Drag Week A-Gas rules prohibit FC cages).

The Programme

• Registration, Tech Day, and Test 'n' Tune: Sunday, September 18 - Gates open at 8:00 a.m. CDT; Tech from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m; Test and Tune from 5:00-9:00 p.m. - World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, Illinois.
• Racing Day 1: Monday, September 19 - Gates open at 7:30 a.m. CDT; Racing begins at 8:00 a.m. - World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, Illinois.
• Racing Day 2: Tuesday, September 20 - Gates open at 7:30 a.m. EDT (please note time zone change); Racing begins at 8:00 a.m. - Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Indianapolis, Indiana.
• Racing Day 3: Wednesday, Sept. 21 - Gates open at 7:30 a.m. CDT (please note time zone change); Racing begins at 8:00 a.m. - Byron Dragway, Byron, Illinois.
• Racing Day 4: Thursday, Sept. 22 - Gates open at 7:30 a.m. CDT; Racing begins at 8:00 a.m. - Cordova Dragway, Cordova, Illinois
• Racing Day 5: Friday, Sept. 23 - Gates open at 8:00 a.m. CDT; Racing begins at 10:00 a.m; Awards ceremony following race day, approx. 6:00 p.m. - World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, Illinois.

I'll post links to the livestreams for the racing days once they're available.

 

[MrKnifey]

Be interesting to see if Mike can take another win. Is Larson and Lutz running this year?

 

[JRS]

Be interesting to see if Mike can take another win. Is Larson and Lutz running this year?

Doubt it. They tend to go for the paying gigs these days.

 

[JRS]

Blasphemi

 

[JRS]

More Blasphemi

Also on the Instas, there's a Canadian chap - Steve Hurlbut, account name the_original_fisho - I'm following who has a Plymouth Duster called Unfinished Business that he's getting ready for this year's competition. He's already bent the car but some speedy repairs have gotten him back on track.

 

[JRS]

Meanwhile with Tom Bailey...

(skip to about 5:20ish if you're just there for engine sounds and tyre smoke)

 

[JRS]

 

[Dup]

Looking forward to this one. Benny's Cresta is also one to watch.

 

[chroniclard]

Assuming "street legal" is pretty loose over there.

 

[Dup]

Assuming "street legal" is pretty loose over there.

All the strips are in southern states, so no they're not too strict . The event itself defines the street legality for the various classes mind you. A few convert between road and street mode but there's some seriously quick cars that could probably pass an MOT (Tom McGilton's Why Not Camaro comes to mind, even has air con).

 

[JRS]

Assuming "street legal" is pretty loose over there.

All the strips are in southern states, so no they're not too strict . The event itself defines the street legality for the various classes mind you. A few convert between road and street mode but there's some seriously quick cars that could probably pass an MOT (Tom McGilton's Why Not Camaro comes to mind, even has air con).

This, though they're actually quite a way from the southern border this time with the racing being split between Illinois and Indiana.

 

[kaiowas]

Looking forward to this one. Benny's Cresta is also one to watch.

Benny pulled out, delays with shipping the car prevented it getting there in time.

 

[JRS]

Looks like Blasphemi is actually getting a bit of testing then. I guess Newbern is running the show while Mike is finishing off a Roadkill shoot.

Sounds strong. And hopefully the Aussie lads can get the reworked turbo setup on Stevo dialled in nicely, I've loved that car ever since it's first DW appearance when it was field fresh.

***edit***

More from the Aussies.

 

[JRS]

Welp.

 

[JRS]

KJ's found Mike & Tony:



***edit***


Heck. Stevo's already broken:

 

[JRS]

Day One - World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, Illinois

***edit***

There's a whole mess of Instagram content from yesterday's arrival and test 'n' tune from various competitors.

***Edit II: The Wrath of the Solid Lifter***

Stevo broke before the event started. Mike having throttle and tune issues with Blasphemi. Tom Bailey has put down a veeeery low 6 though

***Edit III: The Search for a Hemi Long Block***

Yeah. Mike wounded the Hemi again by running it too lean. Ouchies.

The HG team got Stevo down the track in the end, though not as fast as you would hope (the broken lifter that they found on Sunday has mauled the camshaft a tad). A few others struggled as well. And definitely shout-out to the guy with the Pontiac who lost a T-top at the fast end of the track and sprayed shattered glass everywhere

***Edit IV: A New Hope***

Here's the plan apparently. Recently Mike surprised his friend and Roadkill co-host David Freiburger by secretly rebuilding the blown-up Hemi Gremmie, a Hemi-powered street freak of an AMC Gremlin. Mike Cotten still had the car close by. They're going to yank the engine out of the Gremmie and stab it into Blasphemi. Will they make it? Maybe...not like they haven't had a lot of practice doing exactly this

Day 1 results. Several cars already out.

 

[JRS]

Day Two - Lucas Oil Raceway Park, Indianapolis, Indiana

Magnus Frost in the Opel Ascona is out

 

[chroniclard]

The ones that look like "mostly" normal cars are the best. Like some standard looking Buick(other than massive back tyres) that then goes like ****.

 

[JRS]

The ones that look like "mostly" normal cars are the best. Like some standard looking Buick(other than massive back tyres) that then goes like ****.

Paul Cornman's Dodge Demon is my favourite for that. Looks like a nicely restored '70s Dodge, turns low 9s/high 8s

***edit***

A late model Challenger just annihilated its differential on the line...that's gonna need some cleaning up.

Just been announced, Mike and Blasphemi won't be in competition today

 

[JRS]

Day Three - Byron Dragway, Byron, Illinois

Tom Bailey continued to hold on to the Unlimited/Overall top position but his lead was significantly smaller going into hump day. Following a piston change and header fix on Monday night, Bailey's only run on Tuesday netted him a 6.87 time slip. The car layed over just past the eighth-mile, prompting him to pull out of the throttle and cut the engine off early. He coasted to the 6.87 and sits on top with a 6.45 average.

Hot on Bailey's trail is Sweden's Michael Westberg with his Chevy S10 as he dropped a 6.55 during the cool weather in the morning. His two-day average is a 6.54 when Tuesday's time slip is combined with Monday's ET of 6.53. A tick behind Westberg is fellow Swedish racer Stefan Gustafsson with a 6.56 average from the turbocharged C4 Corvette. The fourth spot in the Unlimited category is defending champion David Schroeder who blistered his best run of the week, thus far, with a 6.68 from his large nitrous combination.

The fifth overall ranked competitor is the leader of Ultimate Iron as Bryant Goldstone who used a personal best elapsed time of 6.63 at a scorching 217 mph to create a two-day average of 6.89. Five cars carrying six-second averages marks this as the quickest drag and drive event of all-time, if the cars can remain in competition.

A special word as well for Mark Rymarz in the Street Machine Eliminator group - they have a 10.00 limit, he's averaging a 10.02.

***edits***

Latest report is 42 cars out so far.

Day 2 results here.