Fan-favorite Gasser racer Mike Finnegan will be shooting for victory alongside 70 more street-legal Gassers at Edelbrock Sick Smokies, dragging and driving across Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia from October 12 to 19, 2025.
Finnegan, who became one of the most famous gearheads in the nation thanks to his role in the popular Roadkill TV show, said he was heavily influenced by the movie Two Lane Blacktop when he purchased his ’55 Chevy. The 1971 film depicts two men racing a matte-black ’55 Chevy around the country, driving it along Route 66 and through the Appalachians along the way.
“I thought Dennis Wilson and James Taylor were just the coolest mother-f’ers on the planet and I wanted my street car to look like that,” he said. “I was working for Hot Rod Magazine at the time and covering Drag Week as a pit reporter. That’s where I got sucked into racing, and it was pure coincidence that my car loosely fit the Gasser rules.”
Finnegan’s ride, known as Blasphemi, worked its way into the hearts of race fans across the world, especially once he added an 8-71 supercharger to the party.
“The car was naturally aspirated at first, but then we had the opportunity to race a Hellcat for an episode of Roadkill. I knew I was going to get my ass kicked so I put the blower on the Hemi, even though it wasn’t built for it.”
These days Blasphemi is an eight-second, 150mph monster, with questionable manners on track — but that’s all part of the appeal for Finnegan. “I love that Gassers are not easy to drive, especially with a stick shift,” he said.
Despite living close to the roads Edelbrock Sick Smokies will use, Georgia-local Finnegan said he has never taken Blasphemi on those twists and turns.
“I’m really curious to see what happens to all of these cars,” he said. “I’ve heard through the grapevine that some of these guys coming are wicked fast. Now we just have to get them through the mountains and that won’t be easy.”
Edelbrock Sick Smokies will be hitting Rocket City Dragway (Huntsville, AL), Music City Raceway (Goodlettsville, TN), Fitzgerald Motorsports Park (Crossville, TN), Knoxville Raceway (Maynardsville, TN) and Brainerd Motorsports Park (Ringgold, GA), with the 70+ Gassers to be joined by 200 more of America’s toughest street cars in a street car drag racing event not to be missed.
Spectator tickets and event information are now available at www.sickthemagazine.com/sick-smokies.
This story was originally published on September 10, 2025. 
