Day four of Sick Summer Presented by TBM Brakes brought high-octane excitement and intense competition to Tri-State Raceway in Earlville, Iowa. With over 200 rides revving up for the challenge, the stage was set for a thrilling day of drag racing. However, the racers soon realized that the tricky traction and narrow groove of the track would shake things up in unexpected ways.
The word of the day at Tri-State was traction, and it proved to be a formidable adversary for some of the quickest cars on the strip. The challenging surface caused class leads to change hands, consistent rides to struggle, and even made some machines cry ‘enough!’
In the Unlimited Iron class, Bryant Goldstone, in his ’73 AMC Javelin, clocked the quickest time of the day with a 7.40-second pass at just 166 mph on his second run. Holding on to the lead, he left number two runner Pat Myker in the dust as Myker’s ProCharger-fed ’67 Chevelle managed an 8.37-second lap to solidify second place.
Ed Ensor, the leader of the Naturally-Aspirated class, continued his record pace with the second-quickest time of the day. He piloted his ’85 Mustang down Tri-State in a remarkable 7.70 seconds at 160 mph, further cementing his position at the top.
Andy Cook and his 2005 Pontiac GTO in the Rowdy Radial class proved to be one of the most consistent cars of the week. Following a pair of 5.23-time slips earlier in the week, Cook pushed his limits with a 5.24 at 139 mph on day four, securing a commanding lead heading into the final day.
While some competitors struggled with traction, others faced a slowdown in performance. Josh Davis and Devin Vanderhoof, who had earlier set the pace with 6-second passes, posted an 8.31 at just 131 mph in their drop-top Mustang. Despite the slowdown, they managed to maintain their lead in the Unlimited class, with Steve Morris in second and Timothy Blythe’s Triumph in third.
In the Pro Street class, both John Faraone and Evan Uerkwitz needed a second lap to find the 8-second zone. Faraone’s 8.40 held strong and remained at the top, with Uerkwitz trailing closely behind with an 8.79.
Corey Thompson showcased impressive skills and held onto the lead in the Super Street class. Thompson maneuvered his ’67 Chevelle to an 8.30 at 174 mph, even executing a spectacular tail-wagging save at the eighth-mile mark when the car broke traction.
In the Modified class, Clark Rosenstengel faltered from his earlier 7.6-second performance, allowing Michael Manuel’s 8.02 pass to snatch the class lead. Rosenstengel settled for an 8.39 at 190 mph.
Stick Shift class also witnessed a leader change as Jeremy Howell in the ‘FlatFox’ Mustang roared ahead with a third quickest pass of the day at 8.01. Howell’s impressive run moved Bryan Crane to the second spot, despite Crane’s best-of-the-week 8.60 pass.
The competition was fierce in the Sick Street Race class, with Tim Flanders closing the gap between the top two contenders. Flanders used a perfect 8.500 pass to move him into the lead by a mere two-thousandths of a second over Alley’s 8.53 pass, resulting in an incredibly tight race.
After wrapping up their intense battles at Tri-State, racers embarked on a three-stop day on the road. They first enjoyed the scenic Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area before making a pit stop at Hot Rods By Havlik in Cedar Rapids, where they were treated to refreshing, free soft drinks. The day concluded with the End of the Road Party at Motion Raceworks, where competitors shared stories from the week, fully aware that only one day remained.
Now, the final day of Sick Summer awaits as the competitors return to Cordova Dragway in Illinois. The adrenaline-pumping racing action is set to begin at 11 am and continue until 5 pm.
