Tom Bailey and engine builder and co-pilot Steve Morris both agree this is the most brutal HOT ROD Drag Week they've ever completed as Bailey secured his fifth Unlimited title with a 6.58 average in a rain-shortened week.
This week was supposed to be a 5-second affair, but it turned into a fight for street car survival for Bailey and Morris in Sick Seconds 2.0, a 1969 Camaro that is purpose-built for drag-and-drive events.
It looked promising when Bailey rifled off a 6.03 at 249 mph in the opening round at World Wide Technology Raceway. However, a post-run evaluation proved to be costly. The Steve Morris Racing SMX billet engine had pinched a piston ring.
The engine was healthy enough to make the drive to Indianapolis and he limped it into Indy Speed Shop for overnight repairs.
The shop is owned by Richie Crampton, former NHRA Top Fuel driver and master fabricator/car builder. Morris and his son, Steve Jr., worked on replacing the engine while Bailey and Crampton addressed a secondary issue: cracked turbo headers. A few cutters, welders, and good ol' ingenuity repaired the headers while the Morris family easily handled the piston swap. The team finished up around 6 a.m., enough time to get a shower at the hotel and head to Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park for Day Two.
This story is from the February 2023 edition of Hot Rod.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 2023 edition of Hot Rod.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Making Connections
Project T-top Coupe: We install a Terminator X Max for big power.
LET IT BREATHE!
Project X’s new ZZ632 big-block needed to breathe, and this do-ityourself stainless exhaust kit was just the ticket to make it happen.
TUNING OPTIMIZED
VARIABLES WITHIN FUEL-INJECTOR CONSTRUCTION CAN LEAD TO POOR ENGINE OPERATION. HERE'S HOW TO TUNE YOUR FUEL INJECTORS.
Re-Flange It!
We check out the fab skills needed to run a flat hood on a 1970 Mustang with a very unique and too-tall engine.
THE TRIBUTE FOR THE WIN
Ron Capps wins the NHRA U.S. Nationals driving a Don Prudhomme-Hot Wheels tribute Funny Car.
So Close
Following a nearly flawless performance, a pít lane penalty kept the C8.R off the top of the podium in the IMSA Sportscar Weekend.
A RADICAL SHIFT
When you're a teenager and the police know you by name, it's not usually because of your volunteer work or class-topping GPA. Not at all. That was especially true for Jeff Kainz when he was behind the wheel of his 1975 Camaro. In the '80s, while cruising his hometown in North Dakota, his buddies with police scanners often heard the police tell one another: \"Kainz is out on Main Street.\"
WILD MASH-UP
Built to long-haul the 2023 HOT ROD Power Tour, this 1984 Monte Carlo’s facade hides a performance secret!
6 TIMER!
Tom Bailey captures his 6th HOT ROD Drag Week Unlimited/Overall title with his Sick Seconds 1.0 Camaro.
JIM MCFARLAND'S INFLUENCE WENT WAY BEYOND HOT ROD MAGAZINE.
Jim McFarland, the multitalented, multifaceted Texan who enjoyed several careers in the automotive performance industry, passed away in October 2023 at the age of 88.
