For seven days, some of America’s quickest street cars will face a test that cannot be settled with one trip down the drag strip.
Sick Michigan Miles Presented By Driven Racing Oil begins Monday and runs through Aug. 23, sending approximately 250 cars across Michigan for five days of racing mixed with hundreds of miles of street driving. Four drag strips are on the itinerary, along with a route that will make the cars prove they belong on the highway as much as the starting line.
The event opens Monday with testing and tech at Mid-Michigan Motorplex before competition begins there Tuesday. From there, racers head to Northern Michigan Dragway, Ubly Dragway and Lapeer International Dragway before returning to Mid-Michigan Motorplex for Sunday’s finale.
The format rewards consistency over the entire trip. Competitors submit one run from each race day, with the quickest average elapsed time determining the overall winner.
Getting from one track to another is part of the competition.
Thursday is reserved as a drive day, and the Michigan route includes the Mackinac Bridge and portions of the state’s coastline. Friday night brings the event into downtown Lake Orion, where streets surrounding Sick Town Hall will be closed for a gathering of racers and fans.
Aydan Bailey returns as the defending overall winner after controlling last year’s inaugural event in his 1957 Chevy wagon. Bailey averaged 5.242 seconds for the week and recorded a best run of 5.215.
He will not return with the same combination.
Bailey’s wagon now carries a new LSX-based engine package aimed at producing seven-second quarter-mile runs and high-four-second performances on the eighth-mile tracks.
“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 gives Bailey another challenge because Michigan Miles offers little time for racers to sort out problems. A car must perform at the track, survive the highway trip and be ready to do it again the next day.
“This wagon has a great setup for varying track surfaces. It’s got a long wheelbase that really helps,” Bailey said. “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.”
Participants in the Summit Racing Equipment Sick Ward Presented By PEAK Performance will also travel with the event, putting additional cars on the road throughout the week.
For the 250 competitors chasing Sick Michigan Miles, however, the formula remains simple. Five race days will produce the numbers, but Michigan’s highways will decide who gets the opportunity to turn them in.
SICK MICHIGAN MILES SCHEDULE
Monday, Aug. 17: Mid-Michigan Motorplex, testing and tech
Tuesday, Aug. 18: Mid-Michigan Motorplex, Race Day 1
Wednesday, Aug. 19: Northern Michigan Dragway, Race Day 2
Thursday, Aug. 20: Drive Day
Friday, Aug. 21: Ubly Dragway, Race Day 3
Saturday, Aug. 22: Lapeer International Dragway, Race Day 4
Sunday, Aug. 23: Mid-Michigan Motorplex, Race Day 5
