Sick Michigan Miles Presented By Driven Racing Oil is almost here.
From August 17-23, approximately 250 of the quickest and fastest real street cars in the country will take on a seven-day test of speed, reliability, and endurance across Michigan. Competitors will race at four different drag strips, drive public roads between each stop, and experience some of the state’s most recognizable scenery along the way.
Everything kicks off at the Mid-Michigan Motorplex withtesting and tech inspection. Competition officially starts Tuesday before the field heads across the state for race days at Northern Michigan Dragway, Ubly Dragway, Lapeer International Dragway, and finally back to Mid-Michigan Motorplex for the finale.
Michigan Becomes Part Of The Challenge
Sick Michigan Miles is designed to be more than a drag-and-drive event.
Dedicated road days will take competitors through some of Michigan’s most scenic and recognizable areas, including the Mackinac Bridge and coastal routes. Friday night also brings a unique change of pace when the event takes over downtown Lake Orion.
The streets surrounding Sick Town Hall will close for a gathering of racers and fans, giving the public a chance to see the cars outside the dragstrip environment. That mix of competition, cruising, and community stops is a big part of what separates Sick Michigan Miles from a conventional race.
Aydan Bailey Returns To Defend The Title
One of the biggest stories heading into this year’s event is the return of defending champion Aydan Bailey.
Bailey dominated the inaugural Sick Michigan Miles in his 1957 Chevy wagon, averaging a 5.242-second elapsed time across the event and posting a best run of 5.215.
This time, however, the car will return with a significantly different combination. Bailey has installed a new LSX-based engine package with the goal of pushing the wagon into the seven-second zone on quarter-mile tracks while targeting high-four-second elapsed times on eighth-mile surfaces.
“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.”
Bailey’s wagon was already proven to be a strong drag-and-drive platform, but the new engine package brings a fresh learning curve.
“This year we have a new engine package that is targeting sevens on the quarter-mile and should hopefully get us into the high fours on the eighth-mile tracks of Sick Michigan Miles,” he said.
The long-wheelbase wagon gives Bailey an advantage when track surfaces vary from stop to stop, but getting the new combination dialed in will be one of the biggest challenges of the week.
“This wagon has a great setup for varying track surfaces. It’s got a long wheelbase that really helps,” Bailey explained. “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.”
Sick Ward Participants Add To The Experience
The competitors won’t be the only ones making the journey.
Participants in the Summit Racing Equipment Sick Ward Presented By PEAK Performance will also join the event throughout the week, adding another layer to the road-trip atmosphere and giving spectators even more cars to see between stops.
The result should be a moving showcase of serious street machinery stretching across Michigan.
Sick Michigan Miles 2026 Schedule
Monday, August 17 — Mid-Michigan Motorplex
Testing & Tech
Testing: 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Tuesday, August 18 — Mid-Michigan Motorplex
Race Day 1
Racing: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Wednesday, August 19 — Northern Michigan Dragway
Race Day 2
Racing: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Thursday, August 20 — Drive Day
Friday, August 21 — Ubly Dragway
Race Day 3
Racing: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Saturday, August 22 — Lapeer International Dragway
Race Day 4
Racing: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Sunday, August 23 — Mid-Michigan Motorplex
Race Day 5
Racing: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Sick Michigan Miles is shaping up to be one of the most demanding street car events of the summer.
You might also like
HOT ROD Power Fest Returns To EchoPark Speedway
HOT ROD Power Fest is back. EchoPark Speedway will be packed with hot rods, race cars, plus there will be a massive cruise.
