Like a fighter beginning his workouts in preparation for a heavily-anticipated bout at The Garden, the challengers for this year’s Drag Week crown are springing to life as the week-long battle that lies ahead draws ever closer. New cars are receiving the finishing touches, drivetrains are being inspected with a fine-toothed comb, dyno rollers are getting a daily workout, and many others are out turning tires on the race track getting things dialed in well in advance of their departure for Oklahoma.

Tom Bailey, the newest star in the ring who stole the show at Drag Week a year ago with his Sick Seconds Camaro, taking the overall victory and the average elapsed time record by a wide margin, has been dusting the cobwebs off his all-conquering machine over the last few weeks, making a few changes to improve his performance and reliability and getting the combination squared away before hitting the track. 

Bailey and his engine builder and tuner Steve Morris added Turbosmart waste gates (with travel position sensors) and blowoff valves to the car, along with a Holley coil-near-plug ignition system and an all-new billet intake manifold and valve covers developed and machined by Morris. Additionally, they’ve upgraded to some Moran fuel injectors, all of which will play a role in helping to run the car at an additional pound of boost in competition versus a year ago. 

Aside from those changes, Bailey and Morris have left Sick Seconds virtually untouched from the time it took its victory bow at Drag Week last year, as the engine hasn’t been touched internally at all with an estimated 1,500 miles of track and street driving on it to date. In fact, the valves haven’t even been lashed.

On 27 pounds of boost — a level it was never run at during Drag Week last year — Bailey’s beast made just over 2,500 horsepower, with an estimated handy or so left in it, according to Morris.