DI111
“ All the Track Will Hold”
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And the Thunderbird Rolls
Butch Dresback couldn’ t bear the thought of selling his daughter’ s dailydriven Ford Thunderbird, so he did what any loving parent would do and turned it into a race car. By Van Abernethy
Coming Out Party
Will Melissa Surber become the next Angelle Sampey? Well, there is absolutely no denying the potential of this motorcycle ridin’ girl-next-door. By Anthony Michaels
What’ s Next for Drag Radial?
From show-filler to headlining attraction, drag radial racing has seen one of the most unique and significant rises to prominence in the history of drag racing, but what goes up most come down, right? Only time will tell where this D. O. T.-approved category will ultimately end up. By Ainsley Jacobs
Still Going Strong
There’ s nothing left for Rickie Smith to prove, but that’ s not going to keep him from giving his everything to winning another world championship in 2016 and proving – without a shadow of a doubt – that he’ s the best to ever do it. Fast doorslammer racing has seen a lot of talented individuals over the course of the last three decades, but few can hold a candle to“ Tricky”. By Wes Buck
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DIRT
Exclusive:‘ Big Chief’ Speaks
Somehow, someway, a street racer from Oklahoma City has become the automotive high performance industry’ s biggest celebrity, and his opinion matters. In a candid conversation, Justin“ Big Chief” Shearer explains the status of his relationship with the National Hot Rod Association after a much-publicized scuffle last year that resulted in the revocation of his competition license. By Wes Buck
CLOSE-UP
No Zoomies
Jeff Pierce spills the beans on why he and his dad’ s Pro Nitrous’ 68 Camaro will never, ever, ever have zoomies. By Wes Buck
ON THE COVER Illustration by Joshua Dixon of NHRA president Peter Clifford, DuckX Productions’ Donald“ Duck” Long, PDRA founder Jason Scruggs, Street Outlaws star Justin“ Big Chief” Shearer and ADRL founder and president Kenny Nowling.
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PHOTOS: RICK BELDEN, VAN ABERNETHY, WES BUCK
6 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated. com Issue 111