LETTER from the EDITOR
This fall marks eleven years since we started Drag Illustrated . Holy cow . When you write it out like that , honestly , it ’ s almost impossible to believe . Well , I say that , but on nights like this , when it ’ s 3:15 in the morning and my eyes are burning from staring at this damned blinking cursor , it makes perfect sense .
In the days leading up to getting this gig going , which I have almost painstakingly vivid memories of , my do-ordie mission was to shine a light on the awesome people I had met at the drag strip throughout the course of my life . I ’ d spent my entire life to that point around cars and the drag strip and my takeaway – almost always – was that these people don ’ t get the credit they deserve . Such is the reason that we created this annual Crew Chief Special Issue ( CCSI ). It ’ s no secret that we ’ ve been committed to telling the innumerable inspiring and relatable stories the drag racing world has produced and continues to churn out , but there ’ s more to the equation than a talented driver or experienced crew chief . Drag racing is a sport that , on almost every level , requires the effort and understanding of many . They say it takes a tribe to raise a child . Boy , I think the same could be said for a race car .
When I start to think about the many people that deserve to see their name in lights on the pages of our annual CCSI for busting their humps to go drag racing , I can ’ t help but think about these people to the right . These names you see listed over there ? They ’ ve been the equivalent of a super team for me , many of which who ’ ve fought the good fight right along side me since the very beginning . It ’ s no sort of revelation , but if there ’ s anything that I can offer to you – and I ’ m not officially turning this into a self-help column despite my seemingly continual efforts to do so – it ’ s that there ’ s been few things , if any , more important to the growth and success of Drag Illustrated than the people involved . It ’ s funny . Some of the darkest and most challenging days have also been some of the most fun , exciting and rewarding – precisely because of the ride-or-die people that have been involved .
From Mike Janis and Mike Janis Jr . to Alan Johnson and Richard Hogan , to just about any business book or blog you can find , the concept is clear – the better the people you surround yourself with , the greater your chance of success . Despite the drag strip being a mecca of good-hearted , passionate , hard-working people , it ’ s safe to say that the age-old adage is true – good help is hard to find . That ’ s why it ’ s oh-so-important to encourage , reward , support and motivate the good people you have .
As I ’ ve labored over in the past , amongst drag racing ’ s biggest problems – at least in terms of
Wesley R . Buck Editor-in-Chief
mainstream popularity – is that it looks too easy . I ’ d be hard-pressed to count the number of times I ’ ve head something along the lines of , “ don ’ t you just hit the gas and drive in a straight line ?” when I ’ ve made mention of my working in the drag racing industry . To the untrained eye , drag racers today do , for the most part , make it look pretty easy . Even at your local Saturday night drag strip you ’ ll find a couple dozen dudes that can go “ double-oh ” on the ‘ Tree and run dead-on their dial-in – let alone on the national event scene .
The thing is – and we all know this – it ’ s not easy . Drag racing , at times , can seem impossibly difficult . It ’ s made manageable , though , by the quality of the men and women involved in the operation , regardless of whether it ’ s a squad of gung-ho friends or well-paid professionals .
If you ’ re interested in growing your business , improving your car ’ s performance or contending for a championship in 2017 , please , double-down on the good people involved in your program . Don ’ t be afraid to trim the fat , either , and eliminate those that aren ’ t a part of the solution to whatever problem you ’ re facing . Let ’ s face it – there ’ s no tuner or crew chief or gadget that will save you , your next run , or your season if the guy putting air in the tires reads the gauge wrong or your buddy putting the plug wires back on gets a little crossed up while hurrying . Drag racing is all about the details , and the people responsible for them .
I invite you to email me at wes @ dragillustrated . com and follow me at facebook . com / wbuck and wesbuckinc on Instagram .
Wesley R . Buck Editor-in-Chief wes @ dragillustrated . com
Scott Dorman Publisher 615.478.5275 scott @ dragillustrated . com
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Mike Carpenter Design & Production Director 704.737.2299 mike @ dragillustrated . com
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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS : Ainsley Jacobs , Bobby Bennett , Tommy D ’ Aprile , Lisa Collier , Gordon Columbine , Rob King
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10 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 113