LETTER from the EDITOR
Enough is never enough .
When we sat down this time last year to develop a few new themed issues for 2016 , one of the ideas that had instant traction amongst our editorial team was the Technology Issue that you hold in your hands . Throughout the nearly 70-years organized drag racing has existed , we ’ ve seen new technologies rise to prominence and fade into obscurity , but always aiding racers in pushing the performance envelope to its greatest possible extent .
And to be honest , I ’ ve spent a good bit of time bemoaning some of the latestand-greatest gadgets and gizmos that I encounter at the drag strip because – at times – I ’ ve felt they detracted from the sport in some way , shape or form . I hate to admit from suffering from “ goodold-day-itis ”, but it ’ s safe to assume that a few of my memorable tirades about pulling Lenco levers and “ real race cars having clutch pedals ” may have me dead to rights . I may have my moments , but I ’ m a tech guy through-and-through . As the publishing industry has gone through enormous changes over the course of the last decade , we here at Drag Illustrated have fully-embraced every new technological marvel that has come our way , so it ’ s no surprise that drag racers have done the same .
Matter of fact , it ’ s hard to deny the sheer awesomeness that is hot rodding in 2016 . We can have an entirely separate conversation as to the escalating costs of competing in nitro racing , Pro Stock , Pro Mod , Drag Radial or bracket racing , but it would be hard to deny that making big , reliable horsepower and going fast is as attainable as it has ever been , and it ’ s due in large part to the men and women on the pages of this magazine and the many others who make up the automotive high-performance and racing industry . It doesn ’ t take me too long to come up with a long list of my favorite things about drag racing and , specifically , the unique brand of people that seem to operate within this particular segment of the population , but amongst the attributes drag racers have that I respect and admire most is their passion for improvement . I ’ ve met racers who – while massively competitive and expectant of success – measured their race program
Wesley R . Buck Editor-in-Chief not by wins and losses , but by consistent improvement . This is not a group of people who are interested in lateral movement ; these are people who would rather stumble and fall in an effort to continue upward than except a plateau .
Amongst the various conversations I ’ ve had with racers over the years , there ’ s a late night chat I had with Shannon “ Iceman ” Jenkins back in the late 2000s that I think about a lot – especially when things seem a little more difficult than usual , which is almost always when we ’ re trying something new here in an effort to improve , grow , expand . Amidst a bit of a trying time for Shannon and his longtime racing partner and teammate , Mike Castellana , where they ’ d fallen off from the performance expectations they ’ d established over the course of nearly a decade racing together . I can ’ t remember if they ’ d failed to qualify or if they ’ d just went out early , but I remember sitting on a golf cart with Shannon discussing the weekend ’ s happenings and him saying , “ Oh , they might be laughing now , but they won ’ t be for long . This is the price you pay for improvement . This is how you get better .”
I found it particularly interesting that rather than staying the course and accepting performance gains as they presented themselves , which they slowly would have , Jenkins and company were fully-prepared to make a world of sacrifices in the name of massive improvements , even though they wouldn ’ t happen overnight . It paid off for those guys , too . In 2011 , Castellana won four ADRL Pro Nitrous races , won the $ 75,000 world championship , went 16-3 in a part-time NHRA Pro Mod effort and was the class of nitrous racing .
Admittedly , I digress . My point is that it ’ s humbling to be in the company of people that so steadfastly refuse to settle , and that ’ s what this first-ever Technology Issue is all about . We hope to have highlighted a few of the people who embody the innovative spirit and limitless ingenuity shared by drag racers around the world . It is my sincere hope that you all know how much you inspire us , and how excited we are to be a small part of the next barrier you break , record you set , or technology you develop .
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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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS : Ainsley Jacobs , Bobby Bennett , Tommy D ’ Aprile , Lisa Collier , Gordon Columbine , Rob King
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8 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 114