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