LETTER from the EDITOR
A lot has changed in drag racing since its beginnings on the dry lake beds of California , but one thing has not - the passion and enthusiasm of those fresh on the scene . New racers , new fabricators , new crew members and new industry members typically have one thing in common - a youthful , burning desire to make an impact , spark a change , to challenge the status quo . For three years now , the Drag Illustrated 30 Under 30 has served as a way for us to highlight the best , brightest and most promising of drag racing ’ s fresh faces , and reward their handwork and dedication on the pages of this magazine .
I ’ ll admit that I was excited about the concept immediately , knowing full-well that this was something that people would positively respond to when we rolled it out in 2015 , but our true motivation was the belief that shining the brightest possible light on these young guys and gals was something that needed to happen . Sure , we ’ ve come to enjoy creating lists and collections like this ( oh , the controversy !), but the primary function of our annual compilation of 30 people under the age of 30 that we feel are making their mark on our beloved sport is to reward and encourage their effort and participation . In a world of pre-teen traveling sports , video games and virtual reality - it ’ s pretty important to make sure the kids ( young men and women ) that dedicate their free time or full-time to drag racing know it doesn ’ t go unnoticed , especially when they excel .
Selecting these up-and-coming champions and
Wesley R . Buck Editor-in-Chief influencers is a year-round ordeal , but really heats up in late summer when we lean on our online community for direction . Now in our third year , we ’ ve combed through over 20,000 individual nominations in total , seven thousand this year alone , en route to identifying 30 young men and women that we believe will carry drag racing into the future . It ’ s not all about popularity , though . Our North Star has and always will be the thoughts and opinions of our world-class team of writers and photographers , as well as the collective wisdom of a small panel of A-list judges . And to be clear , being selected to this exclusive group isn ’ t just about win-loss ratio , national championships or patents pending - it ’ s about being a great ambassador for the sport of drag racing .
Our class of 2017 , represents an incredible mix of talent from all walks of the drag racing life and serves as a fantastic example of our overall mission here at Drag Illustrated . From the start , our stated goal has been to grow and build the sport of drag racing by celebrating the men and women who drive the cars , build the engines , perform the maintenance and ultimately make staggering elapsed times , record-breaking speeds and side-by-side competition on the drag strip possible . Secondary to that , however , has been to do so in a fashion that was all-inclusive - treating a championshipcontending NHRA Funny Car pilot with the same reverence as an Outlaw Drag Radial racer or Super Gas standout . The 2017 Drag Illustrated 30 Under 30 , in my humble opinion , hits the mark on both , and I hope you agree .
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
Ian Tocher Senior Editor 404.375.4895 ian @ dragillustrated . com
Nate Van Wagnen Managing Editor 440.986.1480 nate @ dragillustrated . com
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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS : Bobby Bennett , Lisa Collier , Tommy D ’ Aprile , Josh Hachat , Ainsley Jacobs , Brandon W . Mudd
PHOTO DEPARTMENT : John Fore III ( Senior Photographer ), Van Abernethy , Rick Belden , Tara Bowker , Jason Dunn , Paul Grant , Chris Graves , Ron Lewis , Joe McHugh , Gary Nastase , Mark J . Rebilas , Roger Richards , Cole Rokosky , Chris Sears , Jason Sharp , James Sisk , Ian Tocher
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Copyright © 2017 by Drag Illustrated Media , LLC . All rights reserved . Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited . Drag Illustrated is a registered trademark of Drag Illustrated Media , LLC . Printed and mailed by Publication Printers in Denver , CO .
All statements , including product claims , are those of the person or organization making the statement or claim . The publisher does not adopt any such statement or claims as its own , and any such statement or claim does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher .
8 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 127