Drag Illustrated Issue 130, March 2018 | Page 44

“I never had this kind of opportunity. I learned on the race tracks and in the boardrooms. I got an education at truck stops across the country.” - JOHN FORCE MOVERS & SHAKERS Bucking the Trend Washington-based Pro Mod driver Yvonne Lucas embraces the hood scoop atop the nitrous-assisted Buck 848 ci motor that powers her ‘68 Camaro to 6-second, 230-mph passes across the West, battling a sea of turbocharged and supercharged entries. SUIT UP Fan-favorite Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Angie Smith throws on her Denso-branded Vanson leather jacket in prepa- ration for a 6.8-second ride down the zMAX Dragway quarter mile. 44 | D r a g I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com ICON STATUS Billy Meyer (left) used to call John Force a competitor as the two young guns were cutting their teeth in Funny Car in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Decades later, Meyer is the founder and owner of Texas Motorplex and Force is a 20-time championship team owner and Funny Car driver. WITH BELLS ON The always-smiling Jim Bell accompanies his Carl Stevens Jr.-driven ‘69 Camaro in the staging lanes prior to a qualifying pass in Precision Turbo Pro Mod at SCSN XIII. Issue 130