Drag Illustrated Issue 130, March 2018 | Page 82

TheHOTTEST2018 NEXT-LEVEL NEXT GENERATION Megan Meyer, Rachel Meyer & Julie Nataas 82 | D r a g I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com Julie Nataas have to tell her what to do.” Nataas immediately showed signs of promise when she qualified No. 1 in her NHRA Top Al- cohol Dragster debut at an NHRA regional race in Noble, Oklahoma, last season. Two races later at the NHRA Finals in Pomona, California, she Issue 130 A s the daughter of revered A/Fuel guru Randy Meyer, Me- gan Meyer had everything she needed to succeed when she embarked on her NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster rookie season in 2016. Under the guidance of her father, himself a talented driver, Megan scored two national event wins and four regional race victories over the last two seasons, winning the 2017 Central Region championship in the process. This season, while chasing the Lucas Oil Series national championship, Meyer will coa ch her sister, Rachel, and third-generation driver Julie Nataas as the two build on their brief A/Fuel driving experiences. On paper, the Meyer sisters and Nataas are ide- al teammates. They’re all in their early twenties – Megan is 24, Rachel is 22 and Julie is 21 – and they all grew up at the racetrack, at first watching their fathers race, then stepping into the driver’s seat themselves through Jr. Dragster and Super Comp. The girls’ shared experiences helped them become not only talented drivers, but also strong, supportive teammates with a close bond. “When I first met Julie, we immediately con- nected,” Megan says. “You can just tell that she has the dedication to be here, but to also learn about the cars and learn how everything operates. That’s the same passion that my sister and I have, so we kicked it off right from the beginning. She was on the starting line for every run that we made. She knew what to listen for and what to watch whenever we made a run. We didn’t even