Drag Illustrated Issue 131, April 2018 | Page 6

DI131 FEATURES 78 SPECIAL SECTION: Lights Out 9 “All the Track Will Hold” 78 For nearly one week in mid- February, the country’s best small-tire racers converge on South Georgia Motorsports Park in rural Valdosta, Georgia, for Lights Out 9: No Escape. This year’s running of “the baddest small-tire race in the world” lived up to expectations with incredible racing and an atmosphere that is unmatched in drag racing. By Nate Van Wagnen & Josh Hachat 108 Fueling the Future FuelTech founder Anderson Dick began developing high performance engine management systems while he was a college student in his native Brazil. Some 15 years later, FuelTech’s innovative products are disrupting the industry in a big way. By Ainsley Jacobs The Professional Drag Racers Associa- tion kicks off its fifth season with the East Coast Spring Nationals, April 5-7, at GALOT Motorsports Park, the first stop on the eight-race, “Million-Dollar Series” tour that will visit new markets and tried-and-true tracks. By Nate Van Wagnen 108 22 DEPARTMENTS D I RT 22 5.379 Seconds EKanoo Racing made international doorslammer racing history recently when they recorded the first-ever 5.3-second doorslammer pass with their Lexus RC-F. By Tyler Crossnoe Q &A 42 Tommy Kundrik Mickey Thompson Tire’s near-domination in the drag radial market has been led in large part by Tommy Kundrik, who talks about the evolution of the drag radial and the sport of small-tire racing in general. By Wes Buck CO LU M N 54 Tuned Up As blown alcohol tuning special- ist Will Hanna explains, a team’s starting line strategy plays a large part in whether they’ll make it to the finish line first. ON THE COVER Lights Out 9’s Limited Drag Radial event winner and 2017 LDR season champion Shane Stack as photographed by Rick Belden at South Georgia Motorsports Park in Valdosta, Georgia. 6 | Drag I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com Issue 131 RACING 114 PDRA Season Preview