LETTER from the EDITOR
I had a plan going into 2018 . Being that I ’ ve spent the better part of the last couple years preaching that we need to “ make drag racing great again ”, I wanted to go out on the road and check our progress . Not only did I want to get a firsthand look at the sport of drag racing ’ s health and wellbeing – and do so at a variety of events , venues and sanctions – I wanted to be sure and practice what we ’ re preaching and show support to as many different racers , promoters and track operators as possible .
From Donald Long ’ s drag radial extravaganza at South Georgia Motorsports Park ( Lights Out 9 ) and the premiere eighth-mile drag racing league ’ s season-opener ( PDRA East Coast Spring Nationals ) to the NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston , Texas , and Keith Berry ’ s Wooostock 2 at Darlington Dragway – and a few others in between – we ’ ve painted a wide swath . And it ’ s been fantastic to witness a ton of incredible racing , including a few record-setting passes and careerbest efforts , as well as many facilities completely packed out with racers and fans .
While I have to admit that it ’ s been a bit of an ordeal to be traveling eight weeks in a row , it ’ s provided me what I believe to have been an incredible opportunity to gain insight as to what ’ s working and what isn ’ t in the sport of drag racing . I ’ ll admit that we ’ ve had a lot of proud moments here over the last 12 years , but I don ’ t think that , personally , I ’ ve ever been as proud as I am in this moment – knowing that we ’ ve put our money where our collective mouth is and been out doing our best to shine a light on drag racers from all walks of life .
What I was planning on accomplishing early in 2018 was a very public demonstration of our passion , enthusiasm and commitment to the sport of drag racing and its future . I wanted ( and still want ) the racing community to understand how deeply we love this sport , and that we ’ re willing to go to great lengths , spend the money and travel the many miles to make sure racers , events and sponsors get the publicity and fanfare they deserve . I hope we achieved that , and I believe that we did – and will continue to do so .
What I wasn ’ t planning on , however , was the massive , impactful , almost unbelievably strong reminder that I ’ d receive . Perpetually advertised as the ultimate sensory experience and an otherworldly thrill show , the human element of drag racing is largely underplayed . There was a time when it was every bit as much about the stars as it was the cars ( think “ the Snake ” and “ the Mongoose ”), and we certainly have focused our efforts here at DRAG ILLUSTRATED on highlighting the people and personalities that make this sport great ,
but “ the people ” really are what make this sport what it is .
Trust me when I say that I love big smoky burnouts , the sweet song of an engine at wide-open-throttle , the smell of race fuel and burning rubber , and side-by-side competition as much or more than anyone on the planet . But what I really love about drag racing is the people that do it . Of course , there ’ s always an exception to the rule , but it seems as if the entire drag racing community is comprised of salt-of-the-earth folk . People you ’ d trust your life with , your wallet with , your kids with , and I ’ m especially proud to be associated with . Again , there are outliers , but with every trip I ’ ve made so far this year this notion has been reinforced .
And going back to the cornucopia of drag racing events that I ’ ve taken in thus far – ranging from sold-out NHRA national events to near-private $ 100,000-to-win , winner-take-all shootouts – the “ good people ” theme transcends them all . Personally , I ’ ve always tried to avoid broaching super-sensitive topics on the pages of this magazine , but I think we can all agree that racial and religious tension is palpable in 2018 . Like I said , I ’ ve seen a lot of amazing on-track performances already this year – Mark Micke ’ s 3.62-second , 221mph pass in Valdosta , Jay Cox ’ s 3.64 in PDRA Pro Nitrous , Jose Gonzalez ’ s 5.69-second lap in Houston , amongst many others – but those aren ’ t what stick out in my mind at the moment .
What I remember most ? Being at Darlington Dragway , a spiky-haired white guy amongst thousands of African American race fans and being treated like family by literally everyone I came in contact with . Being in Houston , Texas , and finding myself in a crowd of twenty-somethings doublefisting beers , hollering and having a big ol ’ time that went completely silent and bowed their heads when the Racers for Christ chaplain started the pre-race invocation . Hearing the national anthem begin while hosting a live video broadcast in Valdosta , Georgia , standing and turning away from the camera toward the flag only to see a sea of people – black , white , brown and everything in between – do the exact same thing . Anticipating the look of disappointment and devastation across the faces of a half-dozen crew members after a tough final round loss in drag racing ’ s premiere eliminator , only to see them all wince – briefly – but immediately shrug their shoulders , smile and high-five each other for what still amounted to a very successful weekend at the drag strip .
Innovative and courageous ? Absolutely . Passionate and competitive ? No question . But how would I describe my extended drag racing family ? Genuinely good .
Wes Buck Founder & Editorial Director 660.988.2313 wes @ dragillustrated . com
Scott Dorman Publisher 615.478.5275 scott @ dragillustrated . com
Mike Carpenter Design & Production Director 704.737.2299 mike @ dragillustrated . com
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Copyright © 2018 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 .
Wesley R . Buck Editor-in-Chief
I invite you to email me at wes @ dragillustrated . com and follow me at facebook . com / wbuck and wesbuckinc on Instagram .
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 132