Drag Illustrated Issue 140, January 2019

FOUNDER’S LETTER grow its fan base and move fur- ther into the mainstream, we’re going to have to put a few folks out front that have stories that young people can relate to. For what it’s worth, I believe J.R. Todd can be that guy. I believe he already is. We just don’t have enough people acting that way – not enough of the right people. Part of what drag racing has lost is its coolness. For those of us that are already here – the lifers and hardcores – drag racing can’t get any cooler. It’s so awesome that it’s painful. Right? Of course. But to the outside world the most visible part of our sport is largely a group of super-rich guys (and gals) racing against each other for fun in cars that are unattainable to all but a micro-percentage of the planet. I know, I know…the John Force Rac- ings and the Don Schumacher Racings and Kallita Motorsports of the world aren’t racing for fun – it’s serious business, I know – but can we all agree that it’s hard to engage the masses in this ongoing saga when there’s not significant prize money and prestige in play, right? I’m not trying to play down winning an NHRA world championship, I’m just saying that it’s hard for the outside world to feel like the stakes are high when, well, they aren’t. Most these guys are going to continue racing for as long as they want to do it and can afford or financially justify it. Winning and losing isn’t the ultimate deciding factor and, honestly, I don’t think it ever should be – but it should make a difference. But I digress. My point today is simply that the pipes are primed. J.R. Todd is a bearded bad ass race car driver. He’s African American. He’s as marketable as the day is long and, I believe, he’s more than willing. Is it automatic? Stand him out front of every racetrack in the world and watch people pile in? No, absolutely not. It’s going to take work. It’s going to take planning. There’s a tremendous ef- fort to build someone into a star, and there’s also no guarantee that it will work. But, again, I believe Lawrenceburg, Indiana’s favorite son has all the necessary pieces of the puzzle. Somehow, someway…drag racing is the hottest product on television for industry giants like Dis- covery Channel. Can you believe that? Their hottest pieces of content center on what an entire world of people have been treating as a second-class motors- port for the last several decades. They’re pre-selling entire seasons of drag racing-focused content, and we’re all but giving away sponsorships to national event-level drag races. Call me crazy, but I think we’re doing something wrong. What does Street Outlaws have that we don’t? Relatable stars. What does Street Outlaws do that we don’t? Tell their stories. Less racing. More stories. The drag racing gods have given us a star in J.R. Todd. Are we going to let him shine? Wesley R. Buck Founder & Editorial Director 8 | Drag I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com I invite you to email me at wes@dragillustrated.com and follow me at facebook.com/wbuck and wesbuckinc on Instagram. 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 Nate Van Wagnen Editor-in-Chief 440.986.1480 nate@dragillustrated.com Nancy Koeppen Chief Operating Officer 573.552.5551 nancy@dragillustrated.com Will Mandell Senior Sales Executive 615.426.0465 will@dragillustrated.com JT Hudson Sales Executive 660.341.0063 jt@dragillustrated.com Van Abernethy Senior Staff Writer & Field Subscription Sales 828.302.0356 van@dragillustrated.com Josh Hachat Editor-at-Large 660.988.2313 josh@dragillustrated.com Caroline Fox Customer Service / Office Manager 660.988.2313 caroline@dragillustrated.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Ian Tocher, Ainsley Jacobs, Kelly Wade, Tyler Crossnoe, Bobby Bennett, Lisa Collier, Brandon W. Mudd, Tommy D’Aprile, Will Hanna, Sadie Glenn PHOTO DEPARTMENT: John Fore III, 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 ADVERTISING SALES: 615.478.5275 SUBSCRIPTIONS & CUSTOMER SERVICE: 660.988.2313 customerservice@dragillustrated.com DRAG ILLUSTRATED MEDIA, LLC 902 Kings Road, Kirksville, MO 63501 P: 660.988.2313 F: 660.665.1636 www.dragillustrated.com Copyright © 2019 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. Issue 140 T ypically there’s a huge debate around the Drag Illustrated of- fices this time of year as to which of the many champions drag racing produces every season will find themselves on the cover of this magazine. Being that we aren’t bound by an allegiance to any single sanctioning body, man- ufacturer or style of drag racing, there’s a lot to choose from. Not only are there a large number of champions crowned this time of year – ranging from local track champions to touring series to the professional ranks – there are an overwhelm- ing amount of them that have truly great stories. Sometimes the best stories aren’t produced on the biggest stages under the brightest lights, and we know that – which is why we’ve long since sought out the unsung heroes, racers who scored gold far away corporate-sponsored events. This year, however, drag racing’s highest levels made our decision for us in the blockbuster affair that has been J.R. Todd’s championship run. Fol- lowing a dominating performance in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs, Todd locked up his first-ever Funny Car world title at the season-ending NHRA Finals in Pomona, Cali- fornia. Midway through his 30s, well-spoken but outspoken, clean-cut and photogenic, J.R. Todd, in my opinion, could be the champion our sport needs to carry us into the future. While certainly no teeny-bopper, Todd still speaks and behaves in a youthful, energetic manner – he’s active on social media, he dresses the part and is a huge step to- wards the aspirational character drag racing needs to grow its fan base. Todd is also a product of drag racing’s farm sys- tem; he’s proof that you can start out in a Jr. Drag- ster, move into bracket racing, pay your dues in high-level doorslammer and sportsman racing and, with a little bit of luck and a never-say-die attitude, find yourself in a black-and-yellow leather jacket on stage with the president of the NHRA receiving a trophy and check for winning a world champion- ship in a professional category. What’s more is that Todd achieved the aforementioned without simply paying for the opportunity. He’s not a product of that system – the one where you pay to play in a competitive hot rod and, if capable of performing, may end up in the winner’s circle. He’s done it the hard way, the way an entire universe of people are facing and, perhaps most importantly, can relate to. Let’s be honest – that’s a big problem at the top of drag racing. Most – not all – of drag racing’s top professional drivers don’t necessarily have relatable stories – they’re either part of a drag racing family dynasty, attached to a corporate sponsor or elite- level wealthy. Those are three things that, for the most part, you either have at birth or you don’t. If drag racing is going to attract a younger audience,

Drag Illustrated Issue 140, January 2019 | Page 8