“Everybody stepped up their game in (X275). If you’re slouching, if you’re not testing
stuff and working on your combo, you’re going to get driven around.” - RICH BRUDER
MOVERS & SHAKERS
‘SWEET 16’ SUPERSTARS Radial vs. the World
THE CAMFATHER Iconic hot rodding figure
Ed “Isky” Iskenderian gives a thumbs-up in
the pits at Bakersfield. The Isky Racing Cams
founder remains active in the sport at the age
of 98, attending races like the March Meet and
the SEMA Show, the marquee event of the
organization he helped form in the early 1960s.
48 | D r a g
I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
ROLE REVERSAL Grudge star-turned-Radial
vs. the World player Justin “Lil’ Country”
Swanstrom calls the shots on the nitrous-huffing
‘14 Camaro he usually drives. For Sweet 16 2.0,
he handed over driving duties to team partner
Mike Stavrinos, who will also wheel “Alcatraz” at
additional races this season.
FAST COMPANY Nostalgia Funny Car pilot Dan
Horan is joined by former crew chief Ronnie
Swearingen, who tuned Horan to the 2014
NHRA Heritage Series Nostalgia Funny Car
championship. Horan reset the class speed
record during the March Meet this year, recording
a 265.22 mph blast.
Issue 144
AND
THREE NITRO GENERATIONS Nostalgia Funny Car driver Tim Boychuk
and wife Donna pose proudly with their grandson, Jett Ferré, as
well as son-in-law and Top Fuel driver Cameron Ferré and daughter
Angie (Boychuk) Ferré in the staging lanes at the March Meet.
heavy hitters Mark Micke and Kevin Rivenbark chat
in the staging lanes at South Georgia Motorsports
Park. Micke dominated the Sweet 16 headlines in
2018 with his record-breaking 3.62 and $101,000
win at the inaugural race. Rivenbark took a similar
path this year, recording the first RvW pass in the
3.50s on the way to the event win.