Drag Illustrated Issue 145, June 2019

or as long as I can remem- ber, I’ve made the same joke about steering the ship here at Drag Il- lustrated. It’s that every- one has exactly the same input and advice, and that’s that we need more pictures and more stories about their race team, their car and the places they race. It’s hilarious every single time I hear it. Honestly, it’s not surprising. Drag rac- ing is a sport that is every bit as much ego-driven as it is passion-driven, and that’s not a bad thing – it’s a thing, an undeniable thing. Thus, when my path crosses with a racer and the contents of this magazine comes up, which happens multiple times almost every day of my life, it’s inevitable that the conversation turns to how much more ink needs to be spilled in his or her honor. Trust me, I’ve never had a top bulb bracket racer tell me we need more 275-series radial tire content, and there’s never been an Outlaw Pro Mod guy tell me that we need to double-down on our coverage of nostalgia nitro racing. That said, and in response to a recent episode of my podcast where I expounded on surefire tricks for gaining greater exposure for one’s race team that seemed to resonate with publicity- and sponsor- hungry racers, I thought I’d use my space here in our much-anticipated annual Sportsman Special Issue to offer up a little guidance and inspiration to help get your name, your sponsor’s name(s) or your event’s name in the headlines – and maybe your picture in a magazine, newspaper, website or blog. Before going any further, I have to tell a quick story about my father. For as long as I can remem- ber, my dad always prided himself in having one of the fastest race cars around. Almost everywhere we went in the Midwest – especially during his Pro Stock match racing days – we’d have amongst the quickest cars on the property, short maybe an ex- ceptionally fast dragster. Even when bracket racing, he was always much more concerned with going fast than going rounds. I remember times where we’d break out by a mile, and he’d be smiling ear to ear in the shutdown area because the car had just run better than ever. So, it probably comes as no surprise how hard he’d take it when a few of the other local drag racers would get a big write-up in the local newspaper, or mentioned on the local news broadcast - especially considering they didn’t have near the race program that he had, and a race car not even remotely close to as fast as his. It drove him crazy. In truth, those guys always had something that my dad didn’t have, and that was a willingness to promote themselves. Let’s face it, most racers – at least in my view – are amongst the greatest peo- ple on the planet. This is a sport comprised almost entirely with folks that are the salt of the earth. Some of us, however, are a little more inclined than others to tell others what we’re up to - good and bad - and that’s what I want to touch on here. It’s simple, but simply being willing to tell your story is the single most im- portant component when it comes to increasing the visibility of your race pro- gram, and it’s absolutely mandatory for any drag racer looking to obtain or maintain a relationship with a sponsor, be it a com- pany that is providing real cash money or product. Listen… I know you aren’t that guy (or gal). I know you’re not the type. I know you, like most racers, are blue-collar – a humble, hard-working individual – and you’re not about to tell everyone how great you are or what all you’ve accomplished. And you’re sure as hell not going to do it publicly. I get it. But remember…humility isn’t thinking less of yourself. Humility is thinking of yourself less. Ironically, constantly worrying about pride is any- thing but humble – it’s an obsession with self. Trust me when I say there is a big difference between being an obnoxious, arrogant, boastful jerk and simply being proud of what you’ve accomplished and letting people who might be interested in your accomplishments know about them. So, run your race team like a business. When you do something newsworthy, spread the news! There’s a million ways to do this in 2019. Post on your personal social media accounts, and create an account for your race team if you don’t have one. Whip up a press release (you can email me at wes@ dragillustrated.com to get my personal template) and blast it out to all your contacts. It was once said, “If you don’t toot your own horn, don’t complain when there is no music.” Most people seem to struggle with this concept. We do good things, enjoy some level of success in our racing endeavors and we hope someone notices. At times we even expect someone to notice, even though many would struggle to admit it, and we’re disappointed – at minimum – if they don’t. We let our imaginations run wild and cook up elaborate theories as to why we’ve been excluded, visualize ourselves – or our race, our team, our make of car, our sponsor – as being on a list of the unworthy on someone important’s desk or bulletin board. Not true. A lot of times – I’d argue most the time – all you have to do is tell your story, and other people will start telling it, too. 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, Bobby Bennett, Brandon W. Mudd, Tommy D’Aprile, Will Hanna, Sadie Glenn PHOTO DEPARTMENT: John Fore III, Van Abernethy, Rick Belden, Tara Bowker, Shawn Crose, Jason Dunn, Paul Grant, Chris Graves, Ron Lewis, Will McDougle, 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 145 F FOUNDER’S LETTER

Drag Illustrated Issue 145, June 2019 | Page 8