Drag Illustrated Issue 147, August 2019 | Page 8

FOUNDER’S LETTER Sometimes, in the hustle and bustle of our society, we forget to reflect on the good things that happen to us. Our lives move so fast that we often neglect to slow down and enjoy the moment. We move on too quickly in hopes of duplicating those great mo- ments. Well, I am going to reflect, enjoy (again) and relive maybe my own personal greatest moment: the 2018 Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod at Bandimere Speedway. My family entered two cars for the weekend. My wife, Lisa, entered in King Street in her 1993 Mus- tang and my daughter, Kayleigh, was entered in the JR Race Car 7.90 Index race. We entered the track on Thursday and selected our pit spots. The weather forecast was perfect and I believe we all knew at that time we were in for a great weekend. We would not be disappointed. Friday was not only a test day, where we got to test our two cars and watch 5-sec- ond Pro Mods go down the track, but it was also Lisa and I’s 22nd anniversary. What a perfect way to celebrate. We actually got to sit down at the end of the day and have a small celebration for our anniversary, never anticipating what Saturday would bring. Now, the perfect surprise. My brother and his wife show up to the track, which is fantastic in itself, but then out of the car pop my mother and father. This is the very first time that they have been to Bandimere to watch any of us race. I had a smile on my face from ear to ear. At this point, my entire family is at the track! We started racing Saturday afternoon with one more qualifier and then it was on to racing. After the Pro Mods were our two classes. Kayleigh and Lisa win round after round and keep advancing. Kayleigh’s Jr. is deadly and so is the driver. Some- times I look into her helmet and her ice-blue eyes are so focused. This was one of those days. Lisa also goes .000 reaction time in second round, followed up by a .002 in round three. Abbey and I are run- ning around frantically reading our weather sta- tion, fueling cars, adjusting tire pressures, towing Kayleigh’s Jr. back to our pits. Kayleigh and Lisa both make it to the finals. Now I am a nervous wreck. First up, the Sunoco King Street final, where Lisa is paired up with a good friend in a fast 1969 Camaro. I stay back with Kayleigh in her Jr. Both cars leave and from where I was standing, I could not tell who was out front. I hear Lisa “whomp” twice and her win light comes on. I scream, “YESSS.” Everyone looks at me like I am some crazed maniac. If the shoe fits…. Next up, we roll Kayleigh under the tower and onto the track. Both cars leave the starting line and this race, I can tell we have the starting line advan- tage. I can still remember Ronnie Kohrt announce, “We will have two Hill race cars in the winner’s circle.” Abbey and I were going nuts. I get a congratula- tory hug from Wes Buck and high- fives from every- one around. As a family, we jump on our golf cart and go get Kay- leigh to tow her back. It was the first time I have ever had people screaming from the stands with congratulations. That is a pretty great feeling! We return to the winner’s circle, where Johnny Bandimere Jr. hands my two champions their trophies. We finally make our way back to our pit area where everyone has gathered to pour water over the head’s of Kayleigh and Lisa, a tradition that is actually welcomed. Through all of this, I can hear my mom talking so excitedly about what she just witnessed. I get a huge hug from my mom, dad, brother and sister-in-law. Honestly, I was holding back tears when my brother and best friend handed me two ice-cold beers. I had earned those! We took more photos and stayed up pretty late with what seemed like 100 people in our pits. Yep, pretty much the best day of my life. What makes this weekend even more spectacular is that in December, my mom was diagnosed with cancer and passed in March. She will never see us race again, but this memory will stay with me forever. Thanks, Mom, for being part of the best day ever! 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 147 A lot of messages come through my inbox, and I do my very best to read and answer them all, but this testimonial from Steve Hill stopped me in my tracks. In the weeks leading up to the third annual Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod, August 9-10, it can be easy to lose sight of why we do what we do. Steve’s story about his family’s time at our race is a powerful reminder that this deal is about more than paying big money, attracting a huge field of Pro Mods or packing the grandstands. The World Series of Pro Mod is a special, one-of-a-kind race and it’s because of people like Steve and his family, and the racers, fans and supporters who come from near and far to help us throw the biggest, richest Pro Mod race of all time up on Thunder Mountain.