Drag Illustrated Issue 148, September 2019 | Page 8

or as fresh as this whole Drag Illus- trated a d v e n t u r e seems to me – which surely is a good thing after nearly 15 years and 148 issues – it’s hard to believe how much has happened since we first kicked the doors opened in the fall of 2005. We’ve seen ‘em come and go, we’ve seen ‘em rise and fall – racers, cars, classes, sanctions, series, sponsors, venues and everything in between. It’s been an honor and a privilege to have a front row seat for some of the biggest mo- ments in drag racing history, but what has provided perpetual inspiration, excitement and reward for me, personally, has been the opportunity to see people embark on their own personal journeys in this sport, overcome obstacles and ultimately achieve success. For instance, I first became aware of Billy Stock- lin, the cover story for this year’s Crew Chief Special Issue, back in the middle 2000s while he was rac- ing a split-bumper Chevy Camaro in Outlaw 10.5 competition in and around Texas. At the time, one of the hottest and most active scenes in drag rac- ing circled around a seemingly unending supply of grudge racers out of the greater Houston area. I’d come across this band of small-tire racers by way of a once-prominent message board called HotRodGossip.com. I’d seen posts about an upcom- ing Texas True 10.5 race at what was then known as Ben Bruce Memorial Airpark Raceway in Evadale, Texas. The name of the track alone was pretty in- toxicating for me – I couldn’t resist the opportunity to see some of Texas’ baddest small-tire racers do battle on what amounted to not much more than a defunct airport runway – plus I was in the area, as my dad was beginning treatments at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. So, the weekend prior to him starting his chemo therapy, we burned 100 miles over to this little airport to check things out. The facility itself did not disappoint. I knew plac- es like this existed, but I hadn’t been to that many of the nitty-gritty, outlaw eighth-mile strips that had largely birthed small-tire drag racing. Nothing more than a 6,000-foot runway – half of which was used for racing, the other half serving as pit space – it was incredibly easy to see anything and everyone on the property. When we arrived, True 10.5 was already in the lanes, and right behind the water box sat a stunning, low-slung 29.5x10.5 slick-equipped ’67 Chevy Camaro; dark blue with most the fac- tory chrome trim and a – brace yourself – Lexan hood scoop sitting atop a set of Dominators. I knew the car and its driver, Chad Revia, from message boards, but hadn’t met the man or seen the car in person. At this point, we’d only printed the first few issues of DI, and one of our biggest focuses were these Limited Street/True 10.5 racers – many of which called this part of the country home. Guys like Justin Curry and David Wolfe. I felt like I’d stumbled onto a gold mine as nearly every heavy-hitter in the South was on the property; there were enough feature story-level racers and cars to fill pages for the rest of the year, or longer. After a few introductions to the folks at the track and the people organizing the race, I camped out at the top of staging to try and in- troduce myself to as many people as possible. I knew I needed to leave with enough photos and phone numbers to keep myself busy writ- ing about these guys for the foreseeable future. The very first person I introduced myself to was a big man wearing a blue Dickies-brand work shirt stand- ing beside Revia’s Camaro. I sensed this guy was the crew chief on the car, and I could tell – even from afar – that this person was a central character. Everyone seemed to know him, and he seemed to know everyone. I introduced myself, and was met by a bear-claw-sized hand reaching out my way. “Billy Stocklin,” he said, as we shook hands. Outgoing, verbose and knowledgeable, he quickly pointed out to me many of the key players at the event, the most competitive cars and teams. With ESPN and Sports Center as my only real schooling in journalism, I knew I needed “sources” within different parts of the drag racing landscape. I re- member feeling proud as a peacock telling my dad about this guy I’d just met, how he knew everyone and could probably help me a lot when it comes to getting in touch with people and having an ally in the fast-growing 10.5-tire world. In the years that followed, Billy and I continued to cross paths. I’d see him at Outlaw Racing Street Car Association (ORSCA) races and big-money 10.5 tire races throughout the Southeast, then he started turning up at American Drag Racing League national events all over the Midwest and East Coast. I watched as he went from lending a hand here and there to being the crew chief on some of the quickest and fastest outlaw doorslammers on the planet. He went from being something of a regionally recognized and respected tuner to “the guy” anyone who wanted to go fast and win races sought out. Early on it was Huntsville, Alabama, and Houston Motorsports Park where we’d bump into each other; then it was Doha, Qatar, and Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. To have had the opportunity to watch closely as Billy Stocklin – and so many other drivers, tun- ers, crew members, promoters, etc. – chase their dreams and, in some cases, actually achieve them? It’s been incredible, and I literally can’t wait for whatever comes next. Billy Stocklin lost his father earlier this year, and I know it hit him hard – as it would anyone. Considering how proud and inspired I am to have seen Billy’s rise to prominence and international notoriety, I can only imagine how his dad must have felt having been there from the start. 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. 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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 148 F FOUNDER’S LETTER