DI167
“ All the Track Will Hold ”
FEATURES 30
Four-Second Fuel Altered
While a massive field of over 60 Funny Cars was the star of the Funny Car Chaos season opener , the barrier-breaking Fuel Altered performances by Richard Hartman and car owner Tim Wilkerson nearly stole the show . By Josh Hachat
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Best of Sweet 16 4.0
Donald “ Duck ” Long ’ s latest smalltire extravaganza included everything racers and fans have come to expect from his races : record-breaking performances , unpredictable racing and , of course , flying cars . By Nate Van Wagnen
Tom Bailey Bounces Back
After a blazing top-end fire put Tom Bailey ’ s famed “ Sick Seconds 2.0 ” ’ 69 Camaro on the sidelines , the Hot Rod Drag Week star announced he ’ s building a screw-blown , nitro-burning , gasser-style Chevy Nomad with Dennis Taylor . By Luke Nieuwhof
Bottles to Boost
A switch from Pro Nitrous to Pro Boost has proven worthwhile for longtime PDRA racer Johnny Camp , who has been turning heads in his Brandon Stroud-tuned “ Hells Bells ” ’ 69 Camaro . By Nate Van Wagnen
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DEPARTMENTS
TRIBUTE 34 Ron Colson
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Illinois native Ron Colson was one of the sport ’ s original “ hot shoes ” hired to pilot some of the most popular cars in the history of drag racing , from Gas Coupes to Top Fuel dragsters in numerous sanctioning bodies . He passed away in March at 80 . By Bret Kepner
ON THE COVER Small-tire racing hero Martin Connelley as photographed by John Fore III at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce , Georgia .
DI COLUMNIST
On the Road
Veteran drag racing journalist Van Abernethy shares the story of his most recent encounter with NHRA nitro star Del Worsham , who Abernethy first met when Worsham was a fresh-faced 21-year-old national event winner in the early ‘ 90s .
PHOTOS : CHRIS SIMMONS , LUKE NIEUWHOF , TARA BOWKER
8 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 167