LETTER from the EDITOR
Choosing the subject that goes on the cover of our annual Sportsman Issue is always a challenge . Of all the niches within drag racing , sportsman racing is one of the broadest . So many racers can fit the “ sportsman racer ” label . The landbased rockets of Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car are considered sportsman classes , though there ’ s an argument for labeling them as “ prosportsman ” classes . On the other end of the spectrum , the weekend warriors who bracket race at local tracks around the country are probably who most of us envision when we think of sportsman racers .
This wide , diverse group of racers can be hard to cover in one single issue . That ’ s one reason why every issue of DI , going back almost to the beginning , includes Van Abernethy ’ s “ Dialed In ” section devoted to sportsman racers and local-level racing at dragstrips large and small across the U . S . But when we are working on the Sportsman Issue , we want to highlight the very best that sportsman racing has to offer ; the racers who are proud to be sportsman racers , but also those who sportsman racers are likewise proud to claim as their own .
Enter Bo and Randi Lyn Butner . Sure , Bo is known by many fans as an NHRA Pro Stock racer , and for good reason . He ’ s the 2017 world champion with 11 wins in the class . But before he made his Pro Stock debut in 2015 , he was the 2006 world champion in Competition Eliminator , one of the most complex sportsman classes . He ’ s also a multitime NHRA Division 3 champion , and he continues to race in multiple sportsman classes as he works to join the elite group of racers to have won in seven different classes .
Randi Lyn is also a lifelong sportsman racer with her own list of accomplishments , most notably in
Nate Van Wagnen Editor-in-Chief
Stock Eliminator . She ’ s a Division 3 champion with seven victories on the national event level , and while Stock isn ’ t the fastest class , that ’ s one of the reasons why she enjoys it so much . It ’ s competitive yet relatable to the average car enthusiast , especially fans of vintage muscle cars . Even with opportunities to move up , she ’ s embraced the decision to keep her roots planted in the sportsman pits .
Together , Bo and Randi Lyn are staunch advocates for sportsman racing on the NHRA level and the independent level . They ’ ve promoted their own races to celebrate underappreciated classes , and they ’ ve supported other standalone events as racers . At NHRA national events , they ’ re beloved in the pro pits , where Bo competes under the Elite Motorsports umbrella with his Johnson ’ s Horsepowered Garage Camaro , but also in the sportsman pits , where their fleet includes a pair of Super Comp dragsters and Randi Lyn ’ s ’ 67 Firebird Stocker .
I can go on and on about what sportsman racing means to the Butners – and vice versa – but Kelly Wade ’ s interview with the newlyweds tells the full story .
More features in this issue include my spotlight on Jeff Melnick , a Top Sportsman hitter who ’ s now fighting a cancer battle while also fighting for a PDRA Pro 632 world championship in his rookie season , as well as Kayla Zadel ’ s feature on NHRA Top Sportsman driver Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson , who also happens to be the president of In-N-Out Burger . Craig Cook checks in on the progress of Kansas City ’ s new Flying H Dragstrip ahead of its planned opening later this year , and Van Abernethy visits a trio of smalltown racetracks .
Throughout this issue , you ’ ll be reminded why sportsman racers are considered the backbone of the sport . DI
Feel free to email me at nate @ dragillustrated . com and follow me at facebook . com / nitronate1320 and nitronate1320 on Instagram and Twitter .
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8 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 183