LETTER from the EDITOR
Almost a year ago , our founder and editorial director , Wes Buck , and COO , Mike Carpenter , came back from the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte with a little secret . They were approached by Elite Motorsports team owner Richard Freeman and a handful of other Professional Racers Owners Organization ( PRO ) board members with a proposal . They wanted to throw a big-money , big-stage preseason race for PRO ’ s members in Top Fuel , Funny Car , and Pro Stock .
I admit I was very skeptical at first . Something like this had never been done before in my lifetime , and quite honestly , I wasn ’ t sure if it could be pulled off in less than a year . I had my doubts . When I sat in on a meeting with Wes and several of the PRO members later that summer , it started to feel a little more real . When I watched PRO President and legendary Top Fuel tuner Alan Johnson make the official announcement – along with personalities like Tony Stewart , Erica Enders , and Steve Torrence – at the FloSports headquarters in Austin , Texas , last August , it was very real .
Over the six months or so after that announcement , I got to watch this incredible team effort come together to make the PRO Superstar Shootout a reality . SCAG Power Equipment and Johnson ’ s Horsepowered Garage came on board as the title and presenting sponsors , respectively , allowing PRO to offer up more than $ 1.3 million in prize money . This race became a second full-time job for several DI team members , as well as for PRO leaders like Michelle Domagala , Chad Head , and Scott “ Woody ” Woodruff .
Numerous drivers and team owners contributed significant resources in time , money , and attention towards making the PRO Superstar Shootout a smashing success . Courtney Enders got FloRacing involved as the official livestreaming partner , and the Flo team stepped up to provide what we believe is the best livestream in the history of drag racing .
It was surreal to see fans lined up at the gate to get in on Thursday , and again on Friday . When they had to stop selling tickets on Saturday , it was a gratifying moment for everyone involved . The fans packed the pits , took every open seat in the grandstands , and piled in a few rows deep along the fences to watch the action .
I don ’ t have enough space here to adequately give credit to everyone who played a role in this race . Along with DI , PRO , and FloRacing , Victor Alvarez and his team at Bradenton Motorsports Park provided the ultimate venue for the race . Kurt Johnson and the Total Venue Concepts team worked their magic on the racing surface , while Rollie Miller and the NMCA / NMRA safety and race operations teams kept everything running safely and smoothly . I ’ d also like to thank Chris Hill , Bob Lawson , and Kalitta Motorsports for donating the use of Kalitta ’ s hospitality trailers for the media and PR reps to use as a workspace .
We ’ ve dedicated this issue to telling some of the stories behind the biggest moments of the PRO Superstar Shootout . From the winners , record setters , and No . 1 qualifiers to the drivers that didn ’ t have the weekend they were hoping for , we dive into it all . No matter if this becomes a yearly tradition or a one-time event that we all talk about for years , I ’ m proud of everyone who was involved in the collaborative effort behind the PRO Superstar Shootout .
Of course , the DI team didn ’ t have much time to rest and reflect after the PRO race , as we had the fifth Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod at Bradenton coming up . Completed just days before this issue went to print , the WSOPM lived up to the hype yet again . Our May / June issue will focus entirely on the WSOPM and the other major events that kicked off the 2024 season . DI
Wes Buck Chief Executive Officer Founder & Editorial Director 660.988.2313 wes @ dragillustrated . com
Mike Carpenter Chief Operating Officer Design & Production Director 704.737.2299 mike @ dragillustrated . com
Nancy Koeppen Chief Financial Officer 573.552.5551 nancy @ dragillustrated . com
Nate Van Wagnen Editor-in-Chief 440.986.1480 nate @ dragillustrated . com
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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS : Bobby Bennett , Greg Burrow , Craig Cook , Tommy D ’ Aprile , Allyson Van Wagnen , Bret Kepner , Brandon W . Mudd , Ian Tocher , Kelly Wade
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Nate Van Wagnen Editor-in-Chief
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8 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 187