LETTER from the EDITOR
Wes Buck Chief Executive Officer Founder & Editorial Director 660.988.2313 wes @ dragillustrated . com
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Nate Van Wagnen Editor-in-Chief 440.986.1480 nate @ dragillustrated . com
A variety of factors goes into deciding who we put on the cover of each issue of this magazine . Sometimes we ’ ll choose to honor someone who ’ s made lifelong , consistent contributions to the sport , while other times we ’ ll shine the spotlight on someone who has taken the drag racing world by storm in a short time .
In a way , this year ’ s Women of Power cover star , Maddi Gordon , checks both of those boxes . Yes , she ’ s only 20 years old , but she ’ s been around the sport for all 20 of those years . As the daughter of three-time NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car world champion Doug Gordon and the granddaughter of former racer Mike Gordon , Maddi has been in training to drive the family ’ s Beta Motorcycles Top Alcohol Funny Car for years .
She raced in Jr . Dragsters and Jr . Comp for several seasons , then started serving as a crew member on the championship-winning flopper . Maddi and her younger sister , Macie , have learned how to do nearly every task on the car , and with Doug racing to world titles in 2020 , 2022 , and 2023 , they ’ ve had plenty of practice .
When it was announced last year that Doug would hand over the reins to Maddi for the 2024 season , I knew we ’ d have an ideal candidate for this year ’ s Women of Power Issue cover story . Anyone who has followed NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car over the years knew Maddi would be stepping into one of the best cars in the class , and anyone who read the Gordon sisters ’ story in the 2021 DI 30 Under 30 Issue knew Maddi would take the opportunity seriously . If Maddi did her job driving in a class widely considered to be one of the toughest to drive , she would be an immediate contender .
Sure enough , Gordon came out swinging . She reached the final round in her competition debut
Nate Van Wagnen Editor-in-Chief
at the Phoenix NHRA Lucas Oil Series regional race in February . She bowed out early at her home race , the NHRA Winternationals at Pomona , but bounced back with a runner-up finish in her firstever four-wide race in Las Vegas . Less than a month later , she secured her first regional event win at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park . Another win followed at Flying H Drag Strip ’ s inaugural regional race in early June . She defeated Christine Foster in what was likely the first all-female Top Alcohol Funny Car final round . As I write this column in June , Gordon is the national points leader , making her a contender to become the first woman to win an NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car world championship .
After Maddi ’ s first couple races , the DI editorial team unanimously agreed to put her on the cover of this Women of Power Issue . We coordinated a cover shoot with many-time DI cover photographer Rick Belden at his home studio when the Gordons rolled into the Charlotte area for the Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX , where Rick also got some great shots of the family working together . Later , longtime DI contributor Kelly Wade sat down with Maddi for an in-depth interview detailing her journey . You can ’ t help but be a Maddi Gordon fan after reading the cover story .
This issue also includes features on numerous other women who make an impact on the sport , from high-profile Top Fuel racers like Leah Pruett and Jasmine Salinas to those who play a part behind the scenes , like PRO ’ s Michelle Domagala and God Speed Ministry ’ s Renee Bingham and Tammie Smith . We ’ ve barely scratched the surface when it comes to drag racing ’ s Women of Power in this issue , so stay tuned to DragIllustrated . com to follow along as we feature many more Women of Power there over the next couple months .
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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PHOTO : RICK BELDEN
8 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 189