LETTER from the EDITOR

Even before I joined the DI staff, I always enjoyed the Interview Issue. Q & A-style features are fun to read, and quite honestly, they’ re a lighter read than traditional features, even if they do run into the thousands of words like Kayla Zadel’ s first-ever DI cover story in this issue. Q & As also disclose the questions that lead to the answers, and writers like me and many of our contributors pride ourselves on asking questions that go beyond the average“ How did that feel?” Through hundreds of interviews, be it over the phone or in person – like the Glenn Butcher winner’ s circle interview in this column photo – I’ m always trying to think of the right questions to ask. Better questions lead to better, more compelling answers.

In a way, this issue is also a bit of a callback to our # Trending Issue theme, which also met its demise on the chopping block a few years ago. As an unofficial season preview, this issue dives into some of the offseason headlines and explores the stories behind them.

Leading the way on the cover are Sean Bellemeur and Steve Boggs, the driver and tuner combo behind the Bartone Brothers Racing Top Alcohol Funny Car team. The group known as the“ Killer Bs” unveiled a new A / Fuel Funny Car late in the offseason, though its existence was rumored for months. The nitro-injected combo has been legal in NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car for a couple seasons now, but the Bartone Bros. team’ s entrance into the A / Fuel Funny Car“ space race” has intensified things. A / Fuel dragster king Randy Meyer is also getting involved with the car he’ s run in Funny Car Chaos and Nitro Chaos events with past NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster world champion Julie Nataas

Nate Van Wagnen Editor-in-Chief

behind the wheel.

In the cover story, Zadel asks Bellemeur and Boggs a wide range of questions, including some tough ones about their new A / Fuel venture and how the fledgling combo could affect the already fragile class. It could be because I grew up around the Top Alcohol classes, but I think this is one of the biggest storylines of the year and I’ m glad we went straight to two of the biggest players in the game to get their thoughts.

Another major storyline this year is the return of Greg Stanfield, who will compete for an NHRA Pro Stock world championship as a teammate to his son, Aaron Stanfield. They both own a stack of world championships in other classes, including Aaron’ s three in Factory Stock Showdown and Greg’ s most recent in the new Factory X division. No matter where they end up when the season is over, it’ s going to be fun watching this fatherson duo battle it out. Read more on that in Kelly Wade’ s Q & A with the Stanfields.

This issue also became a mini Crew Chief Issue, as I interviewed multi-class doorslammer tuner Brandon Stroud and nitrous driver and tuner turned Funny Car crew chief Dean Marinis. Brandon has quickly become one of the most in-demand tuners, and after winning championships with Jason Harris( PDRA Pro Boost), Shawn“ Murder Nova” Ellington( Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings), and Chris Daniel( FuelTech Radial Outlaws Radial vs. the World) last season, it’ s easy to see why. Dean is the quickest man in the world when it comes to quarter-mile nitrous racing, but he’ s put his own racing on hold to serve as co-crew chief for Chad Green in NHRA Funny Car competition. These guys aren’ t ones to seek recognition for their achievements, so I enjoyed interviewing them to share their stories here.

There are so many more topics and storylines we could’ ve covered here, and the season is just getting started. We’ re in for a thrilling, unpredictable season, which means no shortage of incredible stories to tell here on the pages of Drag Illustrated.

Feel free to email me at nate @ dragillustrated. com and follow me at facebook. com / nitronate1320 and nitronate1320 on Instagram and X.

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10 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated. com Issue 193