TRIBUTE

1973 – 2026

By Nate Van Wagnen

A Philadelphia native, Jason had a natural ability to connect with people, a trait that contributed to his talent as a journalist. He spent years covering the sport for numerous publications, brands, and series, contributing anything from driver features and in-depth tech pieces to event coverage. As a gearhead, he knew what he was talking about when writing about the technical aspects of the sport.

I admired Jason’ s work from afar until he joined the PDRA media team several years ago. He quickly introduced himself at the season opener that year, and over the course of the season, we collaborated on various projects. Along with my fellow colleagues who’ d covered the series for some time, I answered any questions he had about the diverse group that operates in the PDRA. He knew many of the names and faces, but he really dug in and made an effort to get to know those he wasn’ t as familiar with. He learned the back stories and motivations of the drivers, but also the tuners, team owners, crew members, families, and others who played a role. He’ d go interview the guy who just won first round with low E. T. of the event, but he also went over to talk to the team that just lost first round because he noticed them celebrating a new

team best on the starting line. He caught the little things that made a big difference.

One of the things that impressed me most about Jason was the way he mentored those around him and offered to share his knowledge. In certain circles of the drag racing media world, there’ s a lot of gatekeeping. That wasn’ t Jason. Though only 52 when he passed, he was a bit of

an elder statesman in the PDRA media group. Without pretention, he offered tips and tricks to the other photographers in the group, most of them 30 or younger. One of those photographers is Darrel Jackson Jr., who was 25 when he started shooting with Jason.

“ Jason is one of my mentors that was simply in a league of his own. While some made me feel like the annoying, inexperienced kid, Jason treated me like I belonged,” Jackson said.“ If you knew Jason, you knew he didn’ t sugarcoat anything. When I showed him an image seeking his input, he would cut straight to the point. While this might be off-putting to most, I sought that out the most. I wanted someone who wouldn’ t be a yes man or tell me what I wanted to hear. I always strive for perfection in my images, and in that regard, it wasn’ t hard to overlook simple things. Jason, on the other hand, didn’ t miss those details. His feedback helped me make significant strides in my photography.”

Jason was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in November 2021. He didn’ t let his cancer diagnosis slow him down. He continued his work from home and returned to the PDRA tour at the American Doorslammer Challenge in Norwalk, Ohio, in May 2022. That marked an emotional reunion for Reiss and the tightknit PDRA media team. It remains one of Jackson’ s favorite memories with Jason.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY TARA BOWKER AND DARREL JACKSON JR.