LETTER from the EDITOR
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
Since I can remember, I’ ve loved magazines. From Nickelodeon to Boys’ Life as a young kid to HOT ROD and whatever other car culture magazines that caught my eye on the newsstands when I got a bit older, I’ ve been drawn to the medium, and when I was still an early teen, I knew I wanted to write for a magazine someday. When I discovered drag racing when I was 11, I started subscribing to all the drag racing magazines: Drag Racing Action, National Dragster, and of course, Drag Illustrated.
I vividly remember signing up for my first DI subscription from Van Abernethy at his booth on the midway at the 2010 ADRL Ohio Drags at my home track, Summit Motorsports Park, in Norwalk, Ohio. I couldn’ t believe a magazine this nice was dedicated to covering sections of the sport that other publications didn’ t even consider – regional eighth-mile Pro Mod racing, nitty-gritty outlaw racing, small-town bracket racing, and more.
A couple years later, I started writing press releases for Top Alcohol teams as an early entry into the sport. I couldn’ t believe it when I opened a new copy of DI and saw an abbreviated version of one of my press releases in the Dirt section. My writing was in Drag Illustrated! This happened a couple other times before Wes Buck, the founder and theneditor-in-chief, replied to one of my press releases and asked if I would be interested in writing for DI. Uhh, yeah! I got started on a few freelance assignments, and the following year, 2015, I was hired as the web editor. I was between high school and college and I just landed a job that I saw as the equivalent of a childhood baseball fanatic getting called to join the Yankees.
Eleven years later, I still feel the same way. What was a small niche publication when I discovered it is now one of the most respected voices in the industry. We’ ve expanded beyond the print magazine to include a massive online presence and a series of live events that have a real impact on this
Nate Van Wagnen Editor-in-Chief
community. We’ ve profiled some of the biggest stars in drag racing and used our platform to help elevate previously little-known personalities into stars as well.
I’ ve said this before, but this is more than just a job for me. It’ s a true passion project, and the same could be said for everyone who contributes to the magazine, our online offerings, and our events. We’ re all drag racing“ lifers” and we want the best for the sport and the people who enjoy it in varying ways.
I’ m proud to call my DI teammates not just colleagues, but friends and mentors as well. Working at DI is how I met some of my best friends. It’ s how I met my wife, Allyson, who also bought her first DI subscription from Van at a racetrack 10-plus years ago. When we got married, it was Van who officiated our wedding, and Wes and numerous DI contributors were in the audience. We even had a DI“ Wedding Edition” magazine designed by Mike Carpenter, who’ s designed nearly every issue, and printed by the same printers who produce the actual magazine.
I say all this to convey just how much Drag Illustrated means to me. I’ ve given a lot to this publication, but it’ s also provided me with so much in return. This commemorative 200th issue, coincidentally tied in with our special World Series of Pro Mod theme, is my love letter to DI and everything it represents. Beyond the extensive WSOPM coverage, the issue includes a deep dive into the DI archives and the 199 covers that preceded this issue, as well as commentary from the people who’ ve contributed to this effort over the last 20 years.
In closing, I’ d like to thank Wes and the whole DI team, as well as everyone else who makes all of this possible – the contributors who provide us with content, the advertisers who believe in what we do, the racers who answer our phone calls, and you, the subscribers, who still want to see a paper magazine arrive in their mailboxes. Here’ s to the next 20 years and 200 issues. DI
Feel free to email me at nate @ dragillustrated. com and follow me at facebook. com / nitronate1320 and nitronate1320 on Instagram and X.
Nate Van Wagnen Editor-in-Chief 440.986.1480 nate @ dragillustrated. com
Brett Underwood VP of Sales & Chief Development Officer 704.907.3515 brett @ dragillustrated. com
JT Hudson VP of Business Development & Customer Success 660.341.0063 jt @ dragillustrated. com
Van Abernethy Senior Staff Writer & Field Subscription Sales 828.302.0356 van @ dragillustrated. com
Craig Cook Senior Editor 816.728.5650 craig @ dragillustrated. com
Caroline Fox Customer Service / Office Manager 660.988.2313 caroline @ dragillustrated. com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Bobby Bennett, Greg Burrow, Tommy D’ Aprile, Allyson Van Wagnen, Bret Kepner, Mary Lendzion, Madelyn Marconi, Brandon W. Mudd, Jessica Hicks Spears, Ian Tocher, Kelly Wade
PHOTO DEPARTMENT: John Fore III, Van Abernethy, Rick Belden, David Beitler, Anastacia Bohlander, Tara Bowker, Bob Campagna, Jason Dunn, Phil Hutchison, Darrel Jackson Jr, Joe McHugh, Gary Nastase, Luke Nieuwhof, Mark J. Rebilas, Robert Richard, Cole Rokosky, Chris Sears, James Sisk, Ian Tocher
SUBSCRIPTIONS & CUSTOMER SERVICE: 660.988.2313 customerservice @ dragillustrated. com
DRAG ILLUSTRATED MEDIA, LLC PO Box 674, Kirksville, MO 63501 P: 660.988.2313 F: 660.665.1636 www. dragillustrated. com
Copyright © 2026 by Drag Illustrated Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Drag Illustrated is a registered trademark of Drag Illustrated Media, LLC. Printed and mailed by Publication Printers in Denver, CO.
All statements, including product claims, are those of the person or organization making the statement or claim. The publisher does not adopt any such statement or claims as its own, and any such statement or claim does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher.
10 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated. com Issue 200