“ AFTER TWO DECADES, I THINK YOU CAN LOOK ACROSS THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE OF THE SPORT, AND NOW THE EVENT LANDSCAPE AS WELL, AND SEE OUR INFLUENCE.”
� KOEPPEN azine. He wanted me to come on board to design some features and ads, and we’ d see where things went from there. I had just graduated from college with a degree in graphic design and was trying to scratch together a living as a freelance designer, so it was a great opportunity. I took it and ran with it.
My first feature was the Bruno Massel cover story in DI 17, October 2007. My first core design featured rising Pro Stock star Justin Humphreys – that was DI 24, May 2008. Within a year or so I was designing and producing the entire magazine cover-to-cover, which I’ ve done ever since. And here we are at issue 200. I’ ve taken on a larger role in steering the business as COO and don’ t do as much of the hands-on design as I used to, but every page still comes across my desk and I put together the final package that goes to print.
� Do you have a favorite or most memorable issue?
Those issues I mentioned above obviously hold a lot of value to me. It was also an honor for Wes to choose to have my dad on the cover in 2008, when we debuted a new lightweight’ 55 Chevy and battled for an ADRL Pro Nitrous championship. We’ ve created so many memorable covers and feature stories – calling our shot on up-and-coming stars, capturing legends in their prime, and covering all corners of the sport – that it’ s hard for me to nail down just one single issue. I’ m most proud of what the complete body of work represents.
� What’ s your favorite memory of working at DI?
It would be so hard to choose just one favorite. My favorite thing about DI is that everyone that we bring into the fold becomes like family, and we always have a great time no matter what we’ re doing. The hours are long, the work is crazy and seemingly never-ending, but we are always having the most fun. From trade shows to dinners and parties, to flying halfway around the world to Saudi Arabia, you never know what you’ re going to get into next when you’ re working with DI, but you can bet it’ s going to be a good time.
That starts with Wes, and the rest of the team embraces that as well.
� What are you most proud of when you think about your own involvement with DI?
It would probably have to be the influence of the outside-the-box approach we brought to many aspects of the magazine, and eventually to drag racing media as a whole. From the start, we focused on telling the stories of the people that comprise the sport, and telling those stories in a very personal way, packaged with high-end design and photography not typically seen in an automotive magazine. After two decades, I think you can look across the media landscape of the sport, and now the event landscape as well, and see our influence.
� What are you most proud of when it comes to DI’ s involvement in the sport?
I think it’ s really just standing the test of time. We’ ve weathered so many storms; the financial collapse of 2008 was happening right as we were getting started. Then political and financial ups and downs of the 2010s, then the pandemic, and so on. It seems like there’ s always a sense of doom and gloom that is pervasive in the sport, and a lot of prognosticators eager to predict its demise.
But despite the headwinds, we’ ve grown from the pesky kids trying to get a print magazine off the ground to one of the most recognizable and respected brands in the industry, and a trusted media outlet that the sport relies on. We’ ve had to work to stay agile in the industry, evolving from print only to digital, social, video, podcasts, and of course our flagship Winter Series events and things like the DI 30 Under 30 program. But it’ s been a very rewarding journey and we’ re excited to see what the next 20 years has in store.
NANCY KOEPPEN
Chief Financial Officer
� How and when did you join DI?
In 2017 I joined the DI team as the ad trafficker. One of my best friends was working at DI and connected me with Wes. Soon after I started, my friend left DI and I started managing the finances.
� Do you have a favorite or most memorable issue?
The Photo Annual issues are always my favorite. I love the artistry. I love the stories told
136 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated. com Issue 200