LETTER from the EDITOR
When I sat down and started thinking about this issue’ s column, I was inspired by Van Abernethy’ s long-running“ On The Road” column where he profiles the 160-plus different dragstrips he’ s visited over the course of his career. It’ s a staggering number, one that likely only a handful of individuals have hit. My list is currently sitting at just over 30 different tracks after recently checking out Arkansas’ Centerville Dragway, one of the tracks where my wife, Allyson, grew up racing. Maybe someday I’ ll sit down and wax poetic about the other tracks on my list, but today, I’ m looking back at the track where it all began for me: Summit Motorsports Park.
My memories of that first trip to what was then Norwalk Raceway Park are vivid. It was the 2006 Funny Car Fox Hunt, a single-day show that included alcohol Funny Cars, jets, Benny“ The Human Bomb” Koske, and the track’ s robust weekly bracket racing program. I’ d watched drag racing on YouTube and ESPN2, and as anyone who’ s been to a drag race knows, none of that could’ ve prepared me for the multi-sensory experience that awaited. Pulling up to the track along Ohio Route 601, the state road that runs parallel with the pro pits, I was astonished by the size and scale of the place and all of the race rigs in the pits.
When we pulled into the spectator parking area, a track employee handed us a promotional Ohio Lottery ticket that we later redeemed for a book on John Force with his iconic“ I saw Elvis at a thousand feet” quote and a corresponding photo of his fiery Memphis wreck on the cover. I’ d just turned 10 and I didn’ t know much about John other than the fact that his name graced one of the billboards on top of the grandstands. I had a lot to learn.
Walking around the grounds, the hook quickly set. There was a midway with all kinds of displays, the most memorable being an International CXT – a semi-truck / pickup hybrid that I was completely obsessed with at the time – wrapped in black and lime green promoting the Vault energy soda, the bed full of iced-down free cans to take home. There was an autograph session with the booked-in talent, as well as their vehicles on display. There was a well-stocked track store where I scrounged up enough lawn mowing money to buy a plastic Funny
Nate Van Wagnen Editor-in-Chief
Car, which my young son now plays with.
All of the above is value added to the on-track portion of the evening, which blew away my expectations and ensured the hook was firmly set. The screaming supercharged Funny Cars, the ear-piercing jet cars, the seemingly death-defying“ Benny the Bomb” and his exploding car – the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings were almost overwhelming. I couldn’ t wait to come back.
That was 20 years ago and the hook is still set. I like to think that I was going to end up fascinated with drag racing no matter what, but that first dose of the“ Norwalk Experience” certainly fast-tracked the process.
While doing research for this issue, I came upon a“ Hometown Homies” video on the NHRA Facebook page where Courtney Enders-Hyde interviewed Brian Lohnes in the tower at New England Dragway. Brian got emotional when he started talking about the track, what it meant to him, and the role it played in his career.
I completely related to that experience, as I’ ve been similarly fortunate to have a home track that sent me down a path to a career in the sport I love. Since that first trip to Norwalk, I got to write Jr. Dragster results stories for the track website while in middle school. I got to hoist a Wally – albeit a smaller Lucas Oil Series regional version – as a Top Alcohol Dragster crew member. Later, I got to join track president Bill Bader Jr. on stage at Norwalk’ s annual awards banquet to accept the Media of the Year Award in recognition of DI’ s coverage of the track’ s events that year.
In an era where some of the sport’ s most beloved tracks sit dormant, demolished, or repurposed – Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Bandimere Speedway, and Palm Beach International Raceway to name a few – I’ m so grateful that the track that means so much to me is still alive and well. The Bader family and Summit Motorsports Park recently hosted the 20th edition of the Summit Racing NHRA Nationals, and this issue should land sometime just before they welcome thousands of fans for the 49th annual Night Under Fire.
Thank you, Bader family, and thank you to all of the other track owners and operators who go the extra mile for their fans, their racers, and the sport. If your home track is doing something special, get out there and support it. Now more than ever, tracks need our collective support. DI
Feel free to email me at nate @ dragillustrated. com and follow me at facebook. com / nitronate1320 and nitronate1320 on Instagram and X.
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
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 Zaron, 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.
8 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated. com Issue 201