Issue 91
LETTER from the EDITOR
Ron Capps
& the Road Ahead
THE INTERVIEW ISSUE
For Us, By Us
Bob Harris Takes Stock of Inaugural PDRA Season
P / M 324
How Billy Glidden Became Pro Mod’ s Underdog Hero
Richard Freeman
Pro Stock Team Owner Tells All
Haney & Martin Put On a Show
PLUS DAVE CONNOLLY SCOTTY GUADAGNO BILL BADER JR. RAY BULACH
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I won’ t hide the fact that I was a bit intimidated when DI Founder and Editorial Director Wes Buck proposed the inaugural DI Power 100 List during one of our editorial planning calls earlier this year.
For one, taking a look at all of the individuals in drag racing and narrowing the list down to 100 of the most influential people is a tall task. There are way more than a hundred people making a meaningful impact on the sport, and if you asked a hundred people to make their own Power 100 list, I’ m willing to bet there wouldn’ t be two identical lists.
Secondly, coming up with the Power 100 List and the creating its corresponding section in this issue would basically require the same arduous process as our annual DI 30 Under 30 List, then expanding it by a factor of three and removing the“ under 30” age limit.
Fortunately, we have so much practice from 10 years of 30 Under 30 lists that the process actually went rather smoothly. We had multiple hours-long calls to lock in our list of 100 honorees, then we went to work writing the features and sourcing photos. The resulting list is a wide-ranging look at who’ s making an impact on the sport today.
I emphasize that word because this isn’ t a Hall of Fame or a lifetime achievement award. Sure, there are people on the list who can also be found in the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame, but there are many more who are relatively early in their careers. But they’ re making moves, driving change, and steering the sport’ s future right here and now.
Our cover stars for this issue, Maddi Gordon and Ron Capps, are perfect examples. You have Maddi,
Nate Van Wagnen Editor-in-Chief
PRO MOD
MANIA
PDRA Norwalk, Cecil County $ 50K Invitational, MWDRS Throwdown in T-Town & More
LIZZY MUSI
1991- 2024
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Jasmine Salinas Ida Zetterström Kelly Clontz Leah Pruett
AND MORE
MADDI
GORDON Lives Her Top Alcohol Funny Car Dream
who is all but guaranteed to win NHRA Rookie of the Year honors later this year. She’ s become the breakout star of the season thanks to a combination of authentic enthusiasm and serious talent that results in win lights on the racetrack and long autograph lines off the track.
Then there’ s Ron, who will be inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America Class of 2027 despite entering what could be considered the prime of his career. After successfully fielding his own Funny Car team for the last handful of seasons, the three-time world champion added a Top Fuel dragster to his operation and brought Maddi up from the NHRA Lucas Oil Series’ Top Alcohol ranks to drive it. Rather than getting distracted by the new program, Capps and crew chief Dean“ Guido” Antonelli are as competitive as they’ ve ever been, winning three races in the regular season to lead the points after nine of the 13 races.
This is the second cover appearance for both Capps and Gordon. Technically, it’ s the third for Capps, who appeared on the cover of the 2023 Photo Annual in early 2024. Before that, he was the face of our 2014 Interview Issue. A few issues after Ron’ s Photo Annual cover, Maddi earned the cover of our 2024 Women of Power Issue as she navigated her first season driving her father’ s world championship-winning Top Alcohol Funny Car.
To borrow from the theme of the cover story, it’ s a safe bet to say this isn’ t the last time you’ ll see these two on the cover. Even with nearly 1,000 round wins to his name, Ron is far from done, and Maddi is just getting started DI. DI DI
DI DI DI DI DI DI DI
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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