Counterweight
Feedback, Friendly Notes,
& Hate Mail
Perfect Timing
A really well-written and per-
fectly timed interview with Clay Mil-
lican [DI 121]. I’ve always been a
huge fan of Clay’s and cheered him
on, so it felt almost like a relief when
he was able to seal the deal in Bris-
tol. Such a huge achievement in this
day-and-age and he deserved it as
much or more than anyone ever has.
Marcus Gomez, via the Internet
dragillustrated.com
PUSHING
THE
LIMITS
Crew Chiefs,
Drivers Talk
Balancing
Performance
& Safety
WSOPM:
I think my favorite thing about
Clay Millican is that he speaks from
his heart. Clay and his family have
been through so, so much, and it’s
amazing to me that he’s so willing to
talk about everything that has trans-
pired. The fact that he remains so
upbeat and positive is, well, nothing
short of inspiring. Nate Van Wag-
nen’s major-league interview was
moving, insightful and entertain-
ing - everything I could ask for as a
longtime reader. Thank you.
Brian Miller, via the Internet
What timing? What are you guys
batting at this point? I can’t count
the number of people who have hit
the cover of Drag Illustrated only
to score some sort of major accom-
plishment in the coming weeks
and months, but…days? That’s
pretty awesome. Do you guys know
something we don’t know? Have a
connection?
Alvin Healy, via the Internet
[EDITOR-IN-CHIEF WES
BUCK REPLIES: Yeah, I know
a guy… :-) Just playing. We feel
super fortunate that so many of
our features have turned out to
be so well-timed. I do believe that
we spend so much time at the race
track and so much time with rac-
ers that we have a strong sense of
individual racers’ and teams’ mo-
mentum, and we try to capitalize
on that. Thanks for noticing!]
Will it Stop?
Appreciate you taking the time
not only print some of the ques-
tions you receive from readers, but
actually answering them, an d in
great detail. Always enjoy reading
14 | D r a g
MELANIE SALEMI
TALKS WILDCARD
SHOOTOUT
YOUNG
BLOOD!
TYLOR
MILLER
WAS
BORN
TO RACE
JASON SCRUGGS
STEVE SUMMERS
VINCENT FRANKS
JOHNNY PLUCHINO
CLAY MILLICAN
FIGHTS THE
GOOD FIGHT
your opinion on these pages and
listening to your opinions on your
show [Wes Buck Live!], so it’s nice
to see the Q&A format expanded
a little bit. Have to ask, especially
knowing you’ll likely provide an
answer, whether or not you believe
the growth in not just interest, but
participation in the NHRA Pro Mod
Drag Racing Series will continue, or
will this be a trend that comes to an
end soon?
Franklin Roberson,
via the Internet
[EDITOR-IN-CHIEF WES
BUCK REPLIES: Honestly,
Franklin, that’s something that
has weighed a little on me, too. I’ve
spent a good bit of time wonder-
ing how many of these guys that
are out here posting up career-best
numbers, but, ultimately, failing
to qualify for one J&A Service
NHRA Pro Mod race after another
will continue to do so. Knowing
what I know about racers, and
leaning on my own personal
racing experience, it’s that level
of competition that drives almost
all of these guys. There’s certainly
going to be some casualties as
this eliminator continues to
rapidly intensify in terms of the
I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
performance levels required to be
competitive, but I truly believe
we’ll see car counts remain strong
and interest in the category only
increase. I’ve said a lot publicly
about Pro Mod drag racing being
the universal language of drag
racing, and I stand by that - the
growth the Real Pro Mod Associa-
tion/NHRA Pro Mod series has
seen and is seeing is proof-positive.
There’s a point-of-no-return
here, though, that I believe has to
be respected. Most all these Pro
Mod guys are businessmen that
cannot easily attend 14-16 races
a year, but that’s another story
for another issue of the magazine.
Bottom line: NHRA opens up Indy
and you’d have 50-plus Pro Mod
cars there. Book it.]
Jet-Powered?
Very rarely is there anything
written about jet-powered race cars.
I admit that I’m not a racer - just
a hardcore fan - but I’m surprised
that so little ink is spilled on behalf
of jet car racing and the people who
drive them and own them. I get that
racers aren’t big fans, but I think
that’s a little bit of a worn-out no-
tion, right? Are they really that wor-
ried about them leaking kerosene
on the track? My point, mainly, is
just that it seems like jet cars bring
a lot of fans out to the drag strip,
and they do it on a regular basis. I
know they’re not nearly as complex
of machines as a Pro Stock car or a
Nitro Funny Car, but I don’t believe
anyone could argue that they are a
consistent winner when it comes
to drawing a crowd. Why not em-
brace it a little bit? Why not maybe
even pump them up a little bit, build
some interest and even some rival-
ries? Everyone wants to argue about
what type of race cars can and can-
not draw fans, but nobody wants to
talk about the one class of cars that
always can. What gives?
Henry Landreth, via the Internet
[EDITOR-IN-CHIEF WES
BUCK REPLIES: Wow, Henry,
you’ve got a great point. I will say
that we’ve done our best to spot-
light some deserving jet car pilots,
most recently Sarah Edwards, who
drives the Queen of Diamonds
II Jet Dragster and was named
to our 2016 Drag Illustrated 30
Under 30. I’ll admit, though, we
haven’t done enough. Some of drag
racing’s best and most dedicated
showmen operate in the jet racing
ranks, and I’m going to make it a
point to shine more light on these
men and women in the future.
Actually, I’ve always had this
dream of starting an outlaw jet
drag racing league and encourag-
ing these guys to race against each
other and really go crazy, but it
hasn’t come to fruition…yet. Stay
tuned for more, and thank you for
the letter and the insight. There’s
no doubt that jet cars are every
promoter’s “go to” when it comes to
satisfying fans.]
Contact Us
LETTERS to Drag Illustrated, 902 Kings Rd.,
Kirksville, MO, 63501. Letters become the
property of Drag Illustrated and may be
edited for publication.
E-MAIL [email protected]
SUBSCRIBER SERVICES Go to
dragillustrated.com
• Subscribe • Renew • Cancel
• Missing Issues
• Give a Gift • Pay Bill • Change of Address
Issue 122