Drag Illustrated Issue 156, May 2020 | Page 16
LETTER from the EDITOR
Nate Van Wagnen
Editor-in-Chief
As I write this, it’s
been exactly two
months since the inaugural
Drag Illustrated
World Doorslammer Nationals
presented by CTech Manufacturing
at Orlando Speed World Dragway
in early March.
As the members of the Drag Illustrated
staff packed up our mobile
workstation in the staging lanes
– thanks, Loren and Alan at Flying
A Motorsports – we couldn’t help
but feel like we just experienced the
biggest victory of the year. Little did
we know the race would be the last
major drag race for the next few
months.
The World Doorslammer Nationals was a significant
victory because when Drag Illustrated
puts on an event, be it a race like the World Series
of Pro Mod or the World Doorslammer Nationals,
or a party like DI After Hours Powered by Dodge,
we go all in. We don’t just put the DI name on
an event. Our whole team dives in, selling sponsorships,
hanging banners, organizing guest lists,
hiring caterers, ensuring racers and sponsors are
happy, and, of course, making sure the world knows
about said event.
DI Founder and Editorial Director Wes Buck,
Elite Motorsports’ Richard Freeman and Ozzy Moya
and his Orlando Speed World team had less than
three months to develop this race from a concept
to an actual living, breathing event with the biggest
names in Pro Stock and Pro Mod pouring through
the gates. It took teams of people from Drag Illustrated,
Elite Motorsports, Orlando Speed World
and Kingsridge Media to plan, organize, promote
and carry out the event. We also had help from the
marketing departments of some incredible event
sponsors, like CTech Manufacturing and JEGS.
We were fortunate to have some dedicated, talented
writers, photographers, videographers,
PR reps and content
creators working to help us spread
the word about this race and its
happenings through their own
various outlets.
Several photographers generously
offered to send in some of their
favorite photos from the event for
us to include in this permanent remembrance
of the inaugural Drag
Illustrated World Doorslammer
Nationals. You’ll see their names in
the photo credits throughout this
issue, but I’m also taking this opportunity
to thank them individually
for their contributions: Chris
Simmons, Roger Richards, Courtney Enders, Steve
Brenwald, Wayne Stewart, Darrell Martin, Ben
Heindl, Luke Nieuwhof, Kaylee Curran, Collin
Thomas and Dwayne Culpepper.
Along with the army of people working behindthe-scenes,
the race obviously wouldn’t have been
possible without the 18 Pro Stock teams and 33 Pro
Mod teams that headlined the event, along with
the dozens of drivers and crews that crowded the
staging lanes to race in Pro 632, Top Sportsman,
Super Pro and Pro ET. The features and photos that
cover the following pages are our way of showing
appreciation for the racers who showed up and
showed out at this inaugural event.
This is now the second issue that we’ve sent to
print amidst the challenges of our new pandemicstricken
world. While it would be easier – and
cheaper – to release this issue in a digital-only
format, we all felt like we owed it to everyone involved
in the World Doorslammer Nationals to
commit this special souvenir issue to print. It means
a little more.
Plus, there’s never been a better time to plop
down in the La-Z-Boy recliner and take in a magazine
in all its printed glory. DI
Feel free to email me at [email protected]
and follow me at facebook.com/nitronate1320
and nitronate1320 on Instagram and Twitter.
Wes Buck
CEO / Founder & Editorial Director
660.988.2313
[email protected]
Mike Carpenter
COO / Design & Production Director
704.737.2299
[email protected]
Scott Dorman
Publisher
615.478.5275
[email protected]
Nate Van Wagnen
Editor-in-Chief
440.986.1480
[email protected]
Nancy Koeppen
CFO
573.552.5551
[email protected]
Will Mandell
Senior Sales Executive
615.426.0465
[email protected]
JT Hudson
Sales Executive
660.341.0063
[email protected]
Josh Hachat
Editor-at-Large
740.627.1423
[email protected]
Van Abernethy
Senior Staff Writer & Field Subscription Sales
828.302.0356
[email protected]
Caroline Fox
Customer Service / Office Manager
660.988.2313
[email protected]
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Ian Tocher,
Ainsley Jacobs, Kelly Wade, Bobby
Bennett, Brandon W. Mudd, Tommy
D’Aprile, Allyson Johnson, Pete Epple
PHOTO DEPARTMENT: John Fore III, Van
Abernethy, Rick Belden, Tara Bowker, Shawn
Crose, Jason Dunn, Paul Grant, Chris Graves, Ron
Lewis, Will McDougle, Joe McHugh, Gary Nastase,
Mark J. Rebilas, Roger Richards, Cole Rokosky,
Chris Sears, Jason Sharp, James Sisk, Ian Tocher
ADVERTISING SALES:
615.478.5275
SUBSCRIPTIONS & CUSTOMER SERVICE:
660.988.2313
[email protected]
DRAG ILLUSTRATED MEDIA, LLC
902 Kings Road, Kirksville, MO 63501
P: 660.988.2313
F: 660.665.1636
www.dragillustrated.com
Copyright © 2020 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 Royle Printing in Sun Prairie, WI.
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.
PHOTOS: TARA BOWKER, KAYLEE CURRAN
16 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated.com Issue 156