“ It might not be the U . S . Nationals , but Indy is Indy and it ’ s one of those deals where anytime you can win there , it ’ s a good thing .” - JONATHAN GRAY
MOVERS & SHAKERS
JAY COX ’ S BIGGEST FANS : Megan Cox spends time with son Levi , daughter Avery and the Cox family ’ s new puppy , Copper , while waiting for Jay Cox to come to the starting line for a Pro Nitrous qualifying run .
FIGHTER : Wayne Howell gets comfortable in his ‘ 91 Camaro , which he pilots entirely by hand controls , between rounds at Magnolia Dragway . The 50-yearold Ohio racer doesn ’ t let muscular dystrophy slow him down , even after a five-month stint in the hospital a few years ago . “ The doctors gave up on me . They told me I ’ d never get off a ventilator and never even eat on my own again ,” he says .
DEEP IN THOUGHT : Cory Voss thinks carefully as he services the clutch in Mike “ Murf ” Murphy ’ s Voss-powered Camaro , which Voss has been driving in PDRA Pro Outlaw 632 in addition to tuning the Voss family ’ s championship-winning Corvette driven by his brother , Dillon .
THINK PINK : Top Sportsman veteran Vonnie Mills starts to put on her helmet before making a pass in her bright pink , Buck-powered “ Show ‘ N Tell ” ‘ 06 Cobalt .
HEAD HONCHO : Mike Hodge sports his brand-new DI T-shirt on the starting line of Missouri ’ s Mo- Kan Dragway during the action-packed Funny Car Chaos event held Labor Day weekend . Hodge has been a fixture at the legendary facility for the last 34 years , serving as chief starter for the majority of that time .
PHOTOGRAPHS BY TARA BOWKER , VAN ABERNETHY AND SHAWN CROSE
44 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 160