LETTER from the EDITOR
When it comes
time to solicit the best work from our network of contributing photographers for the Photo Annual , the DI editorial team tries to determine a theme or general idea of what kind of photos we ’ d like to run . This theme helps photographers pick out a small selection of images to submit out of the many thousands they captured over the preceding season . It also helps us whittle the hundreds of images we receive down to around 50 to run in the magazine .
This year , you guessed it : things were a little different . We knew photographers had far fewer races to shoot , which meant fewer fiery explosions , fewer near-misses and direct hits , fewer over-the-top wheelstands and fewer colorful scenes to capture .
We opened up the submission guidelines to include just about anything . We asked photographers for their very best , but also for those images that would serve as a permanent , illustrated record of a
Nate Van Wagnen Editor-in-Chief year that was unlike any other this sport has ever seen .
The emails we received back from photographers had a common theme . Several frequent contributors weren ’ t able to make it to any races in 2020 , as travel restrictions and race cancellations made it nearly impossible for photographers outside the United States to shoot the events they ’ d usually cover . Other shooters sent in their favorites from the season , but freely admitted the year didn ’ t result in their best work . It was beginning to sound like our pickings would be slim for the 2020 Photo Annual .
But as I started downloading attachments and opening WeTransfer file links , it quickly became obvious that we would be just fine . The action shots were just as action packed . The candid photos of people captured the personalities perfectly . The burnout shots were just as smoky .
The collection of images on the following pages is a diverse mix of photos taken by an equally diverse mix of photographers . This group includes longtime , consistent DI contributors like James Sisk , Chris Sears and Tara Bowker , as well as first-time contributors like David Hilner , who actually grabbed his envious first cover with his shot of Kevin McMullin taking his Mustang up on one wheel ; an out-of-control , crazy scene to represent 2020 . We ’ ve featured images by young drag shooters like Cole Rokosky and Alex Owens , printed alongside images taken by industry veterans like Ian Tocher and Marc Gewertz .
When we all sat down to flip through the photos and select our 50 favorites , we made an effort to include the scenes that made this year so unique : people sporting face masks , starting lines and grandstands with smaller-than-normal crowds , and the like . But we didn ’ t want to make it all doom and gloom . So you ’ ll also find images of racers making the most of their time at the races : a little girl enthusiastically polishing her grandpa ’ s race car , a husband and wife celebrating each other ’ s accomplishments , crew members working gratefully , and professional race car drivers strapped into their offices after an unexpected layoff .
These scenes remind us that 2020 wasn ’ t all bad , but here ’ s to hoping that 2021 is a whole lot better . DI
Feel free to email me at nate @ dragillustrated . com and follow me at facebook . com / nitronate1320 and nitronate1320 on Instagram and Twitter .
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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS : Bobby Bennett , Craig Cook , Tommy D ’ Aprile , Pete Epple , Ainsley Jacobs , Allyson Johnson , Bret Kepner , Brandon W . Mudd , Ian Tocher , Kelly Wade
PHOTO DEPARTMENT : John Fore III , Van Abernethy , Rick Belden , Tara Bowker , Shawn Crose , Jason Dunn , Paul Grant , Chris Graves , Ron Lewis , Joe McHugh , Gary Nastase , Mark J . Rebilas , Roger Richards , Cole Rokosky , Chris Sears , James Sisk , Ian Tocher
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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 .
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PHOTOS : TARA BOWKER , BRENNAN SHORTALL
6 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 163