Building on a successful relationship that spans nearly two decades, Edelbrock is proud to announce an enhanced partnership with Pat Musi Racing Engines that will cater to the hardcore drag racing market.

At the center of the partnership is a new crate engine program created specifically for drag racers which features the Musi 632 Top Sportsman / Top Dragster engine. Equipped with Edelbrock Big Victor 12 degree cylinder heads customized by Musi and top-of-the-line components from carburetor to oil pan, this engine is perfect for fast bracket racers looking for 1,250 HP (without nitrous, 1,650 HP with nitrous) and unmatched durability.

Besides the complete engine available from Pat Musi Racing Engines, individual components are also available directly from both Edelbrock and Musi as part of the program. Available components include the aforementioned 12 degree cylinder heads in addition to Victor Musi Big-Block Chevy 24 degree CNC cylinder heads, Super Victor II CNC intake manifold, and Big Victor 2 Spread-Port Tall Deck intake manifold.

Edelbrock is also continuing its support of Pat Musi’s 27-year-old daughter, Lizzy Musi, in the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) Pro Nitrous ranks as a primary sponsor of Musi and her record-shattering Pro Nitrous 2018 Dodge Dart. Powered by a nitrous-breathing, fuel-injected 959 cubic inch engine crafted and tuned by her father, Musi’s Dart is the world’s quickest and fastest nitrous-assisted doorslammer in the 1/8th mile.

“We’re excited to continue building our relationship with Pat Musi Racing Engines and Musi Racing. Since Edelbrock’s early days, Vic Sr. and Vic Jr. both have supported many forms of racing. It’s in our DNA. It’s really important to our organization to support the racer as well as the engine builder. Both are very important to the future of our industry,” stated Steve Whipple, Edelbrock Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

The official unveiling of the partnership will take place in the Edelbrock booth (#1713) on Friday, December 7 at 1:00 PM EST at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) trade show, held at the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis. The complete Musi 632 cubic inch engine, Big Victor cylinder heads, and Big Victor and Super Victor intake manifolds will be on display alongside Musi’s Edelbrock-backed Pro Nitrous machine. After the announcement, Pat and Lizzy Musi will be signing limited edition posters in the Edelbrock booth until 3:00 PM. Additional autograph sessions with Pat and Lizzy are scheduled for Thursday, December 6, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM and from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM in the Edelbrock booth.

Pat Musi Racing Engines will also continue to perform extensive research and development for the company, which has long excelled as a leader in the specialty performance automotive aftermarket.

“Edelbrock has a lot of faith in me, which makes me feel good, and I have a lot of faith in them,” Musi said. “They are dedicated and want to have an even greater presence in racing. I think they are capable of doing that and I think I can help them get there. Both companies are getting stronger, and the relationship is getting stronger. It gives us credibility and it gives me confidence, and that really means a lot. We’ve worked together on a lot of projects and we get along great. It’s just a good team.”

S&W is pleased to offer something unique and special this holiday season. The lightweight 3D Printed plastic dragster ornaments are available in 4 colors: Orange, Blue, Gray & Black. They are 1-1/2 in. high x 6 in. long x 1/4 in. thick. Your ornament(s) will arrive complete and ready to hang in your favorite spot, or they can be quietly slipped into any stocking!

P/N 90-018

Price: $5.00 ea. + shipping

Order yours here!

For the second year in a row CompetitionPlus.com owner and publisher Bobby Bennett will unveil a new episode of the popular Legends: The Series at the 31st Annual Performance Racing Industry Trade Show in the PRI Media Center inside the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.  The premiere, which will be sponsored by Aeromotive Fuel Systems, will take place on December 7 at 2:30 p.m. and will feature 4-time NHRA champion Gary Scelzi, one of the most outrageous, outspoken and dominant drivers in the history of drag racing.

“It is always exciting to launch a new Legends episode, but it is extra special to do it in the company with passionate drag racing fans and it an event like the PRI Trade Show,” said Bobby Bennett. “Last season was an emotional launch with the Eric Medlen episode, so this year I felt it was best to go in a different direction. I wholeheartedly feel Gary Scelzi has one of those stories which can trigger every emotion, especially laughter. I am honored to be able to tell his story. He stepped into the toughest situation imaginable and delivered a championship performance. “

This is the final episode of Season 4 which has included a “Who’s Who” of drivers including the late Eric Medlen, Jeb Allen, John Force, Warren Johnson, Dale Pulde, Jim Dunn, Larry Dixon, and Al Segrini. The Legends: The Series presented by Strange Engineering has exceeded three million YouTube.com views since launching in May 2014.

“This is a big moment in my life,” explained Gary Scelzi. “I still have a hard time coming to grips with being referred to as a legend. When I think of legends I think of Don Garlits, Shirley Muldowney, Kenny Bernstein and John Force. Those are the legends of my era. I remember being a young kid and watching them race. For me to be a legend, I have to say, ‘Are you sh*tting me’?”

“When I first started driving Top Fuel, someone came over and asked for an autograph, and immediately I looked around to see who was sending this person over to mess with me,” said Scelzi. “It never dawned on me that people looked at me that way. It was humbling and exciting at the same time. To have this episode premiere at PRI is even better because as I see it, PRI is THE racer’s event.”

Legends: The Series was born out of a desire by CompetitionPlus.com founder and publisher Bobby Bennett to create original content for the internet in the same fashion he built CompetitionPlus.com into one of the most trusted news outlets for drag racing. 

Aeromotive Fuel Systems, a leading fuel systems manufacturer, provided the platform again for this unique debut event. Steve Matusek, CEO of Aeromotive, is a long-time fan of the online documentary series.
 
“For us at Aeromotive, a company that understands and appreciates the history of drag racing, we couldn’t be happier to sponsor such an artistic overview of the legends of our sport, and what made the sport what it is today,” Matusek said. “We are fans of the Legends series and enjoy watching each episode.”
 
The “accidental” pilot for the series was produced in October 2013, when Bennett attempted a larger project than he had ever undertaken as an amateur internet videographer with a documentary focusing on 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force’s pursuit of sponsorship in his earliest days of fuel racing. Inspired by the tremendous response, Bennett decided it would be his mission to get the stories of the drag racing legends while they were still around to tell them. 

CompetitionPlus.com will celebrate its 20^th year of publication in 2019. One of the first drag racing internet magazines, it has thrived through punctual and factual reporting implementing the values of print journalism into the cyber world. As early as 1999, the electronic magazine was implementing video into its content before launching a full scale effort in 2012. 

The online version will upload at 8 p.m., EST at CompetitionPlus.com following the premiere.

In this new video, drag radial-slash-Pro Mod star ‘Stevie Fast’ Jackson walks viewers through a quarter-mile pass in the infamous “Shadow 2.0” 2015 Chevrolet Camaro, which he campaigns in NHRA Pro Mod, Radial vs. the World and outlaw Pro Modified events.

It’s an incredibly in-depth explanation of what’s going on inside one of these supercharged, methanol-chugging monsters from the time the starter spins over until the car pulls off the end of the track.

The 2017 NHRA Pro Mod Rookie of the Year even goes into detail about his own personal habits and mindset when he’s competing in cutthroat races like the World Series of Pro Mod and NHRA U.S. Nationals. 

I will always remember the first time I rolled through the gates of Osceola Dragway back in 2015. I found it especially astonishing to see NHRA Top Fuel competitor Terry McMillen blending into the scenery that day and wrenching away on a front-engine nitro car parked in the grassy pit area of this time-honored drag strip tucked away in the northern tip of Indiana in the town of Osceola.

McMillen’s shop was located less than a mile from the track, and he told me he’s been coming here on a regular basis since the 1970s when he’s not on tour. To be certain, I completely dig the place, too, although with my zig-zag travels across America, it’s taken me three years to revisit this vintage facility that was built in 1957.

I’ll also never forget the day I met Ruth Chizum, the sharp-witted widow who owns and operates this track. Her late husband, Art Chizum, built the place from scratch. She and Art didn’t meet until the early 1980s, and when he told her he owned a “drag strip” on the other end of town, she didn’t know exactly what he meant, although she imagined it as some type of strip mall. Ruth can tell the story so much better than I can, and she had me rolling as she recounted her initial disappointment when she first saw the track. “Where are all the stores?” she inquired to Art. Regardless, the two fell in love and she also developed an affection for his drag strip as their years together accumulated.

When Art passed in 2000, Ruth continued operating the track. “Me and a whole lot of help,” she smiles. Her son, Tim, lives on site and cuts the grass and performs electrical work, among many other tasks. She was 83 years old in 2015 when I first visited Osceola, and I can fondly recall McMillen escorting her out onto the starting line and posing for a picture, which we used for my “On the Road” column to illustrate the original story.

Upon my return visit to Osceola last month, Ruth told me she has put the track up for sale. She’s now 86 years old, is still in fairly splendid health and is eager to see what sort of retirement activities await her. “I thought about becoming a bag lady and living on the beach!” she tells me. Her wit is as sharp as ever. She actually took a trip to the Florida Keys last year and while there, visited the former home of famed novelist Ernest Hemingway. Enamored with the experience, she has taken an interest in Hemingway’s novels and finds herself combing through bookstores in search of his works.

As for the fate of the drag strip, it’s been for sale for over a year now and so far there’s been no takers, so she continues to operate it each and every week. Hardly an event goes by that one of her regulars doesn’t walk up and thank her for keeping the track going for so long. Each and every Friday, she hosts a huge crowd of test-and-tune participants, with bracket racing every Sunday afternoon.

“I measure a good day when everyone has fun and there are no accidents. I also love it when no one argues, and if a racer loses on the starting line they don’t say it’s the track’s fault!” she laughs.

Ruth is steadfast in her belief that Osceola Dragway is what’s kept her going all these years. “Because of this track, I have an agenda each morning and a plan for the day.” Still, the notion of extra freedom to travel (and Hemingway to read), not to mention more time to attend her granddaughter’s volleyball games, is all too alluring to pass up, so the track remains for sale.

Furthermore, no visit to Osceola Dragway is complete without spending some quality time with Roger Woodruff, who’s been announcing the races here for nearly 30 years. He landed his announcing gig after he told Art, “You’re the worst announcer I’ve ever heard!” It sounds kind of mean, I realize, but you’d have to understand their relationship. Regardless, Art snaps back, “Well, if you think you can do any better, just get up there and let’s see what you can do!” Without hesitation, Roger darts up the stairs of the tower, grabs the mic and begins calling the action in furious fashion.

Previous to that fateful stunt, Roger was actually a dedicated racer here at Osceola, but wasn’t allowed to ever compete again after his mad announcing skills became public knowledge. “Art says to me, ‘You’re the new announcer effective immediately!'” Woodruff never again raced at Osceola, but instead, has been reporting to the tower for going on 3 decades. “And he never runs out of anything to say!” laughs Ruth.

Roger can also recount some classic stories about the track. Among my favorites is the one he tells about the young blonde television reporter who came out to the track to do a local story. They encouraged her to take a ride down the track in the passenger seat with one of their regulars, Alan Connors, who had a pretty fast car.

“After the ride was over, Alan says to me, ‘Roger, that woman screamed all the way through the burnout, all the way down the track, all the way up the return road and was still screaming when I let her out in the staging lanes!'” laughs Woodruff. They never saw the girl again.

Woodruff also tells a fascinating, first-hand account of how Warren Johnson used to test a mid-1970s model Pro Stock Camaro here at Osceola in the late 1970s through the early 1980s.

“This was after he left Minnesota, but before he moved to Georgia – he actually lived in Elkhart, Indiana, for a short time,” Roger recalls. “He would tow this Pro Stock Camaro on an open trailer and sit patiently in the pits until after the race was over, then he’d unload the car and make test runs. He would do this on a regular basis anytime there wasn’t a national event somewhere.”

Roger saw WJ in Milan, Michigan, a number of years later and reminded him of his little-known testing exploits.

“WJ looks at me and says, ‘You better not ever tell anyone I used to test my cars at Osceola!’ I don’t guess he minds me telling that story since it’s been so long ago,” Roger laughs.

It must have been a peculiar sight – even 40 years ago – for a Pro Stock car to be making test laps on a drag strip that used a dirt mound for a retaining wall! Osceola never even installed metal guardrails until 2001, after U.S. 131 Dragway in Martin, Michigan, gave them their old ones after installing concrete walls.

Over the years, Osceola has made improvements and updates, but it’s never came close to losing its yesteryear appeal. The track is actually more heavily promoted now than ever before, Ever since Ashley Finney began making regular Facebook updates, the track suddenly has taken on a social media presence it never had before.

Regardless, though, the racers here find themselves holding their breath as the track remains for sale. Yes, there’s a grandfather clause that allows it to remain a drag strip, although there’s no guarantees regarding its future. Only time will tell how this story unfolds, so until then, all involved will keep hoping for the best while continuing to revel in the good times, both past and present.

This “On the Road” column originally appeared in DI #136, the Crew Chief Issue, in September of 2018. 

Without question, a top-notch crew chief is a necessity to be successful in drag racing. But in 2018 can that person also double as the driver? The sport was built on the do-it-yourself competitor, someone who made the tuning calls and then got behind the wheel. Of course, technology and the rapid advancements in the sport have made that DIY role nearly extinct.

There are a variety of factors as to why. The maintenance program is different and far more complex. The rise of torque converters has forever changed things, and there’s a bevy of specialists and variables that add to the complexities of being a crew chief. Doing that and driving has become a rarity and when all the responsibilities are considered, it may be understandable.

The old expression “bringing a knife to a gunfight” comes to mind with the DIY role, and yet some have still managed to thrive and take great pride in doing so. As those in that particular situation explain, it usually comes down to work ethic and a willingness to adapt while also recognizing the odds are stacked against them.

DRAG ILLUSTRATED talked to a number of crew chiefs – including some who double as drivers – to get their takes on if it’s still possible to be both tuner and driver, and how dramatically the role of crew chief has changed with the technological advances in the sport in recent years.

Brad Personett

Pro Mod

Brad Personett was one of the top DIY guys in Pro Mod at one time, tuning his car and then driving it to great success for a number of years. But those days are far removed for him. His days of driving are done and now he’s the hired gun, making the tuning calls for top racers, including Pro Mod standout Shane Molinari. He trusts Personett to make the proper calls in key situations and more often than not, he delivers. It’s a far different role, but in Personett’s mind, doing it all is no longer feasible.

“It’s what the sport has become. There’s not enough time in the day to keep up with it. That’s the deal in Pro Mod. If you can’t put together the budget to do it, you might as well not even go.

If you can’t go out and make runs and eliminate problems, you’re just wasting your time and money. You’re just not magically going to go down the track. I have customers overseas and they see everybody go fast, and they think they can just do it.

But everybody has experience now. You’re not just going to show up on Friday and be successful. There’s so many more variables other than just seeing if the track is good. You have to make gut calls of what you can and can’t get away with. The people with the most experience and the most runs, they have the upper hand.

It’s pretty much stayed on the same plane as far as maintaining these things and putting parts on them. But you can’t afford not to. The stuff has to be stayed on top of and cars have to have a full-time guy. You can’t come unprepared.

With the torque converter, you get smarter with every run. It’s evolved so much, now you can go up and go down the track every run and just destroy someone on the starting line. There’s no advantage to having a clutch.

(Torque converters) are only getting better and better. Things are just evolving and there’s a lot more variables to juggle and stay on top of. If you had a competitive car back in the day and show up running that now, you’re racing for spot 18-24 or worse, guaranteed. That’s just the way it is.”

Rickie Smith

Pro Mod
The king of DIY, at least in the Pro Mod ranks, Smith has done it all, mostly because it’s the only way he knows how. The track record of wins and championships speaks for itself, showcasing a work ethic unmatched in the sport. But even Smith has enlisted help, working with Brandon Switzer as his team includes a second car with driver Khalid AlBalooshi.

“I make my tune-up calls, drive my own 18-wheeler, drive the car and go out and get most of my sponsors. I just don’t roll in and get out of the way. I try to do my own work. I guess it’s become I’ve done it all years ago when I came up through the Pro Stock ranks and I helped a lot of the Pro Stock guys in the early 2000s.

I had my own engine shop, I built my own engines, I know how to read spark plugs and all that stuff. It’s just being able to stay on top of it. If I had to quit for a couple of years, I would have gotten pretty lost. I’ve stayed involved and it’s kept me up to date.

The last 4-5 years it’s advanced so much. I just didn’t want to get into having to hire a crew chief with a turbo car, that’s the reason I stayed with nitrous cars.

(But) what’s helped me some is I hired Brandon Switzer. He’s taken over (Khalid AlBalooshi’s) car and I can focus on my car more. We share information, we try stuff, we go back and forth and that’s helped me with the automatic. It helps to have someone to bounce things off of and we’ve got confidence in each other.

A lot of it for me is old-school driving, being able to feel it in the seat more than looking at the computer. You feel what the engine is doing and a lot of things you’ll feel that a computer won’t tell you. A lot of drivers can’t tell you that, understanding what the engine is supposed to feel like. I’ve still got that old Pro Stock mentality. That’s just the way I’ve always raced and it’s saved me a lot over the years.

The torque converter was a learning curve and it still is. I have a little more confidence in it, but I didn’t have a clue what to do with it. I’ve definitely come a long way the last few months. It definitely made (the car) more consistent. But a pro in my book runs clutches. An automatic is for people who don’t want to work on cars, thrash on them. You have to have a better crew chief to run a clutch.”

Tim Wilkerson

Funny Car

In many ways, Wilkerson is living the American dream. He runs an auto repair shop and also goes 320 mph in his Funny Car, a dream that Wilkerson made reality. He runs his race team out of his shop and Wilkerson has managed to stay successful in a world of super-teams. It’s never been easy, but Wilkerson has 10 straight top 10 finishes, living the dream while always managing to persevere.

“I would say I’m the only guy who does all of it. Maybe Del (Worsham) and I. Fans tell me it’s cool I do that, but probably in the next 2-5 years that will be over with.

More than anything, it’s just a necessity. I can’t really afford to hire a full-time crew chief. Richard Hartman has been a lot of help and I’ve had good job offers, but I really enjoy doing what I’m doing.

The coolness of doing it all, it’s really intriguing to me, the tune-up part of it. The psychology part is the hardest part anymore, but I really enjoy racing the bigger teams.

It’s good for the sport. I probably heard it 50 times (in Seattle) and I didn’t even really get a chance to stand around. But it’s good to see a privateer running well and I think that’s NHRA’s goal to try to keep it close.

The whole sport is trying to have a progression where people end up in Super Comp and then go to Comp and then to Alcohol (Dragster or Funny Car) and then to nitro. That’s always been the sport’s goal, but the nitro cars have just gotten so expensive.

I got in this because I like to go fast and I do it because it’s exciting and I want to be at the top of the sport.

It’s people, it really is. I know that in my own business. I’ve got quality people in my auto engine shop and machine shop and this has gotten that way, too, where we train them and somebody else hires them. It seems to start over every couple years.

I’m not bad-mouthing anyone. I get it. But it shows. It takes us 6-8 races to get going and we went through a terrible start to the season where everything went wrong.

The parts attrition (now) is just awful. It goes up 10-15 percent a year. You used to get 10 runs on a rod, now it’s five. At Denver, you throw half the rods away every run. You used to get 10-12 runs out of crankshafts, now you get five and it’s a much more quality piece now.

It’s a good show for the fans, but we know the costs are out of control. At the end of the day we’re in the entertainment business and it’s such a unique experience. It’s a tightrope you walk, trying not to screw that up.

But this and how we’ve done it is a huge source of pride. My wife came to me about 20 years ago and saw I had nitro Funny Car in my veins. I owned six gas stations at one time and this is way more fun than selling tires and batteries every day. We started at the bottom and we haven’t gotten to the level of John (Force) or Kenny (Bernstein), but we’re really enjoying ourselves. We go there to win the race and it’s a great source of pride for me and a great source of pride for my guys at the shop.”

Todd Tutterow

Pro Mod

Good luck trying to take the tuning reigns from Tutterow, who has prospered despite taking on every role he can. That’s just the way he likes it and the track record speaks for itself. But Tutterow has also been flexible and open to new ideas, a major reason why he’s stayed relevant and at the top of the heap for decades. It’s also gone a long way in earning the respect of fellow drivers and legions of fans.

“There are just a few of us (DIY guys) left. There’s very few of us who drive our trucks, set up, drive and tune. There’s been enough money that’s come in the sport that you can buy a car and pay someone else to do all that.

I’ve been doing it for years. I tune my own car because I drive it and I also tune other people’s car. That’s something I’ve always done, basically do everything but paint the car.

Yeah, it may be a dying breed. There are very few people that can still do it all. Brad Personett is one. There’s a few left, but teams have gotten bigger.

It’s such a long process to pick up stuff, gain that knowledge and learn, and continue to add to it. It has gotten more specialized and there’s so much technology involved.

I try to keep an open mind and I’ll try anything. But you have to think out of the box. Just because you used to do something that way doesn’t mean it still works. I go off the hip and adapt, and it’s really gotten easier as far as the driving because it’s all automated. The tracks are perfect and that’s the reason the cars have gotten faster – the tire technology and the track prep technology.

The torque converters are getting better and better and the tuning windows open way up. I’m a clutch guy by heart, but when something is available and it’s better… If you don’t have it, you’re at a disadvantage.

For me, it’s a personal satisfaction. I’ve never had anybody tune my stuff. It’s just a matter of experience.”

Rick Jones

Pro Stock
The noted car builder is also a top crew chief for Elite Performance, making the calls on Erica Enders’ two Pro Stock world championships. But there’s nothing DIY about Pro Stock these days. Instead, it’s like a 2,000-piece jigsaw puzzle that must be put together every hour several times a weekend. Having it all click is never easy, but getting it to do so is part of the thrill for Jones.

“It’s definitely very sophisticated anymore, especially with the EFI stuff. You’ve got an engine tuner, an engine guy who does all the maintenance, a clutch guy, a back half guy and so on. When we come back after a run, there’s a lot going on, and Rickie (Jones, Rick’s son) and me look at all the data.

EFI has made it more difficult. You have a tuner just for that. It didn’t really used to be that way. It has gotten way more sophisticated. There’s more data, more things to pay attention to and more things to watch.

After we come back from a run we’re always tuning to the track because the car changes. The racetrack gives you ‘X’ amount of grip. When it’s good you make changes, when it’s bad you make changes. That means you have to work on transmission ratios, clutch, get the optimum power to the rear and you need really good notes. It’s very hard. You have to have a lot of experience to know what to do.

The driver comes back and also tells you things and you have to tie it all together and make a decision. You make a list on every run and you make the best, educated guess you can.

At this level, that’s a lot of pressure, so you have to have a really good group of people, a good core of people. Everyone works well together. Everything has to jive together. The engine guy has to believe in the crew chief, and we have to pull from everybody.

Ultimately, drag racing is about grip. The hotter it is, the less grip it has, so when the track gets hot that goes away. When the track is hot, you have to put more bite in the car. If you go up there and it’s 85 degrees, you may pick up 50-80 pounds of grip. The rubber gets tighter and you can’t go up there with the same amount of bite because your car can have too much grip and be slow.

It’s all about grip and how much available grip the track has to how much bite you have in your car.”

Dean Marinis

Radial Tire

The class was every bit DIY for a number of years, but like everything in drag racing, things change and they change in a hurry. The top teams have hired tuning guns, all centered on finding an extra performance edge. Marinis still goes the DIY route, but his opinion is highly regarded by others, too. Still, Marinis likes the workmanlike nature of the class and it’s something he won’t ever change when it comes to his approach.

“I consider myself a DIY’er from chassis to the engine to whatever else. I specialize in the nitrous end and it’s become a lot more involved. Everything has to be in place to make it run well.

The competition is so close your brain has to be in overdrive the whole time. Every round has to be a good round, so it’s definitely challenging. It’s one of those deals if you had a job to do and didn’t love what you’re doing, you would never do it. The hours we put in, we leave the track and the wheels are still turning on the way home, planning for the next week and the next race.

But I always give 100 percent. The day I give 95 percent, I’m going to call it a day.

Things have definitely evolved and you have to look at all aspects of it. Every single aspect has become critical. Your bottles are filled to the ounce. You want the last check on the tires right as the thing is hitting the water box. As the competition has grown, it really puts a premium on the details. There are so many variables – shocks have come a long way, new struts, the way the car launches at the starting line – there’s so much stuff on these cars now, it’s crazy.

The converters have come a long way, but again if you want to be up front you have to be locked in on every aspect of it. Now we’re changing turbines, pumps, and all that. There’s different clutch clearances in the lock-ups and there’s no longer one converter that does it all.

One key that remained the same is power management. I’m lucky to have the right people behind me helping out, getting me the proper tools. One of the advantages of the radial tire has always been about power management and knowing how the track is going to react.”

Photographs by Joe McHugh, Cole Rokosky, Rick Belden and Sadie Glenn

This story originally appeared in DI #136, the Crew Chief Issue, in September of 2018.

The S&W Performance Group has formally announced the addition of 3D Printing, to their extensive list of services. Their commercial division, S&W Precision Specialties, now has the ability to provide rapid prototyping to both industrial market and performance motorsports industry clients.

“Our group embraces new technologies and we’re always keeping watch on new equipment and evolving technologies,” said S&W’s President, Michael Weney. “Valued customers and our company will both benefit, as a direct result of our latest investment.”

S&W’s engineering and design department will work closely with their clients, to create parts used for functional prototypes, casting, fiberglass layup, one-off specialty and/or short run production. The layer height tolerance is .002” and the process utilizes materials such as; PLA, PETG, Carbon Fiber and more. An assortment of popular colors and materials are standard and stocked. Additional color and material choices are available by request. 

For additional information and RFQ’s, please call 610-948-7332.

Tony Gillig made a name for himself racing in IHRA and NHRA Pro Stock in the 1990s, driving a family-owned Oldsmobile Cutlass with considerable success. His career continued through the 2000s as a hired-gun wheelman in the Fun Ford Series, securing a championship in his first season before returning to IHRA Pro Stock for the 2003-2006 seasons. He made his last pass down the track in Extreme Pro Stock in 2011, unsure when he would race again.

Gillig made his triumphant return to the eighth-mile earlier this summer at the PDRA Firecracker Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park, where he made his debut in East Side Auto Transport Pro Outlaw 632. Driving a throwback ’96 Cutlass powered by a MadCap-built 632 ci engine with a Liberty 5-speed and Ram clutch, Gillig raced Jordan Ensslin and No. 1 qualifier Johnny Pluchino before a carburetor issue bit him in the final round.

During a break in the action at PDRA Drag Wars at GALOT Motorsports Park, Gillig sat down with DRAG ILLUSTRATED to talk about returning to racing, finding a new home in Pro Outlaw 632, and racing with his family.

What was it about Pro Outlaw 632 that caught your interest?

 I think it’s pretty cool. I think it gives guys like us – guys who have been diehard Pro Stock fans and like to race naturally aspirated with a clutch – a place to race. We won’t race NHRA Pro Stock – it’s ridiculous. The Mountain Motor Pro Stock stuff here is pretty cool. I’ve done it in the past and did well. We wanted to do something maybe a little more low-key. This thing fit into some other classes, too. We have some Nostalgia Pro Stock stuff going on in the Midwest that this can fit into. If we had to, we could also run in A/Altered in Comp over in NHRA. We kind of built this thing with the intention of being able to run it other classes, too, rather than something specific like a mountain motor or 500-inch Pro Stock car. Plus, we’re just NA guys that won’t run nitrous and won’t run automatics. This is a good fit for us and it came along at the right time. This class came along right when we were wanting to get back into racing, so we were lucky. 

Your new Gillig-Wagner Motorsports Cutlass is a beautiful piece. What went into bringing it out for its debut?

Tara Bowker photo

We decided to build this car for the 632 class and we wanted to build a replica of our original Cutlass that we built in the ’90s and ran in IHRA and NHRA Pro Stock. We quit racing in ’01 and sold the car. We tried to buy the car back from the guy who bought it from us, but he wouldn’t sell it. My dad found this car out in Vegas. It’s an old Don Ness car that Mike Edwards drove in NHRA Pro Stock. We bought it, brought it home, stripped it and started over. Just completely and totally redid the car and put it together the way we wanted to do it. We had a motor built by MadCap. So far, so good. There’s only 15-16 runs on it, so we’re still trying to figure some things out on it, but so far, it’s been a pretty cool deal. 

Did you exceed your expectations by making it to the final round at your first race?

We didn’t know what to expect. We thought we had enough power to run in the top half of the field and go out and make some noise. The car ran pretty good, but we had some struggles that weekend. We beat Johnny Pluchino second round and we had a bye into the finals. In the final round we had a needle and seat stick in the carburetor and I couldn’t get it to unstick. It was flooding the motor over after the burnout. I just staged the car and hoped for the best. In all reality, just being out for the first time with the car, things went pretty well for us. I can’t complain about going to the final. 

Who do you have working on the car?

My dad is the brains behind this thing. My brother-in-law, Billy Wagner, is our crew chief. He’s been around this stuff forever. He was John Montecalvo’s crew chief in the ’90s, Larry Morgan’s crew chief in the late ’90s through early 2000s when he was with Mopar, and he worked for Bob Benza, too. My sister, Chrissy Wagner, also comes with us. We’ve got some pretty good knowledge here, we just have to get our stuff together and get this car worked out. It should be pretty fast when we’re done with it. 

Your family has been deeply involved in drag racing for decades. How special is it to be able to all race together now?

We’re having a blast together. We never raced together, by brother-in-law, my dad and I. It was always my dad and I, then Billy was somewhere else and we were racing against him. This is a family deal and we’re all doing it together now. That’s the most important thing: getting us all together and spending time at the racetrack together. 

This story originally appeared in DI #137, the World Series of Pro Mod Issue, in October of 2018. 

Who doesn’t love a quality UFO story? Oh sure, there’s plenty of time-honored tales, eyewitness accounts, even the occasional abduction debacle…and then there’s the “Roswell Incident”. The latter is the most well-known and celebrated UFO story of all time, and it goes something like this: In the summer of 1947 “something” plunged to earth and crashed onto a ranch just north of Roswell, New Mexico. That much of the story is pretty much undeniable. What’s very much deniable (especially if you’re the U.S. government) is the claim that the debris found on a New Mexico ranch more than 70 years ago was that of a flying saucer with alien occupants on board!

While the military has long maintained their assertion that the crash in Roswell was merely a weather balloon (very common in those days), there’s actually a surprising number of people who swear by the alien version of the story. There’s even an astonishing amount of people who have reportedly made “deathbed confessions” that they even saw humanoid bodies, either at the crash site or at Walker Air Force Base, where the wreckage was hauled. In 1994, a film called simply “Roswell” starring Martin Sheen and Dwight Yoakam was produced about the incident, and honestly, after seeing the movie decades ago I’ve been pretty intrigued with the tale, which has universally become one of the most enduring mysteries of the 20th century.

Intrigued or not, merely visiting Roswell for the sake of saying I went seemed pretty far-fetched (even with my extensive travels), but when I found out Roswell also had a drag strip – the appropriately named Alien City Dragway – it was just too tempting to pass up! There’s even a cool twist that links the drag strip with the actual “Roswell Incident”. The aforementioned Walker Air Force Base is now the present-day location of Roswell International Airport, which actually leases one of the runways to Alien City Dragway for NHRA-sanctioned races. I recently visited the track mid-week and was treated to an entertaining tour of the facility by the drag strip’s chairman of the board, Ben Thomas.

“Just think,” says Thomas, “whatever it was that crashed that day was hauled right here to this very location and stored in one of these hangers, we just don’t know which one…but I’m sure somebody would talk!” he laughs, knowing full well he was sending my extraterrestrial imaginations into a frenzy.

For certain, ask anyone in town and they’ll tell you that the “UFO story” has done wonders for Roswell’s tourism industry. Alien-themed trinket shops line Main Street, and if you ever find yourself in Roswell, be sure to visit the International UFO Museum and Research Center. Even the drag strip capitalized on the flying saucer fame, not only with the catchy track name, but also by erecting a giant wooden alien at the top of the staging lanes. “It’s what this town is famous for,” laughs Thomas.

The drag racing scene here in southeast New Mexico dates back to the 1960s when a small track in Roswell was opened by a local car club. “Old school” is how those early days are fondly described by the older generation who lived it. Not a speck of shade and a sea of open trailers and blue tarps dotted the pit area, and by the mid-1970s the original track in Roswell had barely advanced from flag starts to the earliest, crudest version of a Chrondek portable timing system. Every weekend, 1,320 feet of cable was rolled out and connected to a set of win lights, likewise portable. The race cars themselves were often crude examples of hot rods, and sometimes racers were known to show up at Roswell with the intention of using a rope as a seatbelt.

It was like the Wild West of drag strips during those early years, but then the track received a fundamental dose of advancement when Rick Callaway moved to Roswell from San Diego, California, in 1974. Callaway was a successful racer and entrepreneur who brought Southern California performance, not to mention a measure of professionalism, to rural New Mexico. By now, the car club that founded the track in Roswell was starting to fall apart and they persuaded Callaway to run the track. He obliged, and successfully oversaw the track’s week-to-week operations for quite a few years while simultaneously operating a track in El Paso, Texas.

Callaway met his eventual wife, Tracy, through drag racing and they had two daughters, Lindsey and Jessi. Before long, operating drag strips became a family affair, and it was actually the Callaways who opened the present-day version of the track at Roswell International Airport in 1996, originally called Roswell Dragway. It was a successful enterprise under the Callaway family’s guidance, but in 1998 the family was rocked with news that their oldest daughter, Lindsey, had a brain tumor. She fought the disease bravely, but sadly passed away in 2000 at just 16 years of age.

The Callaways were devastated and promptly sold the track shortly after Lindsey’s death. The facility was reopened by a variety of people, but it never seemed to regain the traction it once had. In 2013, the track shut down, seemingly for good, and remained shuttered for several seasons. After much persuasion, Rick and Tracy came back to give it another go nearly 15 years later and incredibly, they rekindled the old magic when they relaunched the track in 2015. “People waited in line for more than two hours on opening night,” Rick says. “It was incredible to see.”

The reorganized track now operates with a seven-member board of directors and a brand-new manager, Roger Buck, who is set to succeed Callaway later this year, as the Callaways originally agreed to only reopen the track and run it for two seasons, although their tenure was extended for a third year at the board’s persuasion.

Alien City Dragway has a most unique backdrop of hundreds of commercial jets parked on the adjoining property, some of which are awaiting repairs, while others are in line to be scrapped, plus the bustle of daily flights from Roswell to multiple destinations. Racers near and far flock to this fabulously far-out drag strip in hopes of winning a “Nano” – a distinct trophy crafted in the likeness of – you guessed it – an alien!

I spent several days in Roswell and enjoyed every second of it. The Callaways, as well as all seven drag strip board members, treated me to a fabulous dinner and shared their favorite stories. They sent me home with an armload of florescent green souvenirs, not to mention some of the most out-of-this-world memories I’ve ever collected while out solving mysteries and searching for drag strips.

This “On the Road” column originally appeared in DI #137, the World Series of Pro Mod Issue, in October of 2018. 

Team owner and driver Danny Rowe announced today that he would be indefinitely suspending the operation of his Pro Mod drag racing team. 

“Of course, this is a tough decision to make, but with business opportunities both here and abroad and the travel schedule associated with those endeavors, we’ve made the choice to park the race team for the time being.”

Rowe, who has been a mainstay on the E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series tour for the last decade and spearheaded the formation and growth of the Real Pro Mod Association, was quick to confirm that he intends to remain involved in the sport and wouldn’t rule out a return to the driver’s seat in the future.

“I love racing more than anything, and it’s been a huge part of my life for a long time,” explained Rowe. “So, I’m excited to remain involved with the RPM group, and do all we can to maintain and grow the positive momentum Pro Mod drag racing has right now. Together with the NHRA and RPM board members we’ve made a tremendous amount of progress and – I believe – helped take Pro Mod drag racing to an all-time high level of competition and professionalism. I’m looking forward to being a part of the class’ future.”

In his time together with renowned crew chief Jimmy Rector, Rowe scored 5 wins in 12 final round appearances and started from the No. 1 qualifying position 10 times. 

“There have been a lot of incredible people involved with our race team over the years, and I can’t thank them enough,” said Rowe. “Jimmy [Rector], his wife Karen, our crew members Darryl McElrath, Chris Singleton, Jerry Rhodes, Matt Riha, Jeremy Donnell and all of our past team members, as well as the companies we’ve worked with and represented over the years – these are the people that have made our on-track success possible and I’m so appreciative of their commitment and contribution to our program.

“None of this would have been possible without the love and support of my wife, Val, my daughters Caitie, Chelsea and Cassidy, and the rest of my family. It’s great to have the opportunity to race at this level, but to have done it with my family has been amazing.

Rowe raced alongside teammate and longtime friend Steve Matusek since the start of the 2014 racing season – an experience that ranks high amongst his time fielding a professional race team.

“Racing with Steve [Matusek] and his wife, Lori, these last 5 seasons and getting to know their family has been an amazing experience. We are very lucky to have been surrounded by such great people.”

Always available and excited to see his fans and having fielded a number of memorable race cars, Rowe concluded by thanking his longtime fans and supporters. 

“The sport of drag racing is lucky to have such an awesome fanbase,” concluded Rowe. “It’s been a privilege to be part of the show that is NHRA drag racing all these years and I want to sincerely thank all of those fans for coming out and supporting us.”

“Stevie Fast” Jackson, one of drag racing’s biggest stars, is fresh off a spectacular 2018 campaign that included wins at two of the biggest races of the year.

With a star profile that continues to rise, Jackson and his KTR team are also actively seeking marketing partners for the 2019 season.

Following a year that once again included incredible success in both drag radial and Pro Mod, Jackson continued to become one of the most recognizable names and popular drivers in the sport. He has become a bonafide fan favorite for his brash personality that is backed up with his performance on the track, two valuable traits on the road to becoming a motorsports superstar.

“I think our team has one of the largest footprints in drag racing,” Jackson said. “When it comes to social media, branding, customer outreach, business to business, and consistent content, I think we can offer a better return than any team out there. We do way more than put a name on the side of a car. I make sure that I structure a plan with each marketing partner that offers real returns on their investment. We offer a wide range of products that include leasing turn key teams,  team consulting, crew and crew chief services, as well as  asset and team management. We’re a full-service operation!” 

That much was evident in 2018, from early-season success to overcoming adversity to finishing the year in style. In short, Jackson did it all and ended up with two of the biggest wins in his career.

The first came in Radial vs. The World at Donald Long’s Lights Out 9, where Jackson took the $50,000 prize with his win in the final round. He followed that by winning drag racing’s biggest race, the NHRA U.S. Nationals, in Pro Mod, picking up his first career victory at Indy. Jackson did that in dramatic fashion, too, qualifying in the final session before rolling to the biggest win in his career.

A second NHRA Pro Mod victory followed just weeks later in St. Louis and Jackson capped off his year with victories at the World Street Nationals and the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals. But before the dramatics in Indy and the late-season success, Jackson had to deal with plenty of adversity following a crash in the final round of the Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte. He didn’t qualify at two straight events, but it only pushed Jackson and his team more, leading to the triumph at the U.S. Nationals and a win in the burnout contest at the World Series of Pro Mod in Denver before that.

He finished fourth in NHRA Pro Mod points in just his second season, showing further signs of a potential Pro Mod world champion and star. But even with that success, which also included wins at the World Outlaw Nationals to open 2018 and Woostock, Jackson is motivated to accomplish even more in 2019.

“We’re a very resilient, determined team and we know how to take the lumps and bounce back,” said Jackson, who has four NHRA Pro Mod wins in two seasons. “We don’t take no for an answer and success is something we’re always striving for. Winning doesn’t just happen. It’s something you have to work towards and we’re going to do that day in and day out.”

Dodge//SRT and Mopar have announced a renewed commitment to National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) competitors for the 2019 season. For the second consecutive year, the brands will offer racers in model-year 2005 and newer FCA US LLC vehicles complimentary entry in the NMCA Dodge/Mopar HEMI® Shootout category, providing performance enthusiasts a sanctioned and secure drag strip environment to race their muscle cars.
 
In its first year, the Dodge/Mopar HEMI Shootout drew large, 75-car fields showcasing a spectrum of modern-day FCA US vehicle nameplates, including Dodge Challenger and Charger Scat Pack models, 707-horsepower Challenger and Charger SRT Hellcat models and the limited-production 840-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Demon.

The six-event 2019 NMCA schedule blasts off with the season-opening 17th annual NMCA Muscle Car Mayhem at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton, Florida, March 7-10, 2019.
 
“The NMCA Dodge/Mopar HEMI Shootout is a great opportunity for the performance lovers who support our brands to hit the drag strip in a sanctioned, controlled environment,” said Steve Beahm, Head of Parts and Service (Mopar) and Passenger Car Brands, FCA – North America. “These events are the perfect venue to let our vehicle owners live out their passion, and we’re also proud to be able to help our new Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320 owners experience their drag-oriented muscle cars by providing one-year NHRA and NMCA memberships.”

“NMCA was thrilled with the overwhelming response to the Dodge/Mopar HEMI Shootout class this year, and we look forward to continuing this exciting program in 2019,” said Steve Wolcott, President and CEO of the NMCA Muscle Car Nationals. “Passion for the Dodge Challenger and Gen III HEMI engine platforms has never been higher, and we anticipate full 75-car fields at each NMCA series national event. I personally invite anyone who’s never been down the drag strip before because our team makes it easy for enthusiasts to enjoy their Gen III HEMI engine-powered vehicles.”

The NMCA Dodge/Mopar HEMI Shootout offers enthusiasts an easy, fun experience, with personalized, step-by-step instruction available. Competitors are encouraged to race at their own pace, depending on each participant’s comfort level. Each Dodge/Mopar HEMI Shootout participant will also receive a free collectible license plate. As an added bonus, participants who would like to extend their racing experience will also receive complimentary entry into the Sunday Bracket 3/Street class at each NMCA event.

The Dodge/Mopar HEMI Shootout class is open to the first 75 vehicle owners to register for each NMCA event, with each complimentary entry — valued up to $175 — good for one car/driver participant credential. Vehicles entered in the Dodge/Mopar HEMI Shootout must be licensed, insured and street driven, on street-legal tires and must be model-year 2005 or newer FCA US vehicles.

For a complete schedule, rules, entry guidelines, and registration information on the NMCA Dodge/Mopar HEMI Shootout, visit www.NMCAdigital.com/hemi.

E3 Spark Plugs, manufacturer of  DiamondFIRE spark plugs and performance ignition products, announces the schedule for racer appearances for the 2018 Performance Racing Industry Show in Indianapolis featuring racers from Don Schumacher Racing. This year, E3 welcomes four racers to their Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Show booth.

Autograph Signing Schedule / E3 Booth #5173

• Thursday, December 6 (11:00 a.m. – noon.) Leah Pritchett, driver of the Mopar Dodge Top Fuel Dragster and Antron Brown, driver of the Matco Tools Maximus 3.0/U.S. Army Top Fuel Dragster
   
• Friday, December 7 (2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.)  Tommy Johnson, Jr., driver of the Make-A-Wish Foundation Dodge Charger R/T (Funny Car), and Matt Hagan, driver of the Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat (Funny Car)

Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) is still the largest and winningest race team in NHRA history. E3’s current sponsorship supports seven NHRA top racers: 1) Tony Schumacher, son of NHRA legend Don Schumacher and an eight time NHRA Top Fuel world champion that holds a record 83 event titles, 2) Antron Brown, winner of three Top Fuel world championships; 3) Top Fuel racer Leah Pritchett who ranks in the top five in her class; 4) Ron Capps, who ranks in the top five for Funny Car; 5) Tommy Johnson Jr. (Funny Car) who in the most recent race at the Auto Club Finals in Pomona raced to a runner-up finish at the final event and moved to third in the standings and is now the highest ranking DSR Funny Car driver; 6) Jack Beckman, driver of a Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car that was the 2012 NHRA FC and 2003 Super Comp World Champion in addition to achieving NHRA FC World Championships twice; and 7) Matt Haganwho has 26 career FC event titles.  

For owners of the new Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320, scheduled to begin arriving in dealerships in the first quarter of 2019, Dodge is making it as easy as possible to spend a day at the races. The brand has announced that Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320 owners will receive complimentary, one-year memberships in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and NMCA for the 2019 season. Vehicle ownership will be verified with the SRT Concierge for memberships to be activated.

Named for the quarter-mile distance (1,320 feet), the 2019 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320 is powered by the 392 HEMI® V-8 that delivers 485 horsepower and 475 lb.-ft. of torque. With a quarter-mile elapsed time (E.T.) of 11.72 seconds at 115 miles per hour (mph), it’s the fastest naturally aspirated, street-legal muscle car available.

With their purchase, Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320 vehicle owners will receive an NHRA membership withbenefits including:

• One-year subscription to National Dragster magazine
• NHRA Rule Book
• Access to a membership hospitality center at every NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event
• $10 off tickets to select NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events
• 10 percent off NHRA merchandise from NitroMall and NitroMall.com
• Official NHRA membership card, collector’s pin and decal

NMCA membership includes:

• Complimentary entry to all six NMCA events to compete in the Dodge/Mopar HEMI Shootout category
• Onsite drag racing instruction for first-time participants
• Special parking inside the pit area
• NMCA membership card and decals
• One-year subscription to Fastest Street Car Magazine

Dodge also recently launched the all-new 1320 Club, which gives members the opportunity to show off their official drag strip accomplishments with pride and challenge themselves and fellow racers to best their times to earn a top spot on either the Stock or Modified 1320 Club Leaderboard. The 1320 Club lives on Dodge Garage, the brand’s digital content hub for racing and car enthusiasts.

Dick LaHaie, a NHRA Top Fuel world champion as a driver and crew chief, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 76 following a career filled with noteworthy achievements.

The Michigan native won his first NHRA national event in 1980, winning the Summernationals by beating Jeb Allen in the final round. LaHaie debuted a new Wayne Farr-built chassis at the Winternationals, winning that race. He became a full-time racer that year, following it by finishing fifth in points in 1984. LaHaie won the Gatornationals the next year, following it with two victories and a third-place finish in 1986.

The 1987 season ended up being the one to remember for the standout driver and crew chief, as he finished as Top Fuel world champion. With Miller Brewing Co. as his sponsor, LaHaie finished the year with five victories, including a string of three straight.

By the time he retired from driving in 1991, LaHaie captured five more victories and finished with 192 round wins. The success didn’t stop there for LaHaie, who followed his racing career with a standout tenure as a tuner in Top Fuel. Connie Kalitta hired him to tune for his son, Scott, and the tandem became an immediate force in the sport.

Behind LaHaie’s expertise, Kalitta finished second in points in 1993, the start of Scott’s impressive run in the 1990s. The duo improved on that the next year, winning the first of back-to-back world championships. Kalitta finished second the next year, while LaHaie also tuned Scott’s cousin, Doug Kalitta, to his first victory in the class in 1998.

LaHaie joined forces with the legendary driver and team owner Don Prudhomme in 2000, providing a memorable capper to his spectacular career.

Tuning for star driver Larry Dixon, the team finished third the first year, following it by winning back-to-back world championships before retiring as a crew chief in 2005. With an ultra-successful career under his belt, LaHaie was also inducted into the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame and the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame.

The Straightline Strategy Group, a marketing and management company specializing in drag racing entities, announced the formulation of a marketing alliance group that includes racers from a broad range of professional classes.

Joining the marketing alliance includes Matt Hartford with his Total Seal Pro Stock Camaro, Paul Lee and his McLeod Nitro Funny Car, No‐Prep Kings/Street Outlaw Chevrolet racer Jeff Lutz plus Janette Thornley with her AMRA Pro Fuel Harley‐Davidson.

They join a group that also features Top Fuel standout Clay Millican. The group announced last month that Mike Kloeber was named the crew chief for Millican’s Parts Plus/Strutmaster Top Fuel dragster.

“Simply put, there is strength in diversity and numbers as it concerns marketing partners” said Steven Cole, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales. “We can bring expanded exposure opportunities through multiple major platforms (classes) in drag racing that will no doubt prove beneficial for sponsors” he concluded.

Each marketing alliance member brings a bevy of accomplishments to the portfolio.

Pro Stock driver Matt Hartford Photo by Marc Gewertz/NHRA

Matt Hartford in the Total Seal Pro Stock Camaro is a former world champion in both ADRL Pro Stock and NHRA Sport Compact and scored his first career NHRA Pro Stock win this year at Houston. He plans to compete at all 2019 NHRA pro stock events.

Paul Lee has been a lifelong fan and participant in the sport, claiming victories in both Top Alcohol and Nitro Funny Cars.

Having been retired from the sport after suffering a near fatal heart attack, Lee has been cleared to drive following a miraculous recovery and actively returns in 2019.

“I am excited to join SSG and getting back doing what I love most, driving and competing in the McLeod Racing Nitro Funny Car in NHRA,” Lee said. “After two years of hard work recovering from my heart attack, I can hardly believe I get to go race again. Driving a Nitro Funny Car has been my lifelong passion. I’m also looking forward to teaming with Clay Millican, working with my buddy ‘Jim O,’ and excited to work with the entire SSG organization. SSG will be a powerhouse team now and into the future in NHRA Drag Racing.”

Not wasting any time, Stringer also announced the addition of Jim Oberhofer as crew chief for the Paul Lee entry.

Oberhofer will initially assist Kloeber, crew chief on the Parts Plus, Strutmasters.com Top Fuel dragster until he transitions into his main role as crew chief on the Paul Lee entry.

Oberhofer, who last tuned the Hennen Motorsports Top Fuel Dragster driven by Kebin Kinsley, had previously been an Executive at Kalitta Motorsports for more than three decades.

Jeff Lutz is synonymous to one of hottest commodities in No Prep style racing. As a competitor who has reached national “list” status, he is well known for the performance of his ’57 Chevy Bel‐Air. Lutz won in the No Prep Kings class at the 2018 Nuclear No Prep at Cordova International Raceway (IL).

Janette Thornley pilots the “Dream Chaser Racin” AMRA Pro Fuel Harley Davidson and finished third in 2018. Thornley is a four‐time Pro Fuel World Champion, including in the NHRA Series and has received multiple awards including Female and Lady Racer of the Year accolades. Thornley desires to transition to NHRA Top Fuel Harley class in 2019.

“We have seen several marketing unions in racing between drivers in similar category entities but rarely, if ever, within the broad spectrum we are offering through our marketing alliance,” said SSG Partner, Scott Gardner.

The Straightline Strategy Group is a marketing and management company specializing in the operations of professional drag racing entities. The company is committed to practicing corporate social responsibility for its actions, and through its activities, with the goal to positively affect society, consumers, employees, and other stakeholders.

A dense canopy of dark clouds covers National Trail Raceway as I make my way from the media center to the Pro Nitrous pits, a row of motorhomes and race rigs situated along the staging lanes. It’s Saturday morning at the PDRA Super Strip Nationals and the forecast doesn’t look good, but that doesn’t stop most of the teams from preparing their entries for the first round of qualifying, already delayed by a day due to rain.

Nearly at the end of Pro Nitrous row sits the pit area housing “King Kong 7”, a 2018 Dodge Dart owned by Frank Brandao and driven by Lizzy Musi. With just a handful of passes on less-than-ideal track conditions, it’s still an unproven piece, but it’s destined to become one of the quickest and fastest nitrous cars in the world. There’s one man responsible for making that happen, and he’s the one guy I absolutely must talk to this weekend: Pat Musi.

“Not right now,” says Dan Dystart, one of Musi’s longtime crew members, as I walk into the pit area. “He’s still figuring it out.” Just as photographer Cole Rokosky and I start packing up the lighting equipment to head back to the tower, a few rain drops appear on the front clip of Musi’s Dart. A few drops turn into a steady shower, prompting race director Bob Harris to confirm the race’s inevitable cancellation over the PA system. Musi emerges from the trailer and chuckles, “Well, boys, it sounds like we have some time now.”

Musi pulls up an extra stool in front of his Dell laptop, perhaps one of the most valuable pieces of equipment in nitrous racing. It’s chocked full of tune-ups and data for two of the quickest and fastest nitrous oxide-assisted race cars, be it Musi’s PDRA Pro Nitrous entry or Chad Green’s Bond-Coat ’17 Corvette in the E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Series. Musi has been tasked with tuning both of these cars this season, and after seven NHRA races and three PDRA events, he’s handling the responsibilities as if each car was his sole focus. Both drivers are third in points in their respective series. As a fifth-year Pro Nitrous driver, Lizzy is a guaranteed Top 5 player, but Green? He’s a rookie in a series full of drivers with years – decades, even, in some cases – of experience behind the wheel of a finicky Pro Modified entry. But with Musi in his corner, it should come as no surprise that Green was an immediate power player when he made his NHRA Pro Mod debut earlier this year.

Joe McHugh photo

Green, a clean-cut businessman from Midland, Texas, made his first pass in NHRA Pro Mod competition to the tune of a 5.797-second pass at 245.94 mph in the opening qualifying session at the NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida. A 5.793 at 248.93 in the fourth and final session allowed Green to start from the No. 7 spot – not a bad deal for a new guy. A wire-to-wire first-round win over 2011 world champion Khalid alBalooshi – also running a Musi powerplant – followed, along with a new personal-best 5.788 in the process. At this point, Green could’ve easily stuck the Camaro back in the trailer and called it a strong debut weekend. But after he was quicker than 2017 Rookie of the Year Stevie “Fast” Jackson on the starting line and at the finish line in the second round, it became apparent to everyone on the property that Green and Musi were there to win. A violent impact with the retaining wall stopped Green in the semifinals, but the message was delivered: the supercharged and turbocharged guys would have a new nitrous car to worry about this season.

“I don’t think they knew what to think,” Musi surmises about what the NHRA Pro Mod community expected from the seasoned veteran and the rookie. “Look, in 1981 I went through a similar deal. I had run IHRA (Pro Stock), which was looked down on at the time, even though we were the No. 1 or 2 qualifier for four years, finished first or second in points in the early days of the mountain motor deal. I decided to go to NHRA Pro Stock in ’81 – finished fourth in the points. All we ever heard was, ‘He’ll get an education when he comes over here.’ Instead, I gave them one.

“It’s a little different now, though,” Musi adds. “I think (the NHRA Pro Mod teams) realize that PDRA ain’t no joke. They didn’t know what to think of us coming over to their side of the world. But I’ve had a lot of crew chiefs who I think highly of that have congratulated me on the job we’re doing. That was pretty nice to hear.”

To understand how Musi ended up in this position – the tuner of the third-ranked cars in NHRA Pro Mod and PDRA Pro Nitrous and the engine builder for the other two nitrous cars in the Pro Mod Top 10 – one must take a look back at the day when the former Pro Stock star kicked his carburetors to the curb in favor of electronic fuel injection. Nearly 20 years ago, Musi was offered a then-unproven EFI setup, setting into motion a chain of events that would revolutionize nitrous racing in the 21st century.

“Mike Thermos at NOS had an EFI system that they were developing with Graham Western. He asked if I’d be willing to try this and run it,” Musi remembers. “Well, I’m the kind of guy who will try about anything if I think there’s something there. It was probably one of the better decisions I ever made because it gave me that leg up on the competition.”

It’s easy to look back on that moment as a turning point in his career, but Musi called his shot well before the EFI system had proven itself on the track. Musi’s EFI-equipped Camaro was still in championship form in NMCA Pro Street, where he clinched the 2002 season championship. Never one to mince words, Musi expressed the potential of the EFI combination when others were laughing if off as a temporary test piece.

“I feel that when it’s all said and done, that it’ll be better than carburetors, but we’re going to have to have some time at the lighter weight,” Musi said in a 2002 Drag Racing Online interview with Ian Tocher. “We’ve made some good runs – I recently ran some 6.40s at over 220 in my Camaro, which is pretty much a shoebox – and we were at 2,600 pounds, which is 225 pounds heavier than a Pro Mod. So, we’ve seen some real respectable numbers. But I’m not saying it’ll happen overnight. I’m not that stupid; I know it’s going to take some runs to get competitive.”

Musi still remembers the early days of EFI, the trying times when things just weren’t going his way. The new technology would fight him at first, but there wasn’t necessarily anything wrong with the EFI system itself. Like any new piece of equipment, it took some time to work EFI into the time-tested and proven race program Musi had developed over decades in Pro Stock and Pro Street.

“At our first race with EFI – this was back when the 16-volt batteries just started coming around – we had 12-volt batteries. Well, the EFI wouldn’t run under just around 11.5. It didn’t seem to affect the carburetor stuff, but the EFI system just would not cooperate,” says Musi. “That was right about the time I said, ‘Maybe this (EFI) ain’t a good idea.’ We put the 16-volt batteries in the car and from that day on, every carburetor I had was used for a wheel chock. I just saw what we had and worked on it, stayed with it and kept developing it.”

Western, who had worked on the development of the first EFI system Musi ever tried, has continued to work with Musi on improving the EFI Technology engine management system on board Musi’s car and those of his numerous Pat Musi Racing Engines customers. Western and his California-based company also have experience in IndyCar, Formula 1, aerospace and military applications, but their work with Musi has helped to normalize EFI in nitrous doorslammer drag racing.

“If I come up with an idea, Graham will do the software,” Musi says. “Whenever I went to him with an idea, he used to ask, ‘Pat, why do you need that?’ Then he started going to the races with me a couple years ago and he said, ‘Now I know why you need all this stuff.’ The EFI Tech equipment, I think, is the best equipment out there.”

Along with improving the engine management system, Musi has worked with a variety of manufacturers to develop engine components that can stand up to the harsh elements of high-horsepower nitrous racing. Hands-on relationships with Dart Machinery, Jesel and Moroso have played a part in Musi’s remarkable performance gains over the years.

“I’d say the engine, in the last 10 years, has developed where we can run more nitrous through them. They’re nitrous-friendly. The motors evolved with the fuel injection and the nitrous. So everything kind of came together and became what we have today.”

What Musi has today is a combination that leads in nearly every class it enters. His “house car”, Brandao’s “King Kong” entries, started winning Pro Nitrous races when Lizzy notched her first professional win driving “King Kong 5” in 2014 and has continued to post achievements. Most recently, she ran a world-record 206.54 mph pass en route to back-to-back victories to close the 2017 PDRA season. Lizzy finished third in points, with three Musi engine customers joining her in the top 5, including two-time and defending world champion Tommy Franklin. On the NHRA side of the world, “Tricky” Rickie Smith has flown the Musi banner to three NHRA Pro Mod world championships in the last five seasons.

A slew of race victories, world records and season championships are the result of Musi’s mindful efforts to find his own personal edge up on the competition. One unintended consequence of that movement, though, has been his fellow racers’ adoption of EFI. Almost all of the mechanical fuel injection holdouts have been seduced by the benefits of EFI.

“I don’t care if I sound cocky or whatever, but I forced every Pro Mod out there to put EFI on,” Musi says. “You couldn’t even run a set of carburetors and be competitive now. I take a little pride in that. I made ’em do it – they had to do it. They fought it as long as they could and tried to make the carburetors work, but they had to switch.

“I kind of look at all the nitrous EFI deals and I ought to take it as a compliment – and you have to when you get copied – but you look at all them set-ups and they’re all copies of my deal from day one when I started. They run the same fuel pump and fuel system, all the stuff we developed through the years. I have to get a little giggle out of that.”

Imagine New Jersey’s famed – and now defunct as an active drag strip – Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in the mid-‘80s. Musi is there rolling his Pro Stocker out of the small trailer he towed to Raceway Park from his home in nearby Carteret. It’s just Musi and a buddy, preparing the naturally aspirated hot rod for a pass down the quarter-mile strip. There is only a small tool box and a tire pressure gauge. A few sponsor decals are emblazoned across the red, white and blue paint job on the Camaro, which also bears Musi’s name on the door panel. This scene – simple and straightforward – was the norm for Musi as he was coming up and racing with names like Johnson, Glidden and Shepherd.

“In the old days, we drove the crew cab, we put the car together – we did it all,” Musi says. “I come from the Warren Johnson/Bob Glidden days. We did it all ourselves – everything. And yes, you worked. Now the game is so hard. It takes a lot of people.”

Today, Musi keeps a low-key presence compared to some of the mega-haulers that fill the pits at PDRA and NHRA events, but it’s also a far cry from the bare-bones set-up he used to bring to the track. Musi’s trailer is a mobile version of his engine shop, stocked with anything and everything he’ll need over the course of any given race weekend. He’s joined by a complete team of crew members, each with a specific duty on the car.

“Running one of these cars takes a lot of people,” Musi asserts. “I have a crew that I’ve developed. They all really work hard. Like Ronnie (Viccaro) – no way I could replace Ronnie. Everybody has their place. I can do it all if I have to, but it’s nice to have a team with dedicated roles. You have to start giving some jobs out. It’s hard to do it all yourself.”

Viccaro joined the Musi team after Musi Racing Engines relocated from New Jersey to Mooresville, North Carolina, home to just about every team that competes under the NASCAR umbrella. Viccaro enjoyed an illustrious career in the circle track world, including building engines for the late NASCAR Winston Cup champion Alan Kulwicki, before switching to the straight-line sport with Musi.

“Ronnie walked in the door one day and hasn’t left since,” Musi recalls. “He’s been great. He’s really a good guy. He can go through the motor and maintain the motor. He’s learning more and more every day. In NASCAR, of course, the cars are completely different, but a lot of what they do over there applies here.”

Moving to NASCAR country, which also happens to be a hotbed for racing in general, has been a game-changing move for Musi. He’s within reasonable driving distance of every stop on the PDRA tour – no more than four hours from tracks like GALOT Motorsports Park, Virginia Motorsports Park, and Darlington Dragway – and just across town from zMAX Dragway, host of two NHRA Pro Mod events. Mooresville is also a great place to be if you’re in need of a skilled employee to work in your engine shop or help you campaign a top-flight Pro Modified. This location has conveniently allowed Musi to assemble an all-star team.

“I know if a guy is good the first week out,” Musi says of his hiring process. “I always look at it as if I can get 75 percent of what I want in a guy, I’m good. You’re not going to get that 100 percent. But I’ve been lucky to get some really good, talented people. They all have to jell as a team. I feel like we have the best crew we’ve had in a long time.”

Along with Viccaro, Musi’s crew includes Dan Dystart, Rob Guzzi and Bryce Moretz. X275 star Dean Marinis also lends a hand whenever he can find a break in his work and racing schedules. Marinis and Viccaro tag along with Musi for most NHRA Pro Mod events when he’s handling the crew chief duties on Green’s car.

Another group of specialists handles business back at the engine shop, where Musi builds engines for customers in classes ranging from Top Sportsman and Top Dragster to Pro Mod.

“We have a whole crew at the shop that focuses on the engines,” Musi says. “We have a great cylinder head guy and another great assembler. We have a whole deal going on at the shop constantly, on the dyno developing stuff. It takes a lot.”

Beyond the dyno room, Musi takes his R&D program to the track, using every reasonable opportunity to test the house car. He keeps an open line of communication with his engine customers, too, working with them to get the most out of their engine, but also to further fine-tune the combination to the benefit of everyone involved.

“We’re fortunate enough to have enough good racers around us, like Tommy Franklin,” Musi says. “We have all these good guys around us and we can share a little information. We give everyone the best stuff we can and see how it runs. Look at what Rickie (Smith) has done for our company. He’s been with us for six years and he’s won four championships (three in NHRA, one in PDRA) in that time.”

Musi adds that his relationship with Smith has helped with the engine business, but also with Musi’s new gig with Green. He says that he wasn’t exactly flying blind when he tuned Green to an impressive debut at Gainesville, but by no means was he using a Rickie Smith tune-up.

“Obviously, I had a head start since I do Rickie’s engines and I know what he’s got,” Musi says, “but I don’t know his tune-up. Rickie does his own tune-up. We always keep it that way. He’ll help me if he can and I’ll help him if I can.”

Musi and Smith are cut from the same cloth. Both in their mid-60s, the two raced Pro Stock together in the ‘80s and followed similar paths since then. Smith’s path may have started several hours south of Musi’s in rural King, North Carolina, but they’re more similar than they are different. They used a strong work ethic and insatiable hunger for winning to rise from humble beginnings and become two of the most iconic names in doorslammer racing. They’ve been described as “intimidating” and “stubborn”, but Musi and Smith bring their own strengths and weaknesses together to help each other succeed.

“Have we had our arguments? We’ve probably had a couple in six years,” Musi says. “I’ll tell you one thing about Rickie – we might argue once in a while, but it won’t be three minutes and he’s at my trailer, ‘OK, let’s talk. Let’s get this over with right now.’ And we do. Rickie is just a really good racer.”

Back in the Musi pit at National Trail, the rain has slowed down enough for the crew guys to finish packing up the pit area. The conversation’s topic changes to the future for Musi and the drivers he leads. Musi is understandably apprehensive about Green’s next outing, the DRAG ILLUSTRATED World Series of Pro Mod in early August. Green was the first nitrous car to accept an invitation to the event, held at Bandimere Speedway, which sits at nearly 6,000 feet above sea level in the Colorado mountains – not exactly ideal conditions for a nitrous-fed entry in a sea of supercharged and turbocharged competitors.

In stark contrast, the Edelbrock and Lucas Oil-backed “King Kong 7” is entering the portion of the season when it should shine like a diamond. The next race on the PDRA tour is Drag Wars at GALOT Motorsports Park, where Lizzy and “King Kong 6” recorded some of the quickest and fastest passes in Pro Nitrous history before securing the event win last year. If the new ride performs as well as its predecessor, the Musi camp will be in for a few races of late Saturday nights and low elapsed times, all in the name of putting the number one on the windshield after the PDRA World Finals at Virginia in October.

“We’re still not impossible to win the (championship), but it’s going to be tough,” Musi realizes. “We’re certainly going to try it and see what we can do. You never know. Lizzy went out first round at the last race, but the other guy can go out first round at the next race. You know how it goes.

“The tracks are coming to us and the air is coming to us. Everyone knows we run best in good air. And we have a lot of information at GALOT. I think we have the record there, too. We feel pretty confident, but you just never know. We’re not even looking at (the points). We’re just going to do the best we can and see what happens.”

Photographs by Cole Rokosky and Tara Bowker

This story originally appeared as the cover story in DI #136, the Crew Chief Issue, in September of 2018.

It will come full circle for Pro Mod driver Steve Matusek in 2019.

The veteran standout announced today he will drive a twin-turbo Ford Mustang for Elite Motorsports in 2019, joining Elite’s burgeoning Pro Mod operation that will also feature Erica Enders and Alex Laughlin for the E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by J&A Service season.

It’s a return to Matusek’s beginnings, not only for Pro Mod but also in drag racing and it’s an opportunity to drive a Mustang for a forward-thinking operation he couldn’t pass up.

“My dad worked at a Ford dealership, my dad ran Fords, so those are my roots,” Matusek said. “I loved how you had to be innovative to make their power plants work. So coming full circle to that, it’s really fulfilling for me. It gets back to my roots. It’s an unbelievable team with unbelievable drivers and I view this team like an onion. As I started to peel back the layers, you start to realize how much is there. The team consists of a lot of high-profile, powerful people, so it’s exciting.”

Steve Matusek

The addition of Matusek is the latest move for Elite Motorsports as it continues to take a bigger leap into the NHRA Pro Mod ranks.

Enders debuted in the class last year and made considerable strides as the year progressed, and she will race the full 12-event schedule in 2019. Laughlin will do the same as he makes his Pro Mod debut next season, which means Matusek will be a veteran of the group.

He made his NHRA Pro Mod debut in 2011, grabbing his first career win in the class in 2017 in Houston. Matusek has four top-10 finishes in the loaded Pro Mod class, bringing a wealth of experience and success to the team, but Elite Motorsports team owner Richard Freeman also connected on a business level, which proved pivotal in a deal coming together.

“Steve and I have crossed paths many times and he’s a superstar in the business world, and we’re excited about this,” Freeman said. “He’s really helping us build another program and it just seemed like a real comfortable fit. We both seem to think a lot alike.”

Matusek and Freeman both share great success in business, which was a major contributing factor in Matusek’s decision. He started Aeromotive in 1994, providing impressive innovation in the industry with his company ever since.

His ideas and expertise adds another impressive layer to the Elite Motorsports team, coming to the group after a five-year run with Danny Rowe Racing. Rowe suspended his Pro Mod racing operations for 2019, which initially led Matusek to believe he wouldn’t – and didn’t want to be – racing next season. But his connection to Freeman on a business level helped make Matusek change his mind.

“That was a magical time for us and you never want to see it end,” Matusek said of his time with DRR. “Up until Monday of this week, I was already trying to get used to not scaring myself on a weekly basis. It was tough to get through that, but the way this came together and starting to meet the people on the new team, and starting to understanding what they’re doing and being innovative, that’s what I love and I hope it’s as fulfilling the last five years have been with Danny and Val (Rowe). The relationship my wife, Lori, and I have with Danny and Val extends far beyond racing and we are happy that relationship will continue regardless of whether either one of us would get into another car.”

With Elite Motorsports’ Pro Mod operation growing significantly, Freeman believes the team has a chance to make a significant mark in the class, much like it has done in Pro Stock on the strength of Enders’ two world championships.

“We have a lot of work to do to get ready for Gainesville, but I think it’s going to be a neat deal,” Freeman said. “It’s a lot of tough competition, but give us 2-3 races and we’ll be right there.”

After a difficult year where Matusek didn’t get the results he wanted, he also has high expectations in his turbocharged Mustang from Jerry Bickel Race Cars. Matusek is determined to have an immediate impact, putting together some lofty goals in the process.

“Everybody’s happy, everybody’s excited and everyone speaks highly of each other,” Matusek said. “That helped in some of my decision-making process. To me, the thrill of just driving a Pro Mod is over. I’m not doing this to say I drive a Pro Mod. I want to freaking win races and win a championship.”

The highly anticipated 2018 Drag Illustrated 30 Under 30 list was unveiled Friday afternoon during a press conference at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Show in Indianapolis. The 2018 DI 30 Under 30 list and its members are the subject of Drag Illustrated’s December Issue, which features NHRA Top Fuel driver Blake Alexander on the cover.

Made up of 30 young drivers, crew members, tuners, fabricators, media members and other drag racing insiders, the Drag Illustrated 30 Under 30 list seeks to shine a light on the rising stars of the straight-line sport. The list, which features personalities from numerous classes, series and countries, was picked by a panel of Drag Illustrated staffers after reviewing thousands of nominations from the drag racing community submitted through the ZP Performance Steering Nomination Process.

“I’m so proud of our fourth annual 30 Under 30 list and what it represents,” said Wes Buck, Founder and Editorial Director, Drag Illustrated. “As a sport, we need to be looking forward and identifying the next superstars and heroes who will carry drag racing into the future. This is our way of recognizing the accomplishments of a group of young people we believe have done big things and encouraging them as they continue to make moves in the sport.”

Leading the 2018 30 Under 30 list is Blake Alexander, who earned his first two NHRA Top Fuel victories during a standout 2018 campaign with Bob Vandergriff Racing.

“Being on the cover of Drag Illustrated is an honor and a great landmark in my young career,” Alexander said. “It means a lot to have my story told on the pages of the 30 Under 30 issue, especially after this 2018 season. This is a year I will never forget.”

The 2018 30 Under 30 list also includes the following personalities: Cory Gulitti, Jordan Ensslin, Matthew DeYoung, Tyler Bohannon, Cam Clark, Jake Simmons, Brandon Greco, Devin Isenhower, Nicole Liberty, Kyle Lang, Cole Rokosky, Madyson Ayesh, Jimmy Plimpton Jr., Justin Hutto, Santo Jr. & Santino Rapisarda, Jake Howard, Sadie Glenn, Daniel Young, Edmond & Caleb Ellison, Jake Sanders, Rachel Meyer, Camrie Caruso, Mike Decker III, Andy Schmall, Ashley Pritchett, Charles Myers, Kris Whitfield and Marina Anderson.

“We always do our best to include honorees from all corners of the sport, but this year’s list is perhaps our most diverse list yet,” said Nate Van Wagnen, Editor-in-Chief, Drag Illustrated. “From championship-caliber NHRA sportsman racers to small-tire racing stars, Australian Top Fuel tuners to series promoters and track managers, the 2018 30 Under 30 list truly represents the future of drag racing in all of its forms.”

Free copies of the Drag Illustrated 30 Under 30 issue are available at locations throughout the PRI Show. The digital edition of the issue is also available for free at www.digital.dragillustrated.com.

I never imagined the fun I could have with a trophy that clearly wasn’t deserved, but I actually got caught up in the moment and decided to celebrate my bogus award to the fullest! You might have seen this month’s column photo posted on Facebook a few weeks back, and you might have even given it a “like” or posted a congratulatory message after I won the fictitious “Best Appearing Journalist” award. If you happen to be one of those who extended well-wishes for this hoax, I appreciate the sentiment sincerely, but believe me, the real story is much funnier.

Had you zoomed in and closely examined this photo on the internet, the keen eye would have discovered the following words inscribed on the trophy: “MagnaFuel Top Sportsman 2018 Best Burnout Winner,” which is, of course, an award I’m clearly incapable of winning in my current field of expertise. So how in the world did I end up with this trophy, you ask?

Well, to be honest I rescued it from a dumpster at the urging of Scott Bathurst, who actually created the trophy. Scott’s California-based company, Classic Graphix, is not only the official t-shirt supplier of the PDRA, he also crafts some truly exquisite trophies for the series. The thing is, he was completely dissatisfied with the one he originally produced for the aforementioned Burnout Contest, so he elected to do a re-do. Scott was moments away from pitching the trophy into the trash heap when yours truly came rolling up on my golf cart at the recent PDRA Summer Drags in Martin, Michigan. Scott says, “Van, do you want this trophy?” – explaining that either I take it or else it was going into a dumpster in Michigan. I couldn’t bear the thought of that, so I said, “Sure man, I’ll take it home with me.”

Right about then, my friend Larry Puff and his son, Aaron, came strolling up just as Scott was “presenting” me with the trophy. I actually met Larry and his lady friend, Bonnie, in a Battle Creek, Michigan, Denny’s restaurant years earlier, and he’s also a longtime DRAG ILLUSTRATED subscriber. Larry and Aaron were first to congratulate me for my award and even suggested we line up and get a snapshot together with me holding my beautiful new trophy. Naturally, Scott was more than happy to oblige, so he laughingly snapped an iPhone pic of the three of us…with me looking as though I’d done something special.

Within minutes, Larry and Aaron posted the photo on Facebook with a caption they dreamed up about how I won “Best Appearing Journalist” in Michigan. It didn’t take long before the accolades started pouring in! Moments later, the post began receiving “likes” from some of drag racing’s elite members – people who actually deserve to win trophies! In no time at all, news of my “award” began building steam and well-wishes were pouring in from friends, family, former classmates at the elementary school I attended, people I go to church with – even my mother-in-law seemed authentically impressed! It was a full-blown sham alright…and one that I was enjoying rather immensely!

A few of my regular readers commented on Facebook that the award was “well deserved” and “long overdue.” I was starting to blush a little. I wasn’t about to tell folks that it was none other than Larry and Aaron who actually gave my fake award a name, and the trophy I was holding had a bleak future of rotting away in a landfill somewhere!

A few of my friends at the Michigan race knew the “real” story and insisted I tell it over dinner, while everyone roared with laughter. People who heard the real version of the story encouraged me to keep the tale going, so as I was driving the DRAG ILLUSTRATED cargo van through the pits later that evening, people were giving me thumbs up when they saw the trophy riding shot gun, safely buckled beside be. Over the years, I’ve seen so many people post photos of their Wallys buckled in the front seat of their tow rigs after winning an NHRA race, so I decided to do the same thing with my bogus hardware!

From Michigan, I drove to Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the next event with my trophy still riding proudly in the front seat. I guess the old adage about “one man’s junk being another man’s treasure” is true, and so help me, if I never “win” another trophy in my life, I guess I’ll just have to treasure this one!

This “On the Road” column originally appeared in DI #134, the Interview Issue, in July of 2018.