DI111
“ All the Track Will Hold ”
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And the Thunderbird Rolls
Butch Dresback couldn ’ t bear the thought of selling his daughter ’ s dailydriven Ford Thunderbird , so he did what any loving parent would do and turned it into a race car . By Van Abernethy
Coming Out Party
Will Melissa Surber become the next Angelle Sampey ? Well , there is absolutely no denying the potential of this motorcycle ridin ’ girl-next-door . By Anthony Michaels
What ’ s Next for Drag Radial ?
From show-filler to headlining attraction , drag radial racing has seen one of the most unique and significant rises to prominence in the history of drag racing , but what goes up most come down , right ? Only time will tell where this D . O . T . -approved category will ultimately end up . By Ainsley Jacobs
Still Going Strong
There ’ s nothing left for Rickie Smith to prove , but that ’ s not going to keep him from giving his everything to winning another world championship in 2016 and proving – without a shadow of a doubt – that he ’ s the best to ever do it . Fast doorslammer racing has seen a lot of talented individuals over the course of the last three decades , but few can hold a candle to “ Tricky ”. By Wes Buck
DEPARTMENTS
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DIRT
Exclusive : ‘ Big Chief ’ Speaks
Somehow , someway , a street racer from Oklahoma City has become the automotive high performance industry ’ s biggest celebrity , and his opinion matters . In a candid conversation , Justin “ Big Chief ” Shearer explains the status of his relationship with the National Hot Rod Association after a much-publicized scuffle last year that resulted in the revocation of his competition license . By Wes Buck
CLOSE-UP
No Zoomies
Jeff Pierce spills the beans on why he and his dad ’ s Pro Nitrous ’ 68 Camaro will never , ever , ever have zoomies . By Wes Buck
ON THE COVER Illustration by Joshua Dixon of NHRA president Peter Clifford , DuckX Productions ’ Donald “ Duck ” Long , PDRA founder Jason Scruggs , Street Outlaws star Justin “ Big Chief ” Shearer and ADRL founder and president Kenny Nowling .
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PHOTOS : RICK BELDEN , VAN ABERNETHY , WES BUCK
6 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 111