NMCA
name manufacturers and companies like Nitrous
Oxide Systems and Edelbrock stepped up for
sponsorship.
While NMRA was flourishing, the NMCA
(which had been established in 1988 by Russ
Smeltniks) was facing an uncertain future and
had changed hands several times as a result.
Wolcott received an offer to purchase the orga-
nization, and he did not hesitate to say yes. In
early 2005, NMRA’s parent company, ProMe-
dia Publishing, officially took over the NMCA
and helped shape the sanctioning body into the
world-class series that it is today.
Over the years, the NMRA and NMCA have
grown tremendously and led the way in street-le-
gal drag racing and events and publishing, but it
wasn’t just through Wolcott’s wisdom. A major
transition in 2013 inspired Wolcott to rebuild
the team, and he chose to surround himself with
a top-quality group of people who are dedicated
to the sport of drag racing and carry with them
an incredible abundance of information and
expertise.
“We brought on Rollie Miller, our national
event director, and Gene Bergstrom, who
works as our operations director and has 30-plus
years of experience with NHRA. Mike Galimi
takes point on our marketing and editorial con-
tent, and lots of other great people with a passion
for the sport,” Wolcott elaborates of the group
that makes his associations great.
ROLLIE MILLER
GENE BERGSTROM
86 | D r a g
I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
Wolcott carefully selects each member of the
ProMedia family to ensure there’s a great blend
of firsthand experience with racing as well as a
solid business sense for how things should be run
in a professional manner. He also isn’t afraid to
be in the trenches with his staff and puts in long
days while retaining his positive outlook and
trademark optimism. He is a leader helping to
pull with his team through encouragement and
example, not a boss who sits back and just pushes.
The persons (and personalities) behind the
scenes are integral to both NMRA and NMCA’s
success, and Wolcott focuses on continuous im-
provement as much as possible. Investing in his
team ultimately means a better overall experi-
ence for his racers, and Wolcott hired on TJ “El
Prepe” Bailey (later succeeded by Jake Green)
as ProMedia’s official starter. Kurt Johnson
of Total Venue Concepts was brought on board
to provide exceptional track prep services, and
quality technical directors, including Lonnie
Grim and Dave Werremeyer, make sure that
everyone stays safe and legal.
Wolcott credits Norwalk, Ohio’s Bader family
for much of his inspiration and motivation behind
providing a world-class customer service experi-
ence to racers and fans at his events. “I was blown
away by Bill Bader Jr.’s attention to detail with
customer service and how he runs his events, and
my goal with the NMRA and NMCA was to be
what Summit Motorsports Park is to venues but
Issue 132