Drag Illustrated Issue 151, December 2019 | Page 115
30 UNDER 30 / 2019
DI 30 UNDER 30 CLASS OF 2015
VINCENT NOBILE, LEAH PRITCHETT,
JUSTEN MOSER, KIRK WOLF,
MARK SAVAGE, MIA TEDESCO,
RICKIE JONES, MEGAN FESSEL
SCHUMACHER, CAMERON FERRE,
MATT SACKMAN, DANIEL PHARRIS,
PRESTON TANNER, AUDREY
WORM, STEVEN WHITELEY,
JONNIE LINDBERG, KYLE DVORAK,
TERA WENDLAND-GRAVES,
JARED JOHNSTON, DONOVAN
STOTT, BRITTANY FORCE, TYLER
CROSSNOE, DREW SKILLMAN,
ASHLEY SANFORD, JOHN PAUL
GUTIERREZ, JON SCHAFFER, PJ
NORTH, COREY MICHALEK, JIMMY
SACKUVICH, LIZZY MUSI AND
TROY COUGHLIN JR.
DI 30 UNDER 30 CLASS OF 2016
JONNIE LINDBERG, DAN FERGUSON,
JASON GARDNER, BRONSON DUNNE,
JASON HAMSTRA, CORY REED,
SARAH EDWARDS, ALEX HAYS,
GAGE BURCH, AMANDA BOICESCO,
CALEB COX, KEVIN BRANNON, RYAN
RAKESTRAW, TY TUTTEROW, CODY
MEDEISIS, JUSTIN LAMB, KRISTA
BALDWIN, CHUCK GROSPITCH,
JIMMY DANIELS, JEFF PIERCE, JOE
ALBRECHT, SHANE WESTERFIELD,
CHRISTOPHER MENAPACE, ALEX
LAUGHLIN, BRANDON SERAPHINE,
DOUG FOLEY JR., ALEX TAYLOR,
JUSTIN KIRK, MEGAN MEYER AND
TREVOR LARSON.
DI 30 UNDER 30 CLASS OF 2017
LE TONGLET, MATT BYNUM,
COURTNEY FORCE, RAY MILLER III,
ZACH SACKMAN, NATHAN VANBEEK,
LYLE BARNETT, DANIEL MCKUNE,
CADE POE, DANIEL WILKERSON,
DREW AUSTIN, AUSTIN WILLIAMS,
ROBERT BAUER III, DAVID “BIRD-
JONES, JAMIE HANCOCK, TANNER
GRAY, BOB MANDELL II, JOHNNY
PLUCHINO, DILLON VOSS, CORY
VOSS, JOHNNY EZELL, BLAKE
HOUSLEY, DENNIS KLANGEBO,
MICHAEL RECCHIA JR., ANDREW
JOHNSON, TYLOR MILLER, JUSTIN
ASHLEY, JORDAN GRUNWALD,
CHASE COPELAND AND
AARON STANFIELD.
DI 30 UNDER 30 CLASS OF 2018
BLAKE ALEXANDER, HECTOR
ARANA JR., 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 RAPISARDA JR., SANTINO
RAPISARDA, JAKE HOWARD, SADIE
GLENN, DANIEL YOUNG, EDMOND
ELLISON, CALEB ELLISON, JAKE
SANDERS, RACHEL MEYER, CAMRIE
CARUSO, MIKE DECKER III, ANDY
SCHMALL, ASHLEY PRITCHETT,
CHARLES MYERS, KRIS WHITFIELD,
MARINA ANDERSON
JOE HUNT
■ GROWING UP in a same town, Joe Hunt and Joey Hiykel became fast friends over
one love: racing.
They formed an impressive duo and one-two punch in the True Street and No-Prep scene,
racing together and traveling around the country. After Hunt’s tragic death in September
following a high-speed accident at the Coffeyville Street Drags, it’s those memories that
Hiykel will always remember.
“We traveled around pretty much everywhere and kicked butt. We were the type of guys
who would drop what you were doing and go rac-
ing,” Hiykel says. “It won’t ever be the same. I’ll
keep on racing, but it’s pretty hard.”
Hunt’s unfortunate passing sent heartache
through the racing scene, especially in the areas
where the 27-year-old competed. Hiykel estimated
Hunt won close to 10 races in 2018, with the big
victory coming in True Street at the No-Prep Na-
tionals at Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka.
He was an adept driver behind the wheel of his
“Blackhawk” Trans Am, displaying plenty of skills
when it came to the mechanical side of things as
well. Hiykel, though, said his good friend could
drive just about anything – and do it well.
“You just become a good driver when you have
that kind of talent,” Hiykel says. “He was able to
drive anything with wheels and he loved to wheelie
anything.”
It was a Hunt specialty, and there’s no denying
he was special in the seat. It’s partly why D rag I l -
lustrateD chose to honor him with a spot on its
30 Under 30 list for 2019 after his passing, but
Hunt, who also starred on the second season of Horsepower Wars, was about much more
than just his driving.
He racked up plenty of success on the track in True Street and No Prep scene, but Hunt
was just as highly regarded for his actions off it. Hunt was rarely without a smile on his face,
always willing to work and help others. It’s those traits that won’t be forgotten, allowing
Hunt’s legacy and impact to live on well into the future.
“We would go all over and a lot of people met him, and we would help anybody out if
anyone needed anything,” Hiykel says. “We were racing a lot of the same people and it just
became a big family.” – J O S H H AC H DI
AT DI DI
DI DI DI DI
DI DI DI
December 2019
DragIllustrated.com
| D r a g I l l u s t r a t e d | 115