Five years ago, Zach Jones installed a 10-foot printer in his parent’s garage in the hopes of building his own graphics business. These days, it’s safe to say the 30-year-old Huntsville, Alabama-area native has found his niche in the industry.
Jones now works out of a 4,000-square-foot building, as his Z7GFX company designs and produces stickers, decals and labels for some of the biggest names in the industry.
[Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in DI #172, the 30 Under 30 Issue, in November of 2021.]
Jones continues to be the co-promoter for Radial Fest at Huntsville Dragway, too, something he started in 2014 and remains a hit in the radial world. Combined, Jones puts in ample work trying to live his dream in a sport he loves.
“I’m very lucky and fortunate, and I try not to take it for granted,” Jones says. “It’s not easy, but I’ve been around racing for practically all my life and this is what I like to do.”
Jones started Radial Fest in college and it has continued to grow even as interests have shifted in the drag radial world. He’s moved the focus of Radial Fest to Limited Drag Radial and X275, and the race continues to be a hit, drawing the most entries ever for the latest race earlier in November. Jones said 250 entries were on the property for the latest Radial Fest, a sign that Jones and the track are doing things the right way.
“It’s a lot about looking around and seeing what’s strong locally with the classes,” Jones believes. “Limited Drag Radial is plenty fast enough and the spectator crowd hasn’t fallen off with the focus on that and X275. People around here just love drag racing.”
Count Jones as one of them. He became interested in graphic design in college, made the ambitious move to start his business – starting with installing the massive printer in his parent’s garage – and has seen impressive success.
He now works with the likes of Proline Racing, Menscer Motorsports, No Prep Kings superstar Ryan Martin and a number of NHRA Pro Mod and drag radial drivers, designing vinyl stickers, labels, racer decals, number sets and much more. He’s upgraded to a bigger facility, adding another printer and additional items, and realizes the potential for long-term success.
“I love doing that stuff,” Jones says. “We do a lot of commercial work as well, but we do a lot of drag racing stuff because that’s what I like.”
