As the editor-in-chief of Drag Illustrated, Nate Van Wagnen did not consider himself eligible for inclusion on the esteemed 30 Under 30 list, and was, in fact, a bit sheepish when informed that he was an official honoree. DI founder and editorial director Wes Buck listened to the chorus of voices championing Van Wagnen (this writer, included) and was insistent that he stand amongst the 2024 honorees and be counted. Rightfully so: the young man’s contributions to the sport of drag racing have made an extraordinary impact for a number of years that belie his age.
[Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in DI #191, the 30 Under 30 Issue, in November / December of 2024.]
Unlike so many in the drag racing community, Van Wagnen, now 29, wasn’t following in anyone’s footsteps. The initial spark came through an uncle who drove a truck for Werner Enterprises, then the primary sponsor of six-time IHRA Top Fuel champion Clay Millican. Race memorabilia began making its way into Van Wagnen’s world via diecasts and T-shirts, which were particularly impactful as they came during Millican’s Top Fuel reign of terror. As a child, Van Wagnen’s interests lingered around Hot Wheels and NASCAR toys, but Millican’s dominance and his own increasing curiosity led him to drag racing clips on YouTube and, finally, attending drag races in person with his father at Norwalk’s Summit Motorsports Park.
Seeing the action live, the youngster immediately felt a pull. Van Wagnen appreciated the Jr. Dragsters he saw run at the racetrack, but he also knew that without family involvement, his thirst was unlikely to be satiated along that path. The solution began to form as he helped a middle-school friend get started with a Jr. Dragster program. Van Wagnen quickly became an expert in a previously unsung arena, and his interest in writing brought him to contact National Dragster, NHRA’s in-house produced magazine, which led to an invitation to submit results stories from Norwalk’s Jr. Dragster events.
“At the same time, I was messaging race teams, drivers, crew members, and crew chiefs,” recalls Van Wagnen, who said that he received a number of responses, including one from driver, owner, and crew chief Jim Head. “I was 13 or 14 at the time, and almost all the responses were, ‘Go to your local track, volunteer with a local team, offer to clean parts or empty trashcans, whatever needs to be done.’”
That is exactly what Van Wagnen did, and Top Alcohol Dragster driver Brandon Booher opened the door when the young man knocked, inviting him to the Norwalk NHRA division race. After a successful weekend, Van Wagnen was asked back for the national event, and then later, the U.S. Nationals. Everything clicked, and Booher was the first to ask Van Wagnen to write.
“In 2010, he came to me and was like, ‘Hey, I need someone to write our team press releases – is that something you’d be interested in?’” says Van Wagnen. “I had no idea what a press release was, but I knew I could figure it out.”
Booher suggested Van Wagnen pick up a couple more clients, and Van Wagnen was soon sending stories to whomever he could reach at various news outlets, covering the exploits of Booher, KonRodz Racing, Chris Demke, Darren Nicholson, Blake Alexander, Kirk Wolf, Johnny Pluchino, Doug Foley, the Sackman brothers, and others.
“That’s how I got connected with Wes,” explains Van Wagnen. “A couple of weeks before the 2014 Gatornationals, he replied to a press release and asked if I would be interested in writing freelance stories for Drag Illustrated. I wrote a handful of Q&A and shorter-type stories, and then at the beginning of 2015, he approached me about becoming their web editor.”
Now in his 10th full-time year at DI, Van Wagnen’s trajectory was accelerated in 2016 when then-senior editor Ian Tocher survived but was taken out of commission long-term following a tragic accident at a PDRA race. Positioned trackside, Tocher was struck during an incident that proved fatal for beloved racer Ronnie Davis, and his own recovery was extensive. Van Wagnen was asked to cover PDRA races in his absence, eventually stepping up to more responsibilities as needed. Eventually, Buck recognized that his protégé’s contributions had risen to that of editor-in-chief, and he appointed him so.
“It was quite a surprise,” relates Van Wagnen. “Going into college [at Cleveland State University], my goal was to bring a more traditional, trained journalism approach to Drag Illustrated. But I definitely didn’t think a year into college I would end up taking on the editor-in-chief position.”
Van Wagnen has excelled in the role, managing a team of internal and freelance writers and photographers to put together one of the most read and respected magazines in drag racing. Van Wagnen is much younger in age than many of his colleagues, but he has put forth tremendous and honorable effort toward valuable experience, and that has positioned him as an admired equal.
“One of the biggest reasons I’ve had success is that I’ve always had really good people around me,” says Van Wagnen. “I try to take initiative, try new things, and figure things out on my own – but I’ve also had great people to get ideas and pointers from along the way. I’ve developed relationships with people I’ve looked up to over the years and seen younger people like myself go on to do big things. Getting to know the people in this sport is one of the coolest things.”
Van Wagnen and wife Allyson are expecting their first child in February, and the family is invested in the growth of Drag Illustrated. Van Wagnen sees a bright future for both the print magazine and the expansion of DI events, including the continued production of the World Series of Pro Mod and its inclusion in the newly formed trio of races christened the DI Winter Series.
“We want the magazine and these events to be destinations for drag racers and drag racing fans,” says Van Wagnen. “I’m excited to continue growing Drag Illustrated alongside this team. I see great things, not just in our future, but in the future of the sport.”
This story was originally published on February 10, 2025. 
