Drag Illustrated has released Issue 200, the World Series of Pro Mod Issue, marking a major milestone for the magazine while celebrating Aaron Stanfield’s $150,000 victory at the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod presented by Red Line Oil. The May/June 2026 issue is now available to read for free in digital format at digital.dragillustrated.com, with print copies scheduled to arrive in subscriber mailboxes in June.
Stanfield appears on the cover after conquering the seventh annual WSOPM at Bradenton Motorsports Park in late February. The event served as the third and final race of the 2025/2026 Drag Illustrated Winter Series presented by J&A Service, bringing together one of the most competitive Pro Mod fields in drag racing history to compete for the $150,000 winner’s prize, the DIWS championship, and a place in WSOPM history.
Already established as one of NHRA Pro Stock’s most accomplished young stars, Stanfield added another major achievement to his résumé by winning in just his first race day start in Pro Mod. Driving Scott Tidwell’s Harts Charger-boosted ’69 Camaro, Stanfield qualified No. 8, worked through a challenging field, and defeated newly crowned DIWS Pro Mod champion Peter Norton in the side-by-side final round. The margin of victory was just .003 seconds.
“It is an honor to be on the 200th edition cover of Drag Illustrated celebrating the baddest Pro Mod race of all time,” Stanfield said. “Drag Illustrated has done so much to take drag racing to the next level, and I’m thankful for everything they do for the sport we love.”
The cover story, written by Drag Illustrated Editor-in-Chief Nate Van Wagnen, traces Stanfield’s quick rise in Pro Mod, from watching the inaugural DI Winter Series from the outside to joining the Elite Motorsports/Scott Tidwell Racing program and ultimately becoming a WSOPM champion.
“Two hundred issues is hard for me to fully process, because when we started Drag Illustrated in 2006, even getting to 100 felt almost impossible,” said Wes Buck, founder and editorial director, Drag Illustrated. “The mission then was to build an independent, unapologetic voice for all of drag racing and treat the people in this sport like they mattered. Twenty years later, that hasn’t changed. Having Aaron Stanfield and the World Series of Pro Mod on the cover of this milestone issue feels fitting because the WSOPM and the DI Winter Series represent exactly what we’ve always believed drag racing could be when you put racers first, think big, and refuse to accept that this sport has a ceiling.”
Issue 200 also features extensive coverage of the 2026 Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod presented by Red Line Oil, including the Pro Mod main event, Pro 10.5, True 10.5, Lil’ Gangstas, and the event’s supporting index categories at Bradenton Motorsports Park.
Beyond the WSOPM coverage, the milestone issue includes a special 20-year retrospective on Drag Illustrated, with the DI team reflecting on the moments, challenges, memories, and milestones that shaped the magazine across 200 issues. Another feature, “Cover to Cover,” revisits two decades of Drag Illustrated covers, from Shannon “The Iceman” Jenkins on Issue 1 through Stevie “Fast” Jackson on Issue 199.
“DI has stood the test of time,” said Mike Carpenter, COO and Design & Production Director. “We’ve weathered so many storms. It seems like there’s always a sense of doom and gloom that is pervasive in the sport, and a lot of prognosticators eager to predict its demise. But despite the headwinds, we’ve grown from the pesky kids trying to get a print magazine off the ground to one of the most recognizable and respected brands in the industry, and a trusted media outlet that the sport relies on. We’ve had to work to stay agile in the industry, evolving from print only to digital, social, video, podcasts, and of course our flagship Winter Series events and things like the DI 30 Under 30 program. But it’s been a very rewarding journey and we’re excited to see what the next 20 years has in store.”
“Issue 200 means a lot to me personally because Drag Illustrated was one of the magazines that made me want to get into drag racing journalism in the first place,” said Nate Van Wagnen, editor-in-chief, Drag Illustrated. “Eleven years after joining the DI team, it still feels like a privilege. This issue is both a celebration of the World Series of Pro Mod and a look back at the people, stories, covers, and moments that have shaped DI over the last 20 years. It’s a milestone issue, but more than anything, it’s a tribute to everyone who has believed in this magazine and what it represents for drag racing.”
Issue 200, the World Series of Pro Mod Issue, is available now at digital.dragillustrated.com. Print copies will arrive in subscriber mailboxes in June.
This story was originally published on May 28, 2026. 
The post Drag Illustrated Releases Milestone Issue 200, The WSOPM Issue, Featuring Aaron Stanfield on Cover first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
