YEAR ONE

ONE YEAR IN the books…or magazines as it were. We have managed to claw our way through our first year in business and not just survive, but thrive!

It was not without moments of peril and stress, however. And as I look towards the future, it would appear that it’s not all sunshine and lolipops.

Throughout our first year, we were dealt price increase after price increase from the paper industry, culminating in a full 40% increase in production costs per piece from our first issue to this issue. This despite our print run quantity increasing dramatically from that first issue. When it comes to printing, the more you print, the less each copy costs. Not this year, baby. Inflation ate up any value gained from economies of scale.

It was so bad we had to change the paper we used, settling on what you now have in your hands. I believe it’s a suitable substitute, and some have even commented, an improvement.

Additionally the entire world is now facing an actual paper shortage; paper of all kinds including that which is used to produce this publication. We are hearing that it may even be difficult to acquire paper for the next issue. What will we do if we can’t get paper for a time?

I hope it doesn’t come to that, but if it does, we have a game plan. 1) we would still produce content and put it online. 2) we would pause all subscriptions and not count any digital issues against a subscription. 3) we would jump through every hoop and turn over every rock until we found the paper to go back to print. I am dedicated to producing a print publication. On that you can be sure.

Despite all this, I am personally thankful for all the achievements we reached this last year, and all the awesome content we produced. In this first year of production, we were proud to print the best dirt track racing photographs in the world. One of our photographers (Dave Pratt in Issue 4) even won an award for a photo that was featured within our pages and we could not be more honored to have him onboard.

We also enjoyed a great many feature articles written by some of the best talents in the industry. We were able to hitch our wagon to a rising star in writer Ashley Zimmerman who sprang up out of the rodeo and sprint car scene to become our best interviewer. Half of the fun of building each issue is getting the submissions from Ashley to see what gold nuggets of racing fun she’s mined from her latest interviewee.

Then, of course, there are the many readers I’ve had an opportunity to meet in person at different events like races or trade shows. Getting to take, even just a moment, to talk with the readers who are enjoying what we create with each issue brings me a rewarding feeling. Being a creator - both an artist and a writercomes with the peril of self-doubt and performance anxiety (and not the kind they advertise a pill for during NASCAR races.) The fact that our readers have entrusted their hard-earned money to us for their racing entertainment is not something I take lightly. We want to perform well and make each reader feel like they just finished the best racing magazine ever when they get to that back cover (sponsored by Eibach.)

Our editor, Justin Zoch and myself, along with all of our contributors, strive to make each issue better than the last. There are times, as we’re putting together an issue, where we start to wonder if this is finally the one where we fall flat. And then a batch of photos arrives, or an article is submitted that pulls the whole issue together and makes

By Adam Cornell

it shine. Those moments of realization of having produced something great that I know people will enjoy; those moments I treasure.

We haven’t batted 1.000 by any means. There have been times where the postal service of this fine nation has let us down and copies haven’t made it to mailboxes for some reason or another (we confirmed at least one theft!) But I stand behind this publication and take responsibility for it. We always work to make things right for our subscribers, even if it means trying to answer Facebook Messages in the wee hours of the morning to track down a problem, or getting a replacement copy into the mail while on location at a race.

Some of you dear readers have been with us from the beginning – and for that, I thank you. We would not be here without you.

Our advertisers have been amazing this year, as well. Their willingness to support this publication from its infancy is a testament to their desire to do everything they can for this sport we love. I always encourage our readers to love them back and support their businesses. Without our advertisers, we would not be here.

2022 has already had its fair share of challenges, for us and the industry as a whole. The tire situation has grown… tiresome. The price increases industrywide have become… taxing. And the gas prices have… driven us crazy (and it was a pricey drive!)

But look at all the awesome racing we’ve had so far – and how much is yet to come. I can hardly wait.

Let’s go racing!