''Stock Car Racing'' (SCR) was founded in the U.S. in May 1966
[Larry Cothren, Automotive.com, Source Interlink Media, 200]
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mag-agent
"Specialty Equipment Market Association - SEMA.org",SEMA.org, 2009, webpag
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. The magazine is based in
Concord, North Carolina
Concord is the county seat and largest city in Cabarrus County, in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 105,186, with an estimated population in 2021 of 107,697. In terms of population, the cit ...
.
The monthly magazine ceased publication in 2008.
As of April 2009, the website was still active.
History
''Stock Car Racing'' was launched in May 1966.
[ At the time, Jim Davis was publishing a ]drag racing
Drag racing is a type of motor racing in which automobiles or motorcycles compete, usually two at a time, to be first to cross a set finish line. The race follows a short, straight course from a standing start over a measured distance, most c ...
magazine called ''Super Stock
Super may refer to:
Computing
* SUPER (computer program), or Simplified Universal Player Encoder & Renderer, a video converter / player
* Super (computer science), a keyword in object-oriented programming languages
* Super key (keyboard butt ...
'', so with the existing production staff, the printer, and the distribution network already in place, Jim Davis was planning to add a second magazine to his business.[
It was Dick Williford who suggested that Davis start a magazine on ]stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses measuring approximately . It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It ori ...
,[ because no other magazine had devoted full coverage to stock cars. Jim Davis recalled, "'' Speed Sport News'' was about it.... Some of the general automotive magazines like '']Motor Trend
''MotorTrend'' is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, and designated the first Car of the Year, also in 1949.
Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles published ''MotorTrend'' until 19 ...
'' would have occasional articles about stock car racing...".[ However, there was no magazine, at the time, devoted exclusively to stock car racing.
So Jim Davis and business associate John "Monk" Reynolds, following the suggestion from Dick Williford, began ''Stock Car Racing'' in May 1966. The first issue, on the cover, showed a picture with defending ]NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and hi ...
champion Ned Jarrett
Ned Jarrett (born October 12, 1932) is an American retired race car driver and two-time NASCAR Grand National Series champion.
Because of his calm demeanor, he became known as "Gentleman Ned Jarrett". He is the father of former drivers Glenn Jar ...
and another cover photo of racer Curtis Turner
Curtis Morton Turner (April 12, 1924 – October 4, 1970) was an American stock car racer. Throughout his life, he developed a reputation for drinking and partying. In 1999, he was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
History
He was ...
[ (1924–1970).
The magazine had limited success in the first years.][ Jim Davis noted, "It was extremely difficult, because NASCAR didn't want anything to do with us. They didn't like the idea of outsiders coming in and, in their opinion, making a profit off of their shows." Jim Davis met with NASCAR officials to arrange an agreement; he noted, "Monk and I called NASCAR and asked for a meeting so we could explain to them what we were going to do. They eventually had Monk and me down there ]o Daytona
O, or o, is the fifteenth letter and the fourth vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''o'' (pronounced ), pl ...
essentially to have a meeting about what we were doing."[ Regardless, NASCAR was still not very receptive to the idea of a publication covering the sport, and Davis said that the press credentials were sometimes difficult to obtain because of that mindset.
The magazine persevered, however, by the tactics of staffing the big NASCAR races with an on-site photographer and publishing the related stories as written by local newspaper writers.][
Davis and Reynolds began publishing the magazine in ]Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Downto ...
,[ and they eventually implored Dick Williford to come and help to keep the magazine in publication. Jim Davis, while covering ]drag racing
Drag racing is a type of motor racing in which automobiles or motorcycles compete, usually two at a time, to be first to cross a set finish line. The race follows a short, straight course from a standing start over a measured distance, most c ...
with ''SuperStock'', had become acquainted with Williford from seeing him at various drag racing events over the years. Williford was employed as a PR rep for Chrysler
Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...
and had turned to drag racing (along with Richard Petty
Richard Lee Petty (born July 2, 1937), nicknamed "The King", is an American former stock car racing driver who raced from 1958 to 1992 in the former NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series (now called the NASCAR Cup Series), most notabl ...
) when Chrysler pulled out of NASCAR in 1965.[
Williford, who had first suggested that David create a stock car publication, was vital in getting the early issues of ''Stock Car Racing'' to press. He did much of the writing and legwork necessary to publish the magazine.][ "There is no way the magazine would have gotten off the ground without him," Jim Davis recalled. "He illifordset up all the contacts with the ]stringer
Stringer may refer to:
Structural elements
* Stringer (aircraft), or longeron, a strip of wood or metal to which the skin of an aircraft is fastened
* Stringer (slag), an inclusion, possibly leading to a defect, in cast metal
* Stringer (stairs), ...
s we used at all the major NASCAR superspeedway
Oval track racing is a form of closed-circuit motorsport that is contested on an oval-shaped race track. An oval track differs from a Road racing, road course in that the layout resembles an oval with turns in only one direction, and the directi ...
s. Monk and I didn't know any of those people and knew almost nothing about NASCAR racing."[
Three years later, in 1969, Jim Davis sold his interest in both magazines,][ ''Stock Car Racing'' and ''Super Sport'', to John Reynolds. Davis then started an advertising agency there in Alexandria, VA. By 1995, Davis had moved to Westchester, California, and co-founded Professional Products, working as the ]chief operating officer
A chief operating officer or chief operations officer, also called a COO, is one of the highest-ranking executive positions in an organization, composing part of the "C-suite". The COO is usually the second-in-command at the firm, especially if t ...
.[
In January 2012 Davis retired from Professional Products but retained an ownership position in the company. He launched an internet business called Performance Injection selling a line of performance auto parts.
John Reynolds eventually sold both magazines to Lopez Publications. Since then, several other companies have owned ''Stock Car Racing'', including ]Primedia
Primedia is a South African media group, headquartered in Sandton, Johannesburg.
History
Primedia was established in 1994 and its listing on the JSE Securities Exchange was completed in April 1995. Primedia remained listed on the JSE until 1 ...
.[
]
Notes
External links
Official website
{{Authority control
Monthly magazines published in the United States
Online magazines published in the United States
Sports magazines published in the United States
Auto racing magazines
Defunct magazines published in the United States
Magazines established in 1966
Magazines disestablished in 2008
Magazines published in North Carolina
Motorsport in the United States
Motorsport mass media in the United States
Online magazines with defunct print editions