SFChron: S.F. magazine is banking on NASCAR fans

[Atlant]

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/03/04/BUGGM5DFAO1.DTL

Race for readers
S.F. magazine is banking
on NASCAR fans

Dan Fost, Chronicle Staff Writer
Thursday, March 4, 2004
San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco has long been the birthplace of a quirky assortment
of magazines, from counterculture pioneer Rolling Stone to tech
bibles like Wired. One of the newest titles to emerge, with its
first issue on newsstands now, is also one of the most unlikely:
American Thunder, a monthly devoted to the NASCAR lifestyle.

Backed by the founder of the tech firm PayPal and edited by a
former Washington policy wonk, American Thunder's offices in the
city's Financial District feel about a million miles from NASCAR's
traditional Southern strongholds.

Yet the magazine's leaders may be onto something, as evidenced by
NASCAR's evolving demographic.

Everyone from politicians courting NASCAR dads to big businesses
paying big bucks for NASCAR sponsorships has discovered a huge and
growing market of fast-car enthusiasts.

<more>

[Renew Deal]

1. The track at Sonoma

is like 30 minutes away.

[wjittermoss]

2. People don't have money to spend on magazines

And it is only going to get worse unless more people are put back to work.