Scroll down for more editor’s notes from past issues of RPM Magazine......

Often Imitated.....

NEVER Duplicated

JUNE ISSUE 2006 EDITOR’S RANT

This month I have a little less of a “Rant” and a little more of an “Editor’s Note”.
First, I wanted to discuss our magazine, RPM AKA Street Shootout Mag, and how to get it.
We are distributed in many ways, in fact you can get RPM in more ways than any other magazine of its kind.  Sure there are others, new and old, that say this or that, but we have over seven years of track record to back us up!
RPM/SSM is available by subscription, mailed right to your door. We are available on select newsstands in USA and Canada.  We are available at literally hundreds of performance shops in nine different countries and we are also available at various events and shows.
Subscriptions are $30 per year and can be purchased  online at www.rpm-mag.com or www.streetshootoutmag.com,  and paid for via our online secure payment method or by mailing a check to our head office.  Watch for some very interesting things regarding subscriptions over the coming weeks!
Because we do what we say and bring you a “Real Time” “Real World” magazine with current, not antiquated information in it, getting our magazine at a newsstand can sometimes be a challenge.  First you have to stumble across the right store.  And with tens of thousands of locations out there, we can only be in a portion of them. In the magazine distribution world newsstands are generally a few weeks behind the subscription anyways. This is only due to the extra miles put on a newsstand magazine before it actually hits the stand. 
RPM/SSM, being a “current events” publication, is usually out and in the hands of subscribed readers, industry shops and events the third to forth week of each month-- sometimes within a week after an event that is actually printed in that magazine. Now thats “Real Time”!
However nobody is perfect! In March and April we did experience some subscription delivery challenges on a very small portion of RPM mags which resulted in late or unreceived magazines. We hope we didn’t cause too much grief as we understand, “the sooner the better!”. Trish has taken care of tightening up our distribution program at our locations in both countries and we encourage you to call anytime with any concerns whatsoever, we will always deal with them immediately.
For Performance Industry Outlets we also have a special program where you can receive 10 or more magazines per month. For complete details please contact Trish at trish@streetshootoutmag.com or at 519.752.3705.
The bottom line is that subscribing to RPM is the best and fastest way to get the world’s only Real Time Real World magazine dedicated to you, The Fast Doorslammer Drag Racer, Enthusiast and Fan.

JULY ISSUE 2006 EDITORS RANT

Over the last seven years of being in the magazine business we sure have heard our share of the word “Exclusive”.  It seems that there are lot of media companies that think having “exclusive rights” to provide coverage for an event is in some way the crowning achievement of their perceived success-- or whatever you want to call it.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not against two or more organizations creating a plan to provide “same-day”, “Live”, or some type of hybrid coverage of an event. Or for that matter a photgrapher having the exclusive right for on-site sales. But folks com’on, we need to leverage the power of the masses, the more “word” that gets out there the better off everyone involved is-- oh except for maybe the ego driven “exclusivist”! (that may just be a new word). Generally when something is done without considering the interest of everyone involved it causes only short term gain, but long term pain.
As well, I am certainly not writing this piece out of “spite” as there has never been a situation where we have been denied the opportunity to cover an event. Actually it almost always to the contrary, most organizations invite us or freely provide us with Press Credentials in hopes to gain more exposure.  Hopefully we have paid our dues in “sweat equity” and have proven ourselves in providing high quality coverage that puts the very best light on the organizations, their racers, sponsors, fans and this industry as whole.
It does however seem that starting in the fall of 2005 the subject of “exclusive this” or “exclusive that” had flared up again, and that is my que to “Rant”. With the popularity and sheer mass of the internet the racer, sponsor and even fan now have the ability to have a close eye on how their vested interest in the racing program is being handled. 
I guess the one absolute on the subject is that the more coverage of an event there is, the more coverage the organizers, it’s racers and sponsors receive, and thus the more they will ALL benefit.  If there is an argument against that statement I would love to hear it!
Now on the other hand “Exclusivity” provides what?-- in most cases, “limits”, that’s what. Our industry is small in comparison to most others so why not toot our own horn as much as possible.
I must say I am impressed that most oganizations even those with their own magazines and websites etc. are still savvy enough to welcome coverage from other magazines, websites and photojournalists etc.  My hat goes off to this type of visionary.  The challenge seems to be within the media itself, and honestly I feel that it is once again ego getting in the way of the big picture.
There is no “I” in Team! Why would anyone want their race event, racecar, supporting company or sponsor to appear with limits? I know it’s tough sometimes to bite the bullet and work together-- set our egos aside and try to give the frontline folks as much press as possible, but in the interest of the racers (without whom we have no show) we as media must do our best to get the word out everywhere.  Yes, it is a competitive business world but there is  such a thing as healthy and unhealthy competition. Even with our own RPM Magazine events we welcome ALL other media to come out, enjoy themselves, and by all means GIVE US PRESS!!!
This topic is discussed and debated to death most anywhere that there is a business interest at stake. I could write for pages-- but once again there is only one true answer.
At RPM it is our goal to provide the industry as whole the highest quality, most complete coverage of the world of fast doorslammer drag racing. It’s like the cover say’s “No Politics, No Strings, Just Action!”.

RPM - WHO ARE WE?

With the end of the drag race season and start of the show season closing in on us quickly we here at RPM introduce many thousands of new readers to what we have to offer. It is at this point annually where I usually fill our new readers in on what we do here at RPM/Street Shootout Magazine. True to form, here I am again to welcome our new readers and advertisers as well as thank our many thousands of existing supporters.

Who we are? Really, we are just a group of enthusiasts and racers much like you who have chosen to bring you a better, more current and grassroots magazine. One that is made for the industry by the industry. Many of our staff, writers, and photographers offer up their talents mostly for the love of the sport and support of our mission.

No "window dressing", no "fluff", no hidden agenda’s, only what YOU want...Real Stories about Real People. The kind of people that actually make up the majority of this industry, people like you, not only the "select" or "elite" few.

RPM is a "REAL TIME" magazine for the enthusiast! What you want, when you want it. In other words, our content is current rather than ancient. No five to eight month old articles here.

Also, RPM issues are all "CURRENT DATED" on the lower left corner of the magazine. In other words our November 2005 issue is actually a November 2005 issue! This magazine would be distributed the last two weeks of October rather than a magazine dated two months ahead. So when a November issue of a magazine arrives in September with June information in it you can bet that it is NOT RPM!

Exclusive content. Much of our RPM content is exclusive to our magazine, meaning you don’t read about the same things in two or three other publications. Many of our journalists work very closely with us to ensure articles are not posted or printed elsewhere until after RPM has been printed and distributed.

On the front of our magazine appear the words "Dedicated to the World of Fast Doorslammer Drag Racing". Meaning - Street Legal, Pro Modified, Outlaw, Top Sportsman, Musclecars, Hotrods, high tech, low tech, old, new, and the list goes on and on.

Without borders. Don’t be surprised to see coverage from USA, Canada, UK and many other parts of the world hosted in RPM. Let’s face it, it’s a big world out there and the more we learn about it the better this industry and our form of drag racing will be.

Diverse content. We really are into more than just ourselves! It is our goal to provide all organizations that fit into the RPM theme with the opportunity of giving their racers and sponsors the coverage they deserve.

The tangible written word will never die. With the internet being such a large part of todays business world the ability to actually sit down and read a magazine will always be a welcomed part of our leisure lives. One thing about a magazine...you can read it time and time again and always find something new. It never gets deleted.

We welcome your input. As a reader and supporter of this magazine you are part of what goes into it. We encourage your participation, comments and input. You can contact us directly by phone or online through our website www.streetshootoutmag.com

Remember, if you have any type of racing or race team information you wish to share with the world send it to RPM...we really are here to help!

So once again, welcome and we hope you enjoy what RPM/Street Shootout Magazine has to offer.

EDITOR’S RANT - MARCH 2006 ISSUE

THE BIG PICTURE

There is a statement that I have always believed to be true. Actually it is more of a "Law" within the study of physics. No, this is not one of those pull out the dictionary before I write it Editor’s Statements, or Proclamations, or whatever you would call those boring never ending stories in some magazines. We’ve promised we’ll never do that, and we won’t start now. What I’m ranting about this month has to do with any type of sport, not just this one. For that matter it could apply to many things that we encounter in our daily lives, regardless of who we are or what we do.

This particular law, "Newton’s third Law" reads; "For Every Action There Is An Equal And Opposite Reaction". On the science end of things there is an abundance of studies and proof that support this law. Basically, there is always a pair of forces at work in everything. So lets say then that whenever we do one thing something else will always happen, right? Call it a consequence.

As many of us do, I often put words, phrases or "laws" like this to use, but not always for the exact purpose for which they were written. Over the years I’ve come to believe at least the greater part of Newton’s words...for every action there is a reaction. Basically, everything we do somehow affects something, or someone, else. Far too often we may never even know about the "reaction" part of things.

Many sports and hobbies are, like this one, niche markets...or small circles of individuals who share a love for the same type of pas-time. So why would we do anything that may hurt or destroy what we enjoy so much? Probably because we sometimes think without actually using our brains...sound impossible? Well it’s not. Over the years I know that I have made decisions, and witnessed the making of decisions with what I like to call the " A&E’s" actually making the decision for us. What are the "A&E’s" you ask? Anger and Ego, of course. I bet you’re starting to get my drift now.

I’m as guilty of it as anybody, but I hope that I have used each experience as a learning one and thought twice the next time. Unfortunately though, as many of us have, I have seen first hand the damage that the actions of one can cause to another.

There are many examples that come to mind. One of the ones that seems the most difficult to understand in this and other sports, is when a competitor will not affix a certain sponsors’ logo or decal to their vehicle. Ok, let me get this straight, we want a place to compete. We want to win money and prizes as a reward for our performance. We want recognition for our participation...well then, wake up! If a sponsor puts their money and marketing efforts into supporting our little sport and we don’t want to wear their "logo" or "brand", then you know what, they won’t be back...and even more, others will catch wind of it and before we know it we won’t have a place to compete. Competition in anything, including sports, is intense, but trying to put together an organization and finding support for it is every bit as mind boggling.

Let’s say that "Golf Pro Joe’s" father owns a shoe manufacturing firm. Along comes shoe company "Brand X", that wants to sponsor the entire tour. But wait, Joe wears only his dad’s logo on his hat and shoes. What do you think will happen to Joe if he doesn’t wear "Brand X" too on the next tour?

Many times things are done or said without using reasonable thought first. An example is when a politician blurts out something that offends other people. Or, how many times have you yourself typed something in an email, clicked "send", then instantly regretted it.

The best way to sum up this particular "rant", mostly because I’m out of space, is to say something that we all already know. Everything we do causes a reaction, however it is up to each of us to determine whether or not it is a positive or negative one. I guess we need to be grateful for what we have, because nothing will last forever. 

EDITOR’S RANT - APRIL 2006 ISSUE

Choices, choices and more choices...

With the explosion of the Musclecar, Street Legal and Outlaw Drag Racing industry comes a whole new line of choices for the enthusiast. Whether you are a fan, participant or hardcore car guy with a "gem" at home in the garage, you are part of one of the largest enthusiast based movements this industry has ever seen.

Way back, at the tender wet-behind-the-ears age of fifteen when my own interest in fast cars began, there were not many options as to where to race, or for that matter what to go watch at your local dragstrip on any given weekend. We feel very lucky to have grown up with three quality facilties located within two hours of our home. They, as many businesses during the late eighties and early nineties, had some challenges dealing with what was perceived as declining interest. I for one do not believe that the falling-off within the performance and racing end of things was due to lack of interest, but rather was the result of a nasty economic recession that threw a huge wrench in our ability to end up with any type of disposable income at the end of the month. Without this extra cash we simply couldn’t afford to spend money on building and maintaining our cars let alone attending events.

Then along came the new and "renewed" interest in Street Legal and Musclecar Drag Racing. This brought many things to the table, among them a strong interest in these types of cars, a new on-the-edge, or to use the buzz word of the time "XTREME" form of drag racing, and of course now, a choice of many different organizations and specific classes in which to participate. No longer did we have to go to "Test & Tune" nights to race against our peers, no longer did we have the choice of one or maybe two events a year to run at, and no longer was an event with a $50/day admission price the only place we could see the best of the best go at it toe to toe in a heads-up "may the fastest man or woman win" type of format.

Whether it was the wild action of bringing the untamed street machines of Scavo, DaSilva, Custodio and Grebeck to life on the dragstirp, or Johnny Rocca’s nostalgia Merc. in Pro Modified action, there was certainly a large number of people taking notice of these fast doorslammers. There’s just something about watching, and being involved in, the seemingly impossible and definately dangerous! In this case the thrill for both competitors and fans alike is attempting to produce far more horsepower than was ever thought to be humanly possible, then trying to put that horsepower through a car that was never meant to handle it! But how to get this excitement into the mainstream? That’s a job we all can lend a helping hand in.

Even the rather lack luster, accessory driven, "get in, get out" Import/Sport Compact craze couldn’t put a lid on what has become one of the fastest growing areas of motorsports. The new "band wagon" being boarded by those abandoned by the former is right here, and many of you have been with it from the start of it all. It is interesting to note that in any given month you’ll see dozens of new websites, magazines and racing organizations pop up claiming to cater to the "Street Legal", "Outlaw" or "Fast Doorslammer" scene. Closer attention to some of these "newbies" reveals familiar names from the "last big thing". What does all of this do for us? It gives us even more to choose from while making our choices that much more difficult.

The evolution of this industry over the past ten years has brought about many things, the least of which is choice! What type of vehicle to race, where to race, what class to race in, and the list goes on and on. What we have to remember is that as participants and fans we have a continuing responsibility to secure the future. It all goes back to that once famous shampoo commercial that drilled this phrase into our heads, "They told two friends, and they told two friends...and so on...and so on..."

As we make our choices remember that if we put our energy into helping make something better, the likelyhood of it failing is that much less. Make your choices wisely.

EDITOR’S RANT - MAY 2006 ISSUE

For Love Or For Money...

Working on this issue has certainly re-hashed many of those popular topics that seem to come up during pretty well every bench racing session.

Among my favorites is the "for love or for money" issue that burns inside of us all. So then, why do YOU race...for love or for money?

With the past few years bringing ten thousand, twenty thousand or fifty thousand dollar purses for a single class, you gotta ask yourself; where’s this all going?

We do still seem to hear, more often than not, "I do it for the love of the sport", "I do it for the fun", "for the rush", or, "We race to be part of the action-- the big picture", and so on.

I’ve read many writers’ thoughts on the subject, most of whom I greatly respect, and I have definitely had my share of head bangin’ sessions over this.

As a competitor in any sport we all, at some level within ourselves, want to win. Many of us also at some point come to the realization that maybe we can’t compete with the "big dawgs"-- but does that stop us from trying?

From a competitors standpoint, more $$ is better right? Or is it? Is it really that extra cash that draws us to the big dollar races or is it the added competition along with the thought of being part of the big show and maybe, just maybe getting a shot at those bucks. Afterall this is heads-up drag racing and anything CAN happen!

The big question is, can the sport itself keep feeding this appetite? I believe it can. Ever heard that saying "there is a place for everything"?

I believe that the majority of us will stick with our local or favorite sanctioning body, regardless of what kind of dollars are up for grabs. I mean don’t get me wrong, when considering the investment of todays racer the winnings have to be respectable and guaranteed at some level. But we’re racing with them because we generally enjoy the quality of the total package that they offer-- the classes and rules, the organization and the people that run things, the points chase, the trophy or other end rewards, the recognition among our peers, and so on. For these reasons we’re less driven by the winnings. That’s not to say that Racer Joe won’t skip a local deal to make a big dollar show. Let’s face it, if you got $150K wrapped up in your Outlaw 10.5 car and think you got what it takes, you WILL go mix it up.

Surprisingly, some of the most popular and well attended events for both racers and fans are NOT necessarily the ones with the biggest payouts. A trip to Orlando in fall will verify that. Sometimes it really is the bragging rights or the "I was part of that race in 2006" attitude that drives a person to be part of it all.

Let’s face it, this world can be a cruel place and the cruel reality of this sport is that it takes money to get into it, more money to stay in it, and even more money to be competitive in it, especially at the level of some of the top heads-up classes. The other end of that reality is that when you consider your costs and expenses, even if you’re winning, there is little or no money to be made doing it. I don’t think that many financial advisors would consider it a sound business decision to go drag racing. At least not without substantial sponsorship that covers, or at least largely offsets your expenses. But, we still do it.

So then, IS it for love or for money?? The only conclusion that I can draw from all of this is that we really do love this sport. We want to participate as much as possible and at the highest level that our means permit. But on the off-chance we can wager our expenses to throw our hat into the ring of a big show and stand to come out with some big bucks in our pocket, we’re gonna do it.

There are those select few that don’t have to worry about whether spending the dollars makes "cents", but for most of us there has to be something more than money that drives us to the sport we love.