National Speed Sport News, the granddaddy of American motorsports journalism, is back from the dead. Hallelujah!
Speed Sport News had been a weekly newspaper until last year, when it folded after 77 years of chronicling all forms of motorsport, from Formula 1 to your neighborhood short track. After the newspaper died, the NSSN website continued to deliver daily updates with many of the same voices, but there's nothing like a print package to curl up with while watching a day's worth of racing.
Which brings us to the new monthly print version of Speed Sport Magazine.
Motorsports announcer Ralph Sheheen is among a small group of investors who brought Speed Sport back to life. Rather than dumping money down the drain with a weekly newspaper, we have a monthly magazine that delivers less of the detailed race reports and more of a focus on features and analysis.
Longtime editor Chris Economaki is not involved but his passion and ideals are evident in Speed Sport Magazine, as even the smallest of series are given appropriate due.
I always had a love-hate relationship with Speed Sport News. I loved the content but hated that it arrived seven to 10 days after its publication date. Its inability to conquer delivery issues in an era of 24-7 coverage was a key factor in its demise, so the monthly publishing cycle gives it wiggle room to leverage its best side without feeling stale.
Issue 1 of the magazine is barely a week old, so it's too early to call the new Speed Sport a success. But it's sure nice to see it making another run into Turn 1.