American Content
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The Wind-Up
The two existing magazines that cover the National Association
of Stock Car and Auto Racing (NASCAR) -- NASCAR Winston Cup, a
weekly, and NASCAR Winston Cup Illustrated, a monthly -- provide
comprehensive racing coverage, giving NASCAR fans the juice on
drivers, pit crews and tracks. But then they come to a full stop
editorially. That's where American Thunder, which is launching this
month, takes a sharp turn.
Although NASCAR races typically attract 200,000 fans --and its
average Nielsen ratings are second only to the National Football
League -- there is no lifestyle publication for racing fans.
American Thunder, a monthly, with an initial circulation of
150,000, wants to fill that void. The magazine will cover a wide
range of topics catering to racing enthusiasts -- a notoriously
active bunch -- such as hunting, fishing, travel, barbecue,
military coverage, country music, rock and roll, gadgets and
technology. Laced with dashes from GQ, Maxim and Men's Health, the
publication has a slick, clean look, with photo-rich content.
Features in the debut issue include an in-depth profile of NASCAR's
prodigal son Dale Earnhardt, Jr.; Best and Worst of NASCAR 2003 and
a look at the season ahead and a strategy kit and online "power
rankings" of drivers for participants in fantasy leagues.
Some of the non-NASCAR features in the maiden issue include an
inside look at the U.S. armed forces engaged in Iraq, an
examination of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, better known as
"March Madness," and the six best places in North America for
saltwater fishing. "To use the phrase that's been coined, we're
going for the 'NASCAR Dad audience,'" says American Thunder editor
in chief Lucas Mast, who previously worked as a telecommunications
consultant in Washington, D.C. and was also a member of the Cato
Institute, where he worked as a telecommunications analyst for the
libertarian think tank. "These are mostly married men who are
passionate about NASCAR," Mast says. He adds that "there are 25
million people who spend at least 7 hours a week on NASCAR-related
activities," first and foremost attending NASCAR races, but also
watching races on television and/or cruising through NASCAR Web
sites on the Net.
The Pitch
Although NASCAR is concentrated in the South, its appeal among
corporations cuts a much wider swath. General Mills, Home Depot and
several pharmaceutical companies all sponsor cars that compete in
NASCAR. "It's one of those things that is sneaking up on the
country," Mast says. "If you were to ask ten people to name the top
four sports they probably wouldn't name NASCAR. But the fans have
spoken and [NASCAR] is No. 2" in sports popularity. He's betting
that by the end of this year NASCAR will eclipse the NFL as the No.
1 American sport. "We've been predicting this for some time," Mast
says.
Each issue of American Thunder will include a 16-page guide
pullout featuring the next four to five cities coming up on the
NASCAR circuit, with lots of service-y information on restaurants,
hotels, how to get to the track and any other events/activities in
the area. "I went to a race in Talladega, Alabama, outside of
Birmingham. I had three or four days before the race but I didn't
know what to do," Mast says. "It would have been a key opportunity
for me to be able to do some fun stuff, so I wanted to make sure we
would include that type of content" in the magazine. Send all
editorial pitches and questions to: [email protected]. The
editorial staff is quite lean right now, so any pitches will be
filtered through Mast to his two-dozen writers who are based
throughout the country.
E-mail is fine for an initial pitch and unlike many editors Mast
doesn't mind the phone call follow-up. Coverage is ripe for
NASCAR's corporate sponsors, such as General Motors, that put a lot
of capital into R&D and improving their driving teams. Some of
the research translates into consumer sales. "From the PR side
[those types of stories] would definitely be of interest," Mast
says. Gadgetry pitches are also encouraged from manufacturers and
their communication teams. It costs anywhere from $15 million to
$20 million to sponsor a NASCAR team. But sponsorship opportunities
abound in the Busch series and the Craftsman truck series, the
second and third tiers of NASCAR, respectively. Most of the top
NASCAR drivers have charitable foundations, which will also be
covered closely, as will drivers' interests outside of racing.