I'm wondering if someone can let us know what ever happened to SUPER STOCK & DRAG ILLUSTRATED magazine, why they went out of biddness and such ?
SS&DI was sucked up in a big aquastion craze by I think Pederson Publications, and someone in the organization decided they had enough Drag Race coverage in Car Craft and Hot Rod, so they killed SS&DI. Thats the best of my recollection. I remeber getting a notice that the balance of my SS&DI subscription would be transfered to Car Craft (I think?) and extend that subscription. I don't think it ever hapened, my CC ended right when it supposed to. No I did not re-subscribe to Car Crap! I think a couple of other good publications died under similar conditions. SS&DI was the greatest, that was a big loss.
I really liked it until late 69, then I stopped reading it. But it was cool focusing a bit more on east coast stuff, especially match racing.
Drag Illustrated is no relation. SS/DI was bought up by Bob Guccione (sp) of Penthouse fame, had its name changed to Drag Racing in the nineties, and within a few years was gone. "Pederson Publications" or Peterson Publishing had nothing to do with it.
One of the best rags was DRAG RACING USA. I spent more of my school lunch money on magazines than you can imagine during the late 60's and early 70's. When the good magazines went out of business and the others started covering street cars I started eating again.
Was there a farewell SS&DI issue or did it just cease publication without notice, and what was the date of the last issue ?
I have both the last issue as SS/DI and the final issue under Guccione. I will see if I can find them and post photos of the covers in the interest of the historical record. Hopefully they wont get yanked for being off-topic.
falcongeorge, you may be right?? I have the final issues and remember the editor describing what was happening with the sale / take over, what ever it was. I too will dig them out because now you have my curiousity peaked. Maybe I am just getting that old or have breathed too many fumes to remember that far back. I do know the depression of seeing it go was real.
I may be able to shed some light on this subject. SS&DI was a sponsor of my Super Stock Reunions from 1995-1999. It was during this time that the name change took place. Editor Steve Collison blamed it on the lack of interest of Super Stock class racing and thus the lack of appeal the cover portrayed on news stands. When the magazine was created in the mid '60s Super Stockers were the most exciting race cars you could buy off the showroom floor. By 1995 there was not much exciting on the showrooms so the mag was given a name change to more reflect what was inside. The newly named mag ceased publication in about 1999 or 2000. Sadly, Collison passed away a few years later. Co-founder Monk Reynolds also died a year or two ago. I am not sure if co-founder Jim Davis is deceased. Reynolds and Davis came up with a magazine that was treasured in the '60s-'70s and even more today.
Just to add to this, SS&DI was basically a spin of of Eastern Drag News. Monk Reynolds was involved with the creation of both publications.
I still have boxes full of SS & DI magazines from the 60's and early 70's which I will never sell because I enjoy looking at them from time to time and reliving the memories from day's when drag racing was a lot more fun. It's interesting that when you look and read the old .25 cents small magazines from the late 50's and early 60's how few ads they had in them. In those day's they were full of tech and body and paint stories and you could really learn a great deal from the stories. Today is seems like just the opposite is true with pages and pages of ads and very little real content. I miss the old day's and reading the old magazines reminds me more and more just how far away magazines have gotten from the early day's. Just my two cents worth. Jimbo
Acquired the first issue,again,couple years ago at Milltown show. I did buy it when new and within an hour it was stolen from the pool hall I had stopped by on way home.Got pretty much every issue.
It was a great magazine for a lot of years. The fact that it was based in the DC area, where I lived, made it more relevant to me than the California mags. I went to Hawley's drag racing school in '92 and Steve Collison was my driving partner. His story is in the 2-94 issue. We shared the same car. He was a real trip. A very passionate guy and he told some great stories over cocktails. He gave me a shot at "making a fortune in drag racing journalism" too. I got the cover shot of the 6-94 issue. RIP SS/DI and Steve.
If any of you guys need any of the 60s and 70s issues i have some i sell at the swap meets pm me and let me know.
Surprisingly,no. Did talk and check out Steves' pile of books. The guy a couple doors up from him had 2 of the first issues. PS:Looking forward to this years Miilltown. Preston Wayne 4 coming back? They smoked.
My favorite car mag of all time! Hated to see it go, but then, Super Stock as a class really went, too, didn't it? Bob! How you doin'?
The Jalopy Journal
