Grassroots Motorsports

[widebody911]

Did they get bought by "Fart Pipe Digest" or "Tits n Tunes"?

I used to subscribe a couple years ago, and then just let it run out. For some reason, it started showing up again a few months ago, unsolicited.

It seems to be much more rice than I remember, and it seems the articles it does have are useless. For example, there was an article about drifting. I read the entire article twice, including all of the sidebars, and I still don't know a damn thing about drifting. The article had all kinds of information about which specific cars, engines - and most importanly - tires, right down to the brand and size - but didn't tell you jack squat about what drifting actually is!

[HarryD]

Thom,

you know what drifting is....


it's what my dad told me I would be doing aimlessly when I got older

[makaio]

I agree THom. When I first started subscribing a couple years ago it seemed a lot better.

[dd74]

Funny, I don't get "drifting" either. Maybe we're purists...

I traded my stock swaybars for a three-year subscription to Grassroots. I think it was the tech editor who sent me a PM, asking about the bars. Rather than haggle I just gave him the bars and he gave me three years of the magazine. I thought it was a good deal since I've really stopped reading Road and Track, Car and Driver and all that. New cars bore me (though the 2006 Corvette's sweet).

Regardless, the bars will end up on their project 911, I guess. So at least they went to a worthy cause for the masses.

Anyway, I think Grassroots is a very dangerous magazine. All those long-term projects can get a guy thinking...and spending... But the beauty is, they'll take dog cars and really build them into something special.

Hmmm...might be time for another Ford Fiesta, or a Corvair...

[Zeke]

Drifting is simply driving your car in cross steering slide. It's stunt driving, that's all. Sometimes they do it with two cars at the same time. Sorta like synchronized swimming. Points for smoothness, degree of slide, etc. Looks like fun to me.

[exc911ence]

All the good content from Grassroots Motorsports is in Classic Motorsports now... GRM has gone "modern" while the old car stuff got its own magazine.

[makaio]

I'm still waiting for them to put the write-up on Mike Marsh's 911 they did almost two years ago.

[B D]

Anyone read the new magazine Octane? They do some good write ups in there, it's basically for the rich and the dreamers though.

[makaio]

I've thumbed through Octane a few times at the book store. Some OK content, but not worth a subscription to me.

IMHO the best mag out there right now is 911 & Porsche World. They have a great variety of content, good writers, good tech articles, and seems to be targeted for my demographic. I only wish we had an equivalant over here.

[masraum]

Octane has neat articles about classic sports cars and old racecars as well as good photography. If I can't have a garage full of cars and since I don't have memories of racing in the 50's or 60's (wasn't born yet) then I want to read about them. I guess that puts me in the "dreamer's" category. I got a subscription for Christmas. When you subscribe you get a logon to access the full magazine on their website. I've been wondering why more magazines don't do that.

Don't understand drifting?? Actually on the track isn't the fastest way around supposed to be in a very mild/slight 4 wheel drift? And WRC looks like just about as much fun as you can have with your pants on.

[Tim Suddard]

I guess the old edict of not caring what they say as long as they are talking about you still applys, but unfortunately I do care and no, we didn't get bought out. But, if we start another magazine, I'm gonna call that guy that started this thread... Tits and Tunes, I like that.

When I started Grassroots Motorsports 20 years ago (this year) I wanted to make a down to earth magazine for guys that like to fix up and autocross or race fairly low buck 5-25 year old cars. Twenty years ago this would include stuff like Triumph TR3s, Porsche 914s and Datsun Z cars. We were about the cars you would find on used car lots, not classic car dealerships.

Well, I never had any idea that 20 years later things like message boards would exist and I would still be doing the same thing. Unfortunately, as I got older, so did the cars I loved to write about. If we stick with our original premise we can't write about stuff like TR3s and heck, even 914s anymore. So, I had to make some choices last year. I could try to span fifty years of cars and really make the magazine too diluted or divide it into two magazines with about 25 years of cars in each. I was offered a deal on British Car magazine and we transformed that into our Classic Motorsports, which has become quite successful.

I am not a hard and fast rule kind of guy so we plan to have some overlap. Personally, while I love all cars I drive a 1973 Porsche 914 2.0, a 1967 Myers Manx and a 1995 BMW M3. I also have a trio of Berkeleys, a rotary powered Spitfire, a vintage race Triumph TR3, a 1963 Ranchero and a 1929 Model A Ford. But, that said, when I go to autocross and race events around the country I see a lot of late model Japanese cars out there, so we cover them. We don't cover fart cans, neon lights and all the other crap that the other magazines cover, nor will we ever. We also don't take $20,000-30,000 cars and put $50,000 of our advertisers money into them like one magazine in particular has a tendency to do.

If there is something you want to see, or something we are not doing correctly, I am willing to sit here at my computer well into the middle of every night until we figure out how to make you happy. If you want to email me privately or give me a call. My number is 386 673 4148 and my email is grmtim@aol.com

[cstreit]

Tim,

Well said.

I've always enjoyed your magazine and figured it was one of the best out there for guys like me. I've got a few ideas that I will e-mail you.

In particular I like the GRM 200n Challenge, etc... I still read it cover to cover. In particular I found the Motorhome article to be spot on.

It seems there is more ad space than the last time I bought at the news stand, but all-in-all, still good work. It would also be nice to see more in-depth articles instead of lots of short 3 paragraph articles. THose are entertaining, but since you are catering to the Do-It-Yourself budget crowd, we really want to LEARN stuff.

[Tim Suddard]

Point taken. It is always tough in the magazine business to balance article length with article quantity. We actually have some of the longest articles. Excellence has even some longer articles, but you don't get as many. It is always a balancing act.

[CJFusco]

If you are really fed up with ROAD & TRACK and CAR AND DRIVER, you should seek out the UK magazine EVO. I think it is BY FAR the best car magazine out there...

[vash]

you know, i have read the UK's various motorcycle magazines. i gave it up mostly because the magazines seem obsessed with motorcycle burnouts and wheelies. i think the writing is ok, but i admit, alot goes over my head in terms of humor. i will check out EVO. but i still like the american offerings. oh yea, does the neighborhood B&N carry GRM?

[dd74]

GM in B&Ns in LA. OTOH, YMMV.

(I always wanted to do that)

[Z-man]

Tim,
First of all, WELCOME to the OT Dungeon (and to Pelican)!

I have been subscribing to your magazine for about 4 years now: excellent job! Keep it up!

IMHO, your magazine is the only magazine that deals with the true motorsports enthusiast! Not those that sit in the bleachers, but those that got out and play on the non-professional level. There is simply no other magazine that deals with stuff like autocross suspension tuning, track tires, building a track car...etc. You guys rock!

Sure, there seems to be a little more 'Import' content in your magazine of late, but there is a HUGE difference between Import enthusiasts and Bling! Bling! The import motorsports market right now is the biggest thing going, so it is natural that you'd want to market your magazine towards them too. I truly see no problem with your approach. IMHO, too many P-car owners are too quick to lump import motorsports with the street racer/bling! bling! crowd - I think that's why you've gotten the feedback seen here.

Keep up the great work! Your magazine is one of my biggest source for information on track, autocross...etc. at my level.

By the way: I have a technical question reqarding tandem drifting: if one driver crashes, does the other one have to crash too?!?

About 1/2 a year ago, you stated there would be an article or series of articles on the whole "Driver's Ed" phenomenon: will we be seeing that soon? If you need information on PCA's DE program, please contact me.

(Shameless plug)
If you need an "Internet Hot Rod of the Month" cruise over to my webpage: http://members.rennlist.com/zman. (Oppsy, the GRM stickers are on the other side of the car! )
I also have my autocross and Driver's Ed stats posted.
(End shameless plug)

Can't wait to see your next issue! Oh, and I'll be registering on the GRM web board later today. Oh, and I picked up the latest Classic Motorsports just 2 days ago at the newstand. I'm possibly looking to do a 914 project car this spring...

Regards,
-Zoltan.
Pelican Parts OT & 944 Forum Moderator
Autox and DE junkie
North NJ PCA region Track Tech co-chair & Board member
North NJ PCA 2003 Enthusiast of the Year.

[Rot 911]

From a 15 year subscriber of British Car Magazine (starting all the way back to when it was call British Car and Bike Magazine) I was not happy with the sale of the magazine, but after reading the issues of Classic Motorsport that were sent to replace my subscription to British Car I can say that I am pleasantly surprised that I enjoy the new magazine at least as much, if not even more than, than the old magazine. Keep up the good work! By the way, I renewed my subscription!

[emcon5]

Hi Tim, love your magazine. One of these days I will get off my ass and subscribe, rather than paying twice as much at the local magazine stand.

Originally posted by masraum
Don't understand drifting?? Actually on the track isn't the fastest way around supposed to be in a very mild/slight 4 wheel drift? And WRC looks like just about as much fun as you can have with your pants on.

Neither of which have anything to do with the drifting the GRM issue was devoted to. Drifting competition has as much to do with getting around a racetrack quickly as a car show or concourse does.

Nothing.

True there are cars involved in both, but in both the winner is determined subjectively, by judges, rather than objectively by the stopwatch.

I am not saying that drifting doesn't require a high level of car control skill, it clearly does. And it is probably a good thing if it gets more people involved in SCCA or NASA, I just hope it doesn't bring a bunch of Icy Hot Stuntaz wannabe assclowns showing off their MaD SkIlZ in the parking lot.

Tom

[CamB]

I know 50+ year old guys who drift when there is no-one nearby (at the track) for giggles. It isn't just the young and the feckless.

GRM is quite hard to find here, but it's UK equivalent - Cars and Car Conversions - was easy. I say was, because they stopped publishing in October last year. So, so sad. It had been running for 40 years, but the automotive market's taste has moved towards bling, which they just wouldn't cover...

Highlights included in depth articles about various factory race cars (every issue) - quite tech focussed; the last issue had an article about 3 different motorbike derived 150hp/llitre small displacement V8s; and a Porche of some variey in about every 3rd issue .

The same guys still publish Racecar Engineering, which is a little dry and outn of reach for me.