RACER Magazine ceases print publication

RACER Magazine, an institution of motorsports journalism for over three decades, has left the printing press one final time.

David Malsher-Lopez, the magazine’s editor, announced via Twitter on Monday:

I’m sorry to inform you that after 34 years and 341 issues, RACER magazine has been axed, with immediate effect. I’m not sure when there will be a formal announcement.

If I do say so myself, it was a great magazine, and I am forever grateful to editor-in-chief Laurence Foster for inviting me to join in January 2008… and then grateful again to Laurence, founder Paul Pfanner, and major investors Chris and Rob Dyson for bringing me back in May 2023, after my 7-year term with a rival company.

But the demise of RACER magazine also means my second chapter at Racer Media & Marketing LLC has ended. If there is to be a third, it will be as an occasional contributor to Racer.com, but right now, nothing has been set in stone.

I only learned this news late last week, and at the weekend I was (remotely) covering IndyCar at Markham, my final duty as a full-timer for Racer. So today is my first chance to truly consider what might be next for me.

For clarity, the shutdown only applies to the physical magazine release. Racer Media’s other assets such as the online articles published to Racer.com (so no, IndyCar fans, Marshall Pruett isn’t out of a job) and RACER Network—the successor to MAVTV that carries events like the Dakar Rally, Mexican 1000, Crandon World Cup, Pikes Peak, and King of the Hammers—remain active.

Print journalism has suffered a rapid decline over the years as revenue and readership turn to online publications and social media. These losses are further compounded by the increasing reliance on subscriptions by digital media to stay afloat, sacrificing physical magazines and newspapers in exchange. Vintage Motorsport, another magazine in the Racer Media family that had been serialized since 1984 before its acquisition by said owners in 2019, was folded into RACER after the final issue in March 2025.

RACER took a hit despite the recent resurgence of Barnes & Noble, which should’ve been an opportunity for renewed interest only for the new locations to not carry monthly periodicals in favor of standard books. While Racer Media included the magazine in online subscriptions to RACER+ and the like, those alone could only do so much.

The magazine was co-founded by Paul Pfanner and Jeff Zwart. In a eulogy posted Monday evening, Pfanner explained he and Zwart agreed as early as 1978 to create a racing zine for the United States that was on par with those found in Europe and Japan. Eventually, it debuted as the May 1992 issue as part of a gallery at that year’s Grand Prix of Long Beach.

John Zimmermann, the editor, penned a welcome message on Page 6 that outlined his vision for RACER. It sought to “illustrate the why beyond the what”, covering races while still being willing to challenge or take controversial opinions, so much so that he even cited Thomas Jefferson’s love for the free press.

“We all share one common goal: to do our best work for you and for the sport of auto racing, work that makes a difference,” Zimmermann wrote.

The first edition’s features centered on eventual F1 champion Nigel Mansell, the battle between Chevrolet and Ford in IndyCar, marketing in NASCAR, and the looming bleak state of IMSA. While pavement racing was the main focus and this remains the case for the company’s coverage today, that inaugural issue included updates about SCORE, HDRA, MTEG, WRC, and the SCCA ProRally Championship.

SCORE and HDRA were categorized under “Desert Duels”, recapping the former’s Parker 400 and latter’s Nissan 400 and Southern California 250. MTEG’s first three rounds took place at Anaheim Stadium, Jack Murphy Stadium, and the Kingdome. The WRC recaps followed the first three races in Monte Carlo, Sweden, and Portugal, while the ProRally season opener in Texas was headlined as a “Muddy Mess”. These weren’t full-fledged news articles, but each save for SCORE still got multiple paragraphs.

In fact, you could say off-road got some love from the very beginning. Upon flipping past the cover, the reader is met with two full-page advertisements. On the left, and therefore the first ad in RACER‘s history, is for PPG and discusses Michael Andretti’s 1991 Indy Car title run.

Opposite that is a commercial for No Fear, focusing on a 23-year-old Robby Gordon. While still known for his desert and short course successes at this time, he had already been winning in IMSA and was set to make his CART debut later that year.

No Fear advertisement starring Robby Gordon, from the May 1992 issue of *RACER Magazine*.
Photo credit: Tom Seawell

The Oregonian described RACER as a “new slick” publication shortly after its first Christmas.^[1] By September 1993, the Tustin-based zine had 45,000 subscribers.^[2]

The rest is history. RACER would become the American magazine for racing in the next 34 years.

But unfortunately, times changed. Haymarket Publishing acquired the magazine in 2001 before selling it back to Pfanner and his partners Rob and Chris Dyson in March 2012. Racer Media & Marketing, Inc. remains the owner and has grown since with the aforementioned properties, while Pfanner’s role with the company concluded at the end of 2025.

“Good night to the magazine I love,” Pfanner ended. “Good morning to what comes next.”