With a special Black Friday deal in place, Drag Illustrated enjoyed a record-breaking holiday weekend over Thanksgiving, putting subscriptions for the popular magazine at an all-time high for the 15-year publication.
Thousands of people took advantage of the special offer, as a number of new subscribers joined the DI family, helping push the magazine to its highest subscription amount ever.
“We added more than 2,500 subscriptions inside of four days and to see that kind of commerce and support in this climate, it’s just a heart-warming thing,” Drag Illustrated Founder and Editorial Director Wes Buck said. “It shows how significant the printed word remains to this industry, and it’s a reminder how much people care and how many people are invested in our product and in the racing community as a whole.
“We stand by the belief that for a car guy, a racer or anyone in the industry, being featured in a magazine is among the most significant things out there. That’s a goal for everybody and we’re proud to celebrate the test of time, and to continue growing.”
While Drag Illustrated continues to experience significant growth digitally as well, including a record-breaking year on its website, the print product remains the foundation for everything.
While the company has branched out on social media and now holds its own drag racing events, the magazine continues to be the backbone for each new project, especially as new print growth continues to occur.
“The printed magazine is our flagship product and that helps separate us from the crowd. We truly believe our flag flies higher because of the magazine,” Buck said. “It adds legitimacy and significance to what we do on our website, on social media and in the event space. We couldn’t be more proud to be involved in this digital revolution, but the magazine still very much moves the needle.”
The website is destined for more growth in 2021 as well, with a number of new resources and ideas planned for exclusive web content.
But DI’s print magazine and special themed issues continue to be a massive hit in the industry as well. Issues like the “Women of Power,” “Crew Chief Issue,” “30 Under 30,” “Trending Issue,” the “Champions Issue” and others offer DI’s unique perspective that allow the publication to stand out, especially as the magazine didn’t miss a beat during the unprecedented times of 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s a year that’s been tumultuous for everyone and we’ve continued to forge forward and I’m extremely proud of that,” Buck said. “We were able to deliver content to our readers and advertising partners and push the sport forward. I think the movement we had is a result of people seeing the effort, respecting it and wanting to be a part of it, and that has us really excited for 2021.”
This story was originally published on December 9, 2020. 
