Circuit Driver Mag: New Owners?

[shoestring7]

Just got an email from the fair Kathryn:

"Dear Subscriber,

I write to let you know that as from the above date, Circuit Driver will no longer be published by 176MPH Ltd.

Effective from the above date, the publishers of Circuit Driver will be P1 Media Ltd, the current publishers of Track and Race Cars Magazine.

P1 Media and Mark Hales fully intend to maintain Circuit Driver’s focus and authority and you will continue to receive your magazine every month.

Thank you very much for your interest over the years. I very much hope that you will continue to enjoy the UK’s most focused and authoritative track use magazine.

Yours sincerely

Mark Hales"

Anyone have the SP?

SS7

Edited by shoestring7 on Monday 18th June 14:14

Edited by shoestring7 on Monday 18th June 14:15

[GarrettMacD]

shoestring7 said:

Anyone have the SP?

I got the email too, and here's my wild guess, although I'm probably totally wrong...

You may remember that Bob McLaren, one of the founders of CD passed away not so long ago, at a stupidly young age of about 36, RIP. Then Steve Bennett (the then editor) left to go to 911 & Porsche World. I'm assuming that Bob McLaren had significant shares in CD, which his family would understandably want to sell, given that they have lost their main breadwinner, not to mention the fact that his cancer treatment would undoubtedly been expensive.

Without McLaren or Bennett at the helm the magazine would potentially have died off, leaving us with TRC as the only other option. The new owners can probably expand on the circulation since CD is now available in WH Smith. This is the first time since its inception that it hasn't been sold by subscription only, so (IMO) it has already moved to a much larger readership base. I just wish they would put more articles about going faster into it!!! I personally don't give a horse's arse about the Renault Clio road car that was tested in this month's edition, but I do need a LOT of help to go faster...

[shoestring7]

GarrettMacD said:

shoestring7 said:

Anyone have the SP?

I got the email too, and here's my wild guess, although I'm probably totally wrong...

You may remember that Bob McLaren, one of the founders of CD passed away not so long ago, at a stupidly young age of about 36, RIP. Then Steve Bennett (the then editor) left to go to 911 & Porsche World. I'm assuming that Bob McLaren had significant shares in CD, which his family would understandably want to sell, given that they have lost their main breadwinner, not to mention the fact that his cancer treatment would undoubtedly been expensive.

Without McLaren or Bennett at the helm the magazine would potentially have died off, leaving us with TRC as the only other option. The new owners can probably expand on the circulation since CD is now available in WH Smith. This is the first time since its inception that it hasn't been sold by subscription only, so (IMO) it has already moved to a much larger readership base. I just wish they would put more articles about going faster into it!!! I personally don't give a horse's arse about the Renault Clio road car that was tested in this month's edition, but I do need a LOT of help to go faster...

Sounds very reasonable: I just wonder how CD will fit in their stable of publications?

SS7