By Jeff Mills
FARMINGTON, Mo. (Feb. 24, 2003) What started out to be a small newsletter-type operation has now grown to be the largest newspaper publication of it's kind in the Southeast Missouri area. The Driver's Seat has once again expanded its coverage area to include the Montgomery County Speedway in New Florence, the Malden Speedway and the new Poplar Bluff Speedway.
The Driver's Seat has added coverage of these tracks to go along with existing coverage of the St. Francois County Raceway in Farmington, the Fredericktown Raceway, Big River Sand Drags in Bonne Terre, Auto Tire & Parts/NAPA Racepark in Benton, I-55 Raceway in Pevely, SEMO Motor Speedway in Blodgett, and the B&L Raceway (for radio-controlled cars) in Park Hills. The newspaper also provides coverage of special racing events in the region.
The newspaper is provided free of charge to race fans at these tracks and at various outlets around the Southeast Missouri area.
"I was working at the Daily Press Leader in Farmington when I came up with the idea for the paper," said Driver's Seat Publisher Jeff Mills. "Everyone told me there was no way it would fly because there wasn't enough interest in the sport here in this area. Wow, have we proved all those people wrong."
Mills gives credit for the sucess of the newspaper to the entire racing community.
"If it wasn't for the promoters, the racers, the fans and of course the sponsors of the paper there is no way we could be entering our seventh full-season of coverage. My business partner, Gary Whitener, attended a driver's meeting the other day down at Chaffee and he said he had several people come to him and tell him how the Driver's Seat was like the 'Racing Bible' here in Southeast Missouri. When you hear things like that it makes it all worth while."
The Driver's Seat is published twice a month during the racing season (March - October) and monthly during the off-season. The first regular-season edition will hit the streets on March 11th.
"Car shows and play days are one of the first items on the agenda this year and every year," Mills said. "We want to get our first edition out in time to reach people attending those shows so we can get valuable information about the upcoming season into everyones hands."
Mills, who also works for the St. Francois County Raceway, Big River Sand Drags and the Fredericktown Raceway, is the president of the Racing Association of Mini Stocks (RAMS).
For more information on the Driver's Seat contact Mills at (573) 747-0566 or email him at millsey@jcn.net.
FARMINGTON, Mo. (Feb. 24, 2003) What started out to be a small newsletter-type operation has now grown to be the largest newspaper publication of it's kind in the Southeast Missouri area. The Driver's Seat has once again expanded its coverage area to include the Montgomery County Speedway in New Florence, the Malden Speedway and the new Poplar Bluff Speedway.
The Driver's Seat has added coverage of these tracks to go along with existing coverage of the St. Francois County Raceway in Farmington, the Fredericktown Raceway, Big River Sand Drags in Bonne Terre, Auto Tire & Parts/NAPA Racepark in Benton, I-55 Raceway in Pevely, SEMO Motor Speedway in Blodgett, and the B&L Raceway (for radio-controlled cars) in Park Hills. The newspaper also provides coverage of special racing events in the region.
The newspaper is provided free of charge to race fans at these tracks and at various outlets around the Southeast Missouri area.
"I was working at the Daily Press Leader in Farmington when I came up with the idea for the paper," said Driver's Seat Publisher Jeff Mills. "Everyone told me there was no way it would fly because there wasn't enough interest in the sport here in this area. Wow, have we proved all those people wrong."
Mills gives credit for the sucess of the newspaper to the entire racing community.
"If it wasn't for the promoters, the racers, the fans and of course the sponsors of the paper there is no way we could be entering our seventh full-season of coverage. My business partner, Gary Whitener, attended a driver's meeting the other day down at Chaffee and he said he had several people come to him and tell him how the Driver's Seat was like the 'Racing Bible' here in Southeast Missouri. When you hear things like that it makes it all worth while."
The Driver's Seat is published twice a month during the racing season (March - October) and monthly during the off-season. The first regular-season edition will hit the streets on March 11th.
"Car shows and play days are one of the first items on the agenda this year and every year," Mills said. "We want to get our first edition out in time to reach people attending those shows so we can get valuable information about the upcoming season into everyones hands."
Mills, who also works for the St. Francois County Raceway, Big River Sand Drags and the Fredericktown Raceway, is the president of the Racing Association of Mini Stocks (RAMS).
For more information on the Driver's Seat contact Mills at (573) 747-0566 or email him at millsey@jcn.net.
