Introducing Classic Race Reviews

Hi everyone! I think it’s time I checked in and did a bit of a state of the newsletter address with you all. Since I took my IndyCar coverage from The Roar to this newsletter, I’ve been 100% independent and keeping things as DIY as possible. I’ve typed every word, slapped my own logo together, and generally enjoyed full control over the process. It’s been an incredibly rewarding journey, and I can’t thank you, my loyal readers and subscribers, enough for coming along.

However, there are certain limitations to being self-backed and cash-neutral. For instance, I’d like to take the Afterburn out into the real world by covering the Grand Prix of Monterey on site, and hopefully snag a driver interview or two while I’m there, but getting to and from Laguna Seca costs gas money, and the price of that looks like it’s only going to go up between now and race day. I’m also starting my Master’s degree at the University of San Francisco in a few weeks, which means that my whole financial calculus now revolves around paying by hook or by crook for that degree. The most obvious way to monetize this newsletter would be to move up to a premium Beehiiv plan and start embedding ads, but at the rate I’d have to pay, that risks running at a substantial loss that I currently can’t afford.

So here’s what I’ve come up with. I’ve launched a Ko-fi for this newsletter, and for a one-time payment of $10 or more, you can commission me to watch and write about any televised American championship open-wheel race up through the end of the 2023 IndyCar Series. From the classics to the tragic, great races to garbage, it’s all on the table so long as I can find a replay of the race online. Once my writeup is done, it’ll go up here on the Afterburn in between my usual coverage, and you’ll receive special thanks at the top of the article for your support. If you want to support the Afterburn without asking for a classic race review, Ko-fi also allows one-time and monthly donations, and I certainly wouldn’t say no to those.

If you have the means, I hope you’ll at least consider making a commission. If you don’t, then don’t worry, because race recaps, news, and all other ongoing coverage will remain free like it’s always been around here. Either way, thank you for your continued readership.