I believe (but haven't checked lately) that all "mailed" magazines, publications etc. must file an annual Form 3526 with the US Postal Service - "Statement of Ownership, Management & Circulation" - which includes full distribution data for the publication - How many were mailed, how many were given away free, how many were thrown out, how many were used as bird-cage liners by HQ, etc. I think it's still required that publishers actually include this statement once annually in their publication. Usually small print, buried in the back.
Find one for SportsCar. Gotta be someplace. It's not really an SCCA publication...it's actually published by Haymarket Publishing's Racer Magazine group. Never actually looked at the 3526 for SportsCar, so I don't know if SCCA or Racer Magazine is the 'listed' owner.
Current arrangement is that Racer has a 'production contract' with SCCA to produce SportsCar monthly. Don't know any details of the contract, but from reading the SCCA annual financial statement for 2006 that the Club funds Racer about $500-600K, and gets none of the ad revenue. Is this a good deal ? It is if you're Racer Magazine.
Not going to trash-talk Racer...they're actually very nice people do deal with, and the ad rates in SportsCar are, comparitively, a "screaming deal" (IMO). Had occasion over the last 7-8 years to book display ads in SportsCar for "thank-you" ads for some sponsors, manufacturer & people who have helped us out (a rarity in sports car racing, but very common practice in motorcycle road racing...are car guys just "cheap, unappreciative bastards" ???). Racer Magazine people were GREAT to deal with. But...is their deal with SCCA the best deal that SCCA could come up with ? Is that Racer Magazine's problem ? No.
10+ years ago, I was involved (involved = B.O.D. for several elected terms) of a large, ISO / ANSI standards-setting technical society serving several multi-billion dollar industries. Society has had a "journal" published since 1916...'self-published' within the organization...sent to all members...full color glossy...with a small but quality amount of manufacturer advertising. None of the ad stuff is 'impulse buy' - image ads from technology companies or widgets that you'd have to dig $50K-500K out of the capital budget to buy - and the editorial stuff was really dry technical stuff....not the kind of stuff you'd find in your dentist's office or in the rack next to your potty. But...with a monthly page-count of 60-90 pages, it ran at a slight net profit or loss each month.
I'm not suggesting that SCCA go into the publishing business (oh gawd NOOOOO), but maybe it's time to take a good hard look at what SportCar costs the Club. Is the contract with Racer Magazine really good for the Club ?
I've raised this issue with my area Director several times over the past few years. I'll keep asking...and maybe when that contract comes back up, we can have some other options for a club publication.