CompetitionPlus.com, drag racing's longest-running online magazine, is preparing for its 25th year in the industry with a series committed to preserving drag racing history.

CompetitionPlus.com, founded in 1999 and launched in September of that same year, has published tens of thousands of articles chronicling both current news and drag racing history. In the months leading up to its 25th anniversary, the online pioneer will feature the top stories of each year. 

"We've created so much content each year that it is going to be hard to pick one story that sticks out for each year," said Bobby Bennett, publisher, editor, and founder of the innovative publication. "Keeping the history of our great sport alive is something we at CompetitionPlus.com have dedicated our lives to. I get much of the credit, but the truth is our passionate team of writers, photographers, and videographers are the ones who have created a publication that we proudly proclaim delivers news on the internet you can trust.

"That is no disrespect to any of the other hard-working news outlets out there. Many of them work hard, too. I just know what we deliver daily."

When Competitionplus.com was launched in 1999, the internet was not considered a reliable or legitimate place for visitors to read their news with the same confidence they could in printed entities or watch video presentations with the ease they do now. A lot has changed in the last 24 years.

"Just the way we connect," Bennett added. "Back in those days, you had to find a phone line because a wireless or even a DSL connection was virtually non-existent in those days. And advertising on the web? That was a funny proposition. I think one of our first sales pitches to a prospective advertiser summed it up the best.

"I had one potential advertiser [in 1999] present this question to me, 'How are you going to sell me an ad to a magazine that I cannot take to the bathroom with me? 

"I told him the technology was developing so quickly that one day, it will be in the palm of his hand on his cell phone. He responded, 'I don't think this Internet thing is going to catch on."

The first issue of Competitionplus.com was uploaded on September 15, 1999, at 8 PM EST and attracted 100 visits. The initial editions of the once bi-weekly publication were hand-written code in NotetabPro, an app much like today's NotePad. The initial Competitionplus.com design and format was created by Spartanburg, SC, web developer Frank Dill. 

Director of Photography Roger Richards joined the team in September of 1999 and established a foundation of making digital photography the future norm. 

"Everyone was still set on print film, and with Roger, we began working towards making digital imagery the future of our industry," Bennett said. "The Sony Mavica gave way to higher-end Nikon cameras, and even the way we did the magazine changed as advanced web design apps became available through Dreamweaver, which Roger's son Danny Richards opened us up to. It was a continual evolution that changed daily. 

The one constant in the road to 25 years has been change. 

"We haven't really changed our look a lot in the last decade because of our readers and their desire to remain in their routines," Bennett said. "Yeah, we could have all the bells and whistles for a website, but when it comes down to it - it's the news that readers can trust that means the most to us."

Bennett said it's been a team effort that has set the stage for the longevity. 
 
"I get a lot of the credit, but it's our team that delivers daily," Bennett said. "It's our writing team of Susan Wade, Tracy Renck, Thomas Pope, Larry Crum, Darin Williams Jr., and Jessica Hatcher who deliver the best stories. It's our photography team of Roger, Ron Lewis, the Burghardts, Dave Kommel, Chris Haverly and all of the contributors who help us visualize the greatest sport in the world. The video end of things with Les Mayhew helped us to revolutionize video presentation on the internet. It's our team behind the scenes, like Brian Wood, MV Carpenter, Emily Bennett, Melissa Noakes, and McKailen Haddock, who make the machine run seamlessly. 

"It's the team at the POWER HOUR show with Lee Craft, Darin Williams, and Elon Werner that keeps building the brand. This is far from being a one-person band. Even our IT guy, Don, at BrainMatter, the folks you never hear about that make this band keep going."

The first Road to 25 installment will publish on October 10, featuring the story of 1999, Competitionplus.com's launch year.