Redesigned and ready to rock 'n' roll

The new racing season has arrived and, with it, ThatsRacin.com today rolls out a new look and a number of new features.

We could say the racing site of tomorrow has arrived, but this is a lot different from NASCAR’s new car: This one actually handles and the changes aren’t aimed at taking us back to a happier time and place. This one actually looks fast. and moves us forward. And it open doors to more news, information, opinion, photos and videos than ever.

The fundamentals have not changed and aren’t going to. ThatsRacin.com will continue to rely on solid reporting and analysis, not flash, rumors or what anyone “hears” - you know, how Outlook chimes when an e-mail news release arrives in the ol’ in-box or real news shows up on someone else's site.

Many of the changes will extend ThatsRacin.com’s reach.

The main tabs –NASCAR, Other Series and FanSpace – are direct links to the specific coverage you’re looking for. NASCAR will remain the site’s primary focus, but as interest in other forms of motorsports increases, we’re not only going there with you, we’re going to help drive.

The “NASCAR” tab, on the left, gets you started with the day’s or race weekend’s news and info from America’s most-popular form of racing. ”Other Series” takes you precisely where you’d expect, to updates, photos and more on the NHRA, IndyCar, Formula One and Champ Car series.

“FanSpace” is not necessarily intended to be the place where race fans hook up online, but I suppose it could be. As the race season gets started, FanSpace is where you’ll find information about some of the off-track activities that make race fandom the fun it is.

As the season gains momentum, you’ll find more and more about driver fan clubs, appearances, race weekend concerts, festivals – like Charlotte’s Speed Street – and more. It’s also a place where we’ll be able to highlight the charity work so many of the good folks in all forms of racing do.

Fans will also soon be able to submit their photos and videos from the track or their race parties, which we’ll display in slideshows there. Plus, there’s a fun “Write the Caption” contest. And we’ll add more in the days and weeks to come.

There’s more to every story, of course, but “MORE” means a lot more with our new site. With fewer articles displayed on the home page, clicking on the “MORE” links will speed you to sections that are devoted to the in-depth motorsports coverage you’re found here in the decade since ThatsRacin.com joined the race. So don’t be shy with those. Hit ‘em early and often.

The navigation, which had always lived on the left side of the home page, has been simplified and moved to the top of the page. That opens space to display more of the features you want.

Our photo galleries are being expanded and we’ve added more video. Our popular team of bloggers is also growing and we’ve got a couple more surprises coming in that section soon.

We gratefully acknowledge all the help we’ve gotten with these changes from some pretty smart people because ...  well, it couldn’t have happened without them. Special thanks would be due developers Roger Kincaid and Dave Roberts. (Their boss deserves some credit, too, but he’s got the cash so doesn’t really need to see his name in lights.)

It is their sincere hope, and mine, that you like what you’ll be seeing here this season.

And we‘d be grateful for your feedback. Don’t like something? Want to see more of something else? Hit the “COMMENT” link right here or below and let us hear from you.

Meanwhile, enough of this off-season stuff. Let’s drop the rag and go!