John Asher
John Asher has been a motorsports photojournalist for many years. Typical of so many people who have turned their love affair of the automobile and the sport into their profession, John was an enthusiast who had the knack for capturing events with the camera and then adding words that brought the photos to life.
His first job as a photojournalist was as the editor of All-American Drag’s Magazine, where he quickly learned what he didn’t know about the business but was smart enough to ask the right people the right questions and soon began to perform in a professional manner. In 1968 John became a contract writer for NHRA, AHRA, and IHRA while performing freelance duties for several publications dedicated to drag racing. Even though he was very happy with this arrangement, in 1973 John accepted an editorial staff position with Car Craft Magazine and in 1979 moved into the editor’s position, a position he held until mid-1983. John was also the editor of Peterson’s Drag Racing Magazine for over 18 months in the late 80s and was later the founding editor of Drag Racing Action Magazine. In the mid-1990s John tried his hand at publishing his own magazine, American Drag Racing, but just after three issues decided to put it to rest.
Mixed in with his photo journalist activities, John also found time to be an active racing participant as one of the owners/crew members of the Jade Grenade top fuel dragster. Based out of the Midwest, the car was a top competitor wherever it appeared, but John soon made his decision to stick with his chosen profession of journalism and read designed from the active racing side.
John has also been very active in helping honor many of the outstanding contributors to the sport by being one of the Selectors for Honorees of the Car Craft Magazine All-Star Drag Racing Team program and in fact was the senior producer of these events from 1973 until the program ceased in the late 1990s. John went on to become senior editor of both Racer Magazine and Competitionplus.com and continued to contribute to both Hot Rod and Car Craft Magazines. He continued to keep his camera quite active supplying photography for more than a dozen motorsports calendars worldwide and other such requirements.