Try as I might to bring time to a screeching halt, the crossing of the threshold from my 20’s to my 30’s is looming before me like an ominous storm cloud approaching a race track.

There is a sense of pride in that fact, however.

America's love of the automobile - and high performance cars in particular - was sensationalized in movies like George Lucas' 1973 film, American Graffiti.

As a late twenty-something of the “Millennial” or “Generation Y” demographic that experienced the flashy 80’s and the grungy 90’s, I consider myself to have been a part of the grand closing of an era that I can associate with a whole generation of Americans before me.

You see, people my age remember a world without the internet, cell phones, Facebook, Twitter, iPads, video game consoles, DVR’s, and other modern tech luxuries. A world where people had time for their hobbies, their loved ones, and their friends, and they still communicated with others on a personal level. Where politics and social stigmas didn’t permeate our existence and breed bitterness and hatred. A world (slightly) less hellbent on the almighty dollar above all else.

Our fathers and grandfathers often describe their youth as “simpler times”, and while it may not have seemed like it at the time, 12 years into the new millennium, it’s safe to say that the latter stage of the 1900’s were much simpler times for all of us. The writing had been on the wall for decades, but the turn of the century was, in the eyes of many, the signaling of the transition from “simple” to an antonym of such.

Change Is In The Air

As the world we live in has reshaped our minds and our priorities, a significant change in how all of us, and our nation’s youth in particular, perceive and value the automobile. Once the most important possession of any red-blooded young man, America’s undying fascination with the automobile has been reduced to a small niche.

Just as it were in cities and small towns all across the country for more than half a century, young people in the mid-sized southern Indiana town where I grew up designated areas to meet up, socialize, cruise, show off, and yes…partake in street races. It was as much about being in community with others as it was about the vehicle they were in. As the makeup of our world changed, however, so too did the decades-old practice of using the automobile to socialize. And with it went the pride and importance of a having a “cool” car or truck.

It would be hard to call the clear and present shift our world has undergone and the declining prominence of the automobile a coincidence. They’re very much connected.

Despite an influx or young fans to the sport, the primary demographic of drag racing fans remains the 'Baby Boomer' generation.

Today, our youth — people my own age — are concerned with much different things than they were just fifteen years ago.

In a report issued by the Wall Street Journal earlier this year and citing data collected and analyzed by General Motors, today’s youth are not only disenchanted with the automobile, but they place far less importance on owning a vehicle or even obtaining a driver’s license; instead they utilize social media to communicate and mass transit to commute. In the 1950’s, a teenager would’ve been placed in an asylum for admitting such a thing.

That same report shared that today’s 16 to 30 year old car buyers place more importance on price, pollution, and the tech gadgetry of a vehicle than any other factors. This obviously represents a 360-degree shift from the previous generation that focused only on appearance and performance. Even those who bucked the trend and remaining interested in high performance cars have waned in interest.

The Ford Mustang, once the prize of teenagers and twenty-somethings, has been quoted recently as boasting a median buyer age of 51. That’s a staggering statistic and one that speaks volumes.

The ballooning price of fuel, record high student loans coupled with record high unemployment, and much lower entry-level salaries than prior generations is certainly part of the problem, but it would seem there are other psychological factors at work here.

The Effects On Drag Racing

These attitudes toward vehicles have not only changed the entire face of the automotive landscape, but we’ve seen it have significant impacts on motorsports and the automotive aftermarket. The truth is, an entire industry and a whole generation of legendary figures were borne of our country’s love for flashy, high performance vehicles. With a steady decline in participation and attendance in drag racing year after year and particularly in the younger demographic, you have to wonder where we’re headed.

Our sport is largely comprised of people who were around when the automobile meant something, and while my generation is certainly involved, it’s nowhere near in sustainable numbers.

So, what will the sport of drag racing look like in 25 years when the “baby boomers” aren’t around anymore? Will there still be Nostalgia drag racing? Will all of the classic muscle cars have been out to pasture? Who’s going to be there to carry the torch? These are all valid questions.

But rather than sit on our hands complaining about this unfortunate trend and watch it unfolded, we need to be doing something about it. All of us.

The Ford Mustang, a vehicle that stood alongside the Corvette and the out-of-reach Lamborghini as the dream vehicle of young adults in the 1980's and 1990's, now boasts an average buyer age in the 40's and, according to some data, as high as 51.

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to sit in on one of SEMA’s Town Hall meetings, and while the specific details of those meetings are requested to remain confidential, I can say that the topic of how to reach and engage young people was of particular priority amongst some of the most recognized and influential figures in the industry, and it was great to see the importance and immediacy they placed on reaching that next generation of gearhead.

Here at Power Automedia, our entire existence as a digital publication is to reach car enthusiasts, young and old, where they are today: the internet. From the younger crowd on StangTV to the older demographic on Rod Authority and every title in between, we’re doing the very same thing your father’s favorite magazine did 40 years ago, only now we don’t use paper and ink. It’s now easier than ever for young people interested in cars to obtain information, and social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter are just another tool in our arsenal to reach people.

Understandably, ticket prices are high, gas is expensive, and live feeds are free, but it takes support to sustain anything, much less grow it. Take a friend to the track or to a car show. Get them involved in your project car. Drop off your stack of old car magazines at a school library. Promote events that will get younger people interested. Anything. There’s no telling where a small gesture might lead.

Not any one person, publication or manufacturer can turn the tide on this declining interest in racing and high performance cars in general, but collectively, we can sure make a dent, so let’s all do our part.