One Helluva Ride: How NASCAR Swept the Nation
by Liz Clarke
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Book Summary Information
Author: Liz ClarkeEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-02-12
ISBN: 0345499883
Number of pages: 320
Publisher: Villard
Book Reviews of One Helluva Ride: How NASCAR Swept the Nation
Book Review: Entertaining and informative
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is a rare combination of entertainment and information woven into a fast-paced narrative. The author is an experienced newspaper sportswriter, and that background gives her writing a pace and focus that perfectly fits the subject matter.
NASCAR's history is complicated; it is unique in American sports because it is wholly owned by a single family, the Frances. The actual racers are, in effect, independent contractors who perform day labor at the various racetracks that the France family franchises. The author makes all of this clear in one of the best analyses of the business of car racing that has ever been written.
At the same time, she explores the background of NASCAR's original stars, the good 'ole boys from the South, many of whom souped up cars to haul moonshine liquor during the Prohibition era. As the sport matured into the business it is today-- mostly because the France family made it do so-- those drivers were replaced by Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, David Pearson and the like. Finally, today, the drivers are not only skilled professionals but corporate spokesmen as well. This could have been boring material, but the author's news writing skills turns it into an exciting narrative.
This is an excellent look into the history of NASCAR and into the current operations of the sport. It contains a wealth of material that the real fans will find valuable, and it clearly explains the sport for the casual viewer. I recommend it highly.
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