Along for the Ride: A Collection of Stories from the Fast and Furious World of NASCAR [Hardcover]

Larry Woody (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 17, 2003

In his own words, Larry Woody, who has covered racing for over 30 years, will give readers never before seen quips, tales and anecdotes about some of the most famous names in racing. Highlights include the time Richard Petty almost bought a race track, why Darrell Waltrip once wanted to punch out some race fans, or the night that repo wrecker driver-turned-NASCAR star Bobby Hamilton was attacked by the owner of a car he was trying to tow away. What prominent driver was the biggest pain to deal with? What was the "afterlife" experience that NASCAR VP Jim Hunter says changed his life? How was NASCAR history made at Daytona's Boot Hill Saloon? Why did Eddie Gossage (Texas Motor Speedway president) get fired as a sports writer during his college days? Racing fans will enjoy these stories and many more in "Along for the Ride".

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Larry Woody is a sports writer for The Tennessean, the morning paper in Nashville. He began covering NASCAR racing in the early 1970s on the hometown track of Fairgrounds Speedway, as well as on the national circuit. In addition to his racing assignments he has also covered Southeastern Conference sports, minor league baseball, and the NFL's Tennessee Titans. He was the Vanderbilt football and basketball beat writer for 10 years. A three-time Tennessee Sports Writer of the Year, Woody is the author of seven books and regularly contributes to a number of national sports magazines.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Sports Publishing LLC (April 17, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582616965
• ISBN-13: 978-1582616964
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,150,864 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book, August 17, 2008

By 

Beverly Scott "grammysims" (TN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Along for the Ride: A Collection of Stories from the Fast and Furious World of NASCAR (Hardcover)

This book was purchased for my grandson. He thoroughly enjoyed reading it. In fact, he reads something from it everyday.

3.0 out of 5 stars Along For The Read..., April 19, 2008

By 

Geoff Eighinger (EasternStandardCrime.com) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Along for the Ride: A Collection of Stories from the Fast and Furious World of NASCAR (Hardcover)

In this book, I learned a few interesting details:

* Bobby Allison holds a grudge against Darrell Waltrip for the way Waltrip treated the his son Davey Allison.
* Ernie Irvan is despised by the media for his uncooperative attitude and demeanor.
* What really goes on in the Talladega infield.

While most of the stories revolve around the old Nashville Speedway (now Music City Motorplex) and the top drivers who competed in NASCAR Winston Cup events from 1958-1984 when it was on the schedule.

Woody let his emotions fly with negative comments on Ray Evernham (whom he called overrated), Irvan and Tony Stewart.

One of the more interesting sections discussed the Deborah Renshaw/Mark Day controversy at Nashville Speedway where Day staged a protest in 2002 to accuse Renshaw of cheating. It eventually led to Renshaw quitting the track and moving to ARCA where she was sadly involved in the crash that claimed the life of Eric Martin.

Newspaper writers will sympathize with Woody as he describes being literally forced to cover the first race he ever went to. (And he doesn't mind telling you about it a few times throughout the book)

Stories are repeated a bit, alcohol and bar tales seem to flow throughout each chapter and Woody would probably have trouble defining the word "humble" but it is a decent book. Not the best, not the worst...above average.