Customer Reviews

Once Around the Track

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book is quite different from McCrumb's "mountain" books and her Elizabeth MacPherson books. It is also quite different from St. Dale. She provides an inside look at the problems and costs of entering a car in NASCAR racing, as well as the interactions among various team members, in the context of a corporation entering a car with a male driver and an all-female pit crew. The book is well written and interesting, but it didn't quite seem to come to life for me. At the same time, I feel some re-readings might make me appreciate it more.

It is difficult to explain just how I feel about this one; I am not and never will be a NASCAR fan, yet I loved *St. Dale*. This one, however, left me cold. Though it is very obvious the author did her usual careful research, and that she has an overflow of knowledge on her subject, this one fell flat for me not very far into it. Even her character development is still pretty good, though she has done better; but the characters here seem very predictable, and Laraine and Christine, especially, just seem iconic, and not in a good way. So, how does a superior author develop them into believable beings? It didn't happen here. I wonder if the author got caught up in the idea of presenting the "real story" of NASCAR, so that the characters were only secondary?
Still, I always admire the fact that Sharyn McCrumb never seems to fear tackling something totally new and outside her own sphere, whatever that may be. It is hard for me to give her any fewer than five stars, but it is only fair to other readers in this case.

Although it includes southern characters, this isn't McCrumb's typical Appalachian mountain story and I just couldn't really get into it. I liked the idea of some feisty southern women trying to make it in a male-dominated world, but the group of women who own the story's first-ever women-owned car in Nascar aren't the feisty pride of southern womanhood. Self-centered and nasty would be a more apt description of these erstwhile pageant queens. Several members of the crew were likeable, but their characters just didn't seem fully developed to me.

I admit I'm not a NASCAR fan, but a well written story doesn't require the reader to have an intimate knowledge of its characters' occupations. Overall, this didn't seem like a finished book. It felt more like research notes on NASCAR with a sprinkling of dialogue dropped in.

Don't expect the typical McCrumb mystery either. The small amount of mystery in this book gets solved in the last few pages in what seems to be an after thought.

Sharyn McCrumb's second NASCAR novel, Once Around the Track, is a real winner. It's not just another book about stock car racing where superstars and movie stars dominate the pages. Instead, the reader is treated to a new team that boasts a woman crew chief, an all women pit crew, a pharmaceutical company sponsor marketing Vagenya (Viagra for women), and a couple of guys thrown in for good measure--driver Badger Jenkins and his spotter Tony LaFon. Add a publicist with the opportunity to write an expose on NASCAR and the Dominatrix manager whose ambition threatens Badger Jenkins's racing future, and you have the makings of a best seller.

Where ST. DALE was outside NASCAR's inner circle with its pilgrimage of Dale Earnhardt fans, ONCE AROUND THE TRACK is a novel about the inside of a one-car NASCAR team that has to compete with the multi-million dollar teams, both on and off the track. This is a wonderful read, and I whole heartedly recommend it.

I love Sharyn McCrumb, I love NASCAR, but this book, although it started out strong, didn't carry the strength through. The story just dissolved at the end. I also got a little tired of hearing about the magic of firesuits. There were some very funny parts, and it was a good way for an outsider to imagine what it might be like to be part of a NASCAR team. I'm glad I read it once, but probably won't read it again.

The entire NASCAR Team Vagenya (a female Viagra sponsor) is female with one exception; the driver Badger Jenkins. He was selected for several reasons: the lack of women drivers, his Peach State looks, his unpretentiousness in only wanting to drive and fish, and he is good. Badger just wants to drive race cars and go fishing on his days off.

Team engineer Taran Stiles has always worshiped the mega talented hunk especially in his purple outfit. However, she hid her feelings and kept her distance as much as possible. Now they work for the same team, but worse she knows it is not hero worship as she loves the hunk who hangs around the garage like one of the team.

This interesting look at an all female NASCAR team trying to make it in what is perceived as a male sport is a refreshing tale although none of the characters including the romantic lead come across as very deep as NASCAR is the star. Fans of NASCAR will appreciate the look into the racing world in which the relationship between Badger and Taran serves to enhance a scrutiny of the sport. Readers will enjoy what occurs off the track (including a betrayal by writing a memoir exposé), in the pits (Pit Chief Tuggle leads as Kensington states: "A League of Their Own"), and on the oval (Badger goes for victory).

Harriet Klausner

Sorry, McCrumb fans, but this one tanks (even those who gave it 3 stars say so, but they're trying to be nice...). McCrumb is a superb author whose books usually do not get the intellectual credit they deserve -- maybe because McCrumb is popular.

I couldn't even finish this book due to boredom and the tedious, overly-descriptive, repetitious material about NASCAR idiosyncracies and fans. I LOVED St. Dale and I'm not a NASCAR fan, which speaks to McCrumb's usual amazing ability to bring any reader into any realm. Once Around the Track, however, contains boring characters, no real plot and no witty sardonic humor (the Vagenya joke was very, very funny but does not carry the book). Please bring back McPherson -- she's been gone too long!

I had such high hopes for this novel after reading the author's other selection, St.Dale, which was fascinating and utterly enjoyable--even though I knew literally nothing about NASCAR when I started it. I downloaded this one without even reading the summary based on the author's name alone.

Perhaps my expectations were too high. But this novel read like a watered down romance, more focused on the budding and predictable relationship between the two main characters (and all of their bumbling attempts to get together)than anything of substance. It could have been just as easily set on a horse track for all the emphasis placed on NASCAR except for a few tidbits thrown in here and there.

I was disappointed, but then I downloaded it for free so I would say it was definitely worth the price. An okay read, just read it before St. Dale (and if you only read one, go straight to St. Dale!).

If you're looking for a NASCAR on the track racing story, this is not it. It is more behind the scenes information than action. However, for those of you who are new or casual race fans, it may meet your expectations for a racing-based story.

Character development was good until the end. As I read the book and the pages became fewer and fewer I became more and more nervous. Sure enough, the book ends with a brief fade to black instead of a meaningful event or revelation. The main character throughout the book leaves you hanging at the end. Three or four life changing events are listed in one, maybe two, paragraphs. After reading something about the character on almost every page throughout the book, a little more effort in ending would have been nice.

Except for the note card feeling I got when some of the "facts" were worked into the story, I like the author's writing style and will read future books she writes if the story sounds interesting.

First let me say, I love Sharyn McCrumb. Even though I don't like racing, I liked her last NASCAR book, St. Dale. This book however was a disappointment for me. I couldn't really identify with the characters and couldn't get interested in the storyline. If you've never read McCrumb before, don't start with this book. Sharyn McCrumb is an excellent writer and her other books are far superior to this one. Don't let this one book keep you from reading her other works. I'm looking forward to her next book hoping it returns to the style of McCrumb I so love.