The Ride of Your Life: A Racecar Driver's Journey [Hardcover]

Lyn St. James (Author), Steve Eubanks (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2002

Fasten your seat belts! Indy 500 driver Lyn St. James provides inspirational advice for everyone as she recounts her inspiring career as a world-renowned Indy driver. Lyn St. James was 45 years old when she joined the world of Indy racing. Now known as the American Woman Racing Icon of the Century, Lyn is a testament to the power of determination and positive thinking. In this inspiring, motivational book, St. James chronicles her last Indy 500 and looks back on a career filled with challenges. She recounts years of adversity and the struggle to obtain corporate sponsorships, despite being named the Indy 500 Rookie of the Year. She recalls record-breaking runs at Talladega and Daytona, terrifying crashes, and the joys of mentoring young women drivers. On every page of this story people will find the motivation and encouragement to follow their dreams and reach their goals.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

One of the first women to earn national recognition as a race-car driver, St. James has written an ode to speed, mechanics and persistence that does not focus simply on that fact. From the time she was a girl, St. James found her way to racing tracks and garages early and often. Her first experience driving at the Palm Beach International Raceway ended in humiliation when her car spun out of control and sank in nearby wetlands. But the rookie kept racing, and by the end of the season she had earned the respect of her peers. Even readers who have no interest in auto racing will be sparked by St. James's simple, genuine descriptions of the experience ("I don't expect anyone who has never driven a race car to understand it completely, but the sky is always bluer, the grass a little greener, and the air a little fresher after you've driven...."). St. James's pursuit of corporate sponsorship (getting a car into a major event like the Indy 500 can cost hundreds of thousands even millions of dollars) is a study in tenacity, confidence and business acumen. With chapter titles such as "Making It Happen" and "You Never Know Till You Ask," the book is intended to inspire, and succeeds. St. James doesn't make an issue of gender beyond citing occasions when others have. At the Indy 2000, when St. James and Sarah Fisher crashed into one another, the event took on historical significance because it was the first time more than one woman had competed in the event. What are the personal and professional ramifications of such accidents? Readers are left only with the unsatisfying "Sarah and I were left to lick our wounds and ponder all the things that might have been." Despite such flat spots, St. James's story, spiked with plenty of folksy advice, makes for an energetic, encouraging rally.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Few people get the opportunity to strap themselves into an Indy car and compete at speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour. Such an experience would certainly be the "ride of your life." This book chronicles the impressive career of race car driver St. James, the first woman to win the Indy 500 Rookie of the Year Award, a two-time winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona, and a two-time competitor in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race who has made 15 Indy car starts and was named by Sports Illustrated for Women as one of the top 100 Women Athletes of the Century. The author, whose Indy career didn't even begin until age 45, succeeds in describing the sport from behind the scenes as she vividly explains what it is like to sit in the car during a race. St. James's title is an inspirational journey, a remarkable story of an individual who reached for her dream and worked hard through adversity to become a professional driver. A testimony to determination and positive thinking; recommended for sports collections in public libraries.DLarry R. Little, Penticton P.L., BC
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; 1st edition (May 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078686866X
• ISBN-13: 978-0786868667
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,870,378 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating ride, October 21, 2002

By 

Mariah B. Nelson (Arlington, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Ride of Your Life: A Racecar Driver's Journey (Hardcover)

Hang on! This is a thrilling ride through professional racing, as seen through the eyes of a pioneer who "just did it" long before Nike advised us to. Like the best autobiographies, this book explores one extraordinary person's life while at the same time inspiring all of us to excel despite the odds. I first met Lyn St. James many years ago at a women's sports conference. She's a beautiful woman, with an intense gaze and a ready laugh -- not what most of us would expect in a professional race car driver. And despite her impressive resume full of "first woman"'s, St. James remains grounded and generous, committed to helping other women learn to drive, race, and win. An excellent gift for people -- especially female people -- who need some inspiration. -- Mariah Burton Nelson

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A compelling read even if you are not a race fan, May 19, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ride of Your Life: A Racecar Driver's Journey (Hardcover)

Our minister interviewed Ms. St James as part of his sermon today. Her book was available to us and I just finished it. A great read! A compelling narrative about racing and life lessons. What a class act and role model for young people and inspiration for her peers.

5.0 out of 5 stars Any interested in Indy racing will relish her account!, February 18, 2011

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lyn St. James: An Incredible Journey (Paperback)

Lyn St. James: An Incredible Story provides a fine autobiography of the female race car driver who has participated seven times in the Indy 500. After two decades of racing professionally around the world, Lyn St. James is a success - and provides insights into being female in a male-dominated sport. Any interested in Indy racing will relish her account!