Stock Car Racing Lives [Paperback]

Richard Sowers (Author), Nigel Kinrade (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2000

When 43 cars thunder toward the start/finish line at the outset of a NASCAR Winston Cup race, they become the focus of some 190,000 people in the grandstands, 10 million TV viewers, and a couple of million radio listeners. While the 43 men driving those machines are in the spotlight, as many as 14,000 people have worked behind the scenes to make that race a reality. Their stories are what make Stock-Car Racing Lives.

Author Richard Sowers presents intimate first-person accounts from the people who devote their lives to NASCAR racing. Some are relative newcomers, others grizzled veterans. Stock-Car Racing Lives takes you behind the scenes with a vast range of characters and personalities, from superstars such as Richard Petty and Bobby Labonte to a man who polishes the wheels of race-car transporters at each race and lives in his van. For the first time, read their most revealing stories, anecdotes, criticisms, and secrets as they discuss what life is like being a part of America's fastest-growing sport.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Richard Sowers presents intimate first-person accounts from the people who devote their lives to NASCAR racing. Some are relative newcomers, others grizzled veterans. Stock-Car Racing Lives takes you behind the scenes with a vast range of characters and personalities, from superstars such as Richard Petty and Bobby Labonte to a man who polishes the wheels of race-car transporters at each race and lives in his van. For the first time, read their most revealing stories, anecdotes, criticisms, and secrets as they discuss what life is like being a part of America's fastest-growing sport.

About the Author

Richard Sowers is the former Executive Director of Public Relations at Atlanta Motor Speedway and has been an editor and writer for various publications, including The Sporting News. Richard and his wife, Valerie, live outside Atlanta. His first book, The Complete Statistical History of Stock-Car Racing, was published in July 2000. Nigel Kinrade is one of the top photographers on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit. His work regularly appears in racing magazines worldwide and in many corporate publications and Web sites. Originally from the Isle of Man, Nigel, his wife, Nicola, and their family now live outside Atlanta.

Product Details

• Paperback: 175 pages
• Publisher: David Bull Pub (September 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1893618145
• ISBN-13: 978-1893618145
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,376,109 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 Amazing Photographs and Interesting Stories, December 5, 2000

By 

William Anderson (Gastonia, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stock Car Racing Lives (Paperback)

The first thing the reader will see upon opening this book is the amazing photographs taken by Kinrade. But a closer inspection lets you know that this is much more than just a picture book. Each subject's story is extremely well written and insightful and shows how many people are involved in making Winston Cup racing the success that it is today. Evidence of how well the subjects were chosen is shown by the array of drivers profiled in the book. The author chose a retired superstar (Richard Petty), a seasoned veteran (Bill Elliott), an up-and-coming star (Bobby Labonte) and a rookie (Buckshot Jones) to show the differences among drivers in various states of their careers. But the driver profiles aren't even the most interesting stories in the book. Very few people understand the complexity of preparing for an event as large as a Winston Cup race and the author shows this well with the other profiles in the book. Someone has to be responsible for the ticketing of more than 100,000 spectators attending an event and the profile on Frances Goss shows just how this is accomplished. Myra Falkenbury's story shows just how tough it is to supply credentials to the 12,000-14,000 additional media, sponsors and workers attending an event. One of the more interesting stories is that of David Carmichael, who has created a place for himself in the world of Winston Cup racing by cleaning the wheels of haulers and motorhomes in the Winston Cup garage. Each of the more than 30 profiles digs deep into the jobs and personal lives of people that you may or may not have even known were involved in making the Winston Cup Series such a success. This book is a must have for the novice and the long-time Winston Cup fan.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Interesting, December 4, 2000

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Stock Car Racing Lives (Paperback)

Read about some of the famous and obscure personalities in NASCAR. First time I had ever heard about Bobby Labonte having Graves Disease. Very interesting stories and fun too.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Stock Car Racing Stories, April 15, 2004

By 

F. Collins (SC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stock Car Racing Lives (Paperback)

For the true (or new) Stock Car Racing Fan. The stories are very enjoyable for all NASCAR fans.