Customer Reviews

Tim Richmond: The Fast Life and Remarkable Times of NASCAR's Top Gun

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

In viewing various articles online about Tim Richmond, it is not hard to become a fan of the driver and probably off track as well. Yes he had some vices, but look at the times he lived in. Most people then got off lucky in terms of STD's and effects. Seeing old races with him in it make one appreciate his talent. The book did seem to have some poor research, such as Bill Elliott winning the Daytona 500 during the Sudafed fiasco. Bobby Allison won it that year. The fact that Daytona 500 is the biggest race and the writer is a prominent NASCAR scribe is very poor editing. It almost seems as if Poole wrote the book with a "I better tread lightly or else I risk being blackballed by NASCAR" mindset. There could have been more detail in regards to most parts of the book and seeing as how he has had a lasting effect on so many people in a short amount of time, could easily have filled 100 or more pages.

Most of the interviews are with his half sister and some NASCAR personnel who have the same tread cautiously mindset in their commentaries. His half-sister seems to glaze over the shortcomings of Tim and a book like this deserves to have the whole story told, not just the rollicking good times. I would have liked to see more commentary from people such as Richard Petty, DW, and David Pearson in regards to their reasons for his dislike of Tim Richmond just as to see more from Barry Dodson, Todd Parrott, and Rick Hendrick as well as reporters of the day such as Dave DeSpain, Ken Squier, etc.

If Richmond had not contracted AIDS, he would arguably be in the pantheon of drivers such as Petty, Earnhardt, and Foyt. Jeff Gordon would probably have stuck with Bill Davis Racing, and Earnhardt would have only won 4 championships, and NASCAR's safety initiatives would have been expedited. Or Richmond would have just gotten out of NASCAR and acted professionally. Unfortunately we will never know.

I Think Tim Richmond was one of the greatest race car drivers of all time. The book pretty much followed his life as I remember. He was not treated well in racing because of his attitude and seeing him walking thru the endfield of Datona, when he was turned away for having drugs in his system,broke my heart and his spirits, over the counter drugs but they would not let him race. It was one of the best books I have read in a long time, that pretty much followed his life. I recommend this book for anyone.

The book took you inside Tims life as if you were there with him. I have watched NASCAR for over 25 years, and loved watching Tim race. I was at Indy when Tim pulled the qualifing pill out of the hat for Mario Andretti. I was at Michigan when they had to wake Tim up to qualify. Like the book said he was ahead of his time. It makes you wonder how many Champinships he would have won. Great book.

Don't waste your money to buy this book. You can get all the same info off the internet. Not much detail to the book. Would of liked to of learned a lot more about a great race car driver and person that Tim Richmond was.

This book is only mildly entertaining and appears to have been researched superficially. It would benefit tremendously from more in depth interviews and anecdotes from Richmonds racing contemporaries. There is very little "meat" here. It is a quick read only because there is so little depth.

Tim Richmond was like a comet...burned brightly....faded quickly.David Poole does an adequate job of portraying Richmond's life on the track and off it as well.But beyond Kyle Petty and Rick Hendrick no one else related to NASCAR would go on the record with Poole.Where was Mark Martin ,Bill Elliott,Rusty Wallace et al ? These guys drove at the same time Richmond did.It would have been nice to read their thoughts.There is one HUGE error.Poole writes that Bill Elliott won the 1988 Daytona 500. (ouch) In fact Bobby Allison won that race,his last win in fact. (his son, the late Davey finished second) If you don't know Tim Richmond read this book.If you know his story...little else here will enlighten you.

The light generated by some people's lives simply shine brighter than those of ordinary people. Tim Richmond was one of those. And perhaps because it burned so brightly it didn't burn very long.

Tim Richmond was, of course, a race car driver, but what a driver. He started late, at age 21. He raced hard, he partied hard, born in '55, he died in '89 one of the early casualties of AIDS.

This is the story of a race car driver. But it's also the story of the rise of MASCAR. In the late '80's NASCAR was just getting started on it's meteoric rise to popularity. The people who were going to take NASCAR to the heights were in place: Bill France, Kyle Petty, Dale Earnhardt. They, with Richmond were poised on the big time. Richmond didn't make. He could have, but....

Tom Pistone was never involved this was a huge mistake made by the late David Poole and he knew this before he passed away due to legal issues I cannot discuss but Tom Pistone was Never involved in the drug mess that others in this book were. This should have been corrected and NEVER written till the facts were correct!!!
Authors need to get their Facts Straight they should dot every i and cross every T before making remarks before they hurt innocent people.
Thank you.
Chrissy Pistone

I was not into Nascar. when Tim Richmond was driving, I did not pick up the sport till late 1989. I had read magazine articles and seen some highlights but that was all. Then the movie Days of Thunder came out and of course everyone kept saying it was based on Tim and entering Nascar. I loved the book in how it goes back to the early days of his career and the struggles with the highs and lows of getting a career in the sport. But it also covers the down side of a once very happy go lucky guy picked up an illness that no one really understood back then.
I have enjoyed the read and would certainly recommend this book to all.

Another sad tragic NASCAR story about a driver with great potential who had his life cut short before achieving the long-term success meant for him. A good summary of Tim Richmond's life on and off the track but the book does not go into great detail. Definitely a worthwhile read.