My Life in the Pits: Living and Learning on the NASCAR Winston Cup Circuit (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Richard Childress (Author) "One recent Sunday afternoon, I climbed up on a stair machine at a gym and noticed that a NASCAR Winston Cup race was being shown..." (more)
Key Phrases: race hauler, muffler bearings, front straightaway, Winston Cup, Dale Earnhardt, Bill Elliott (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Rich, a sports marketing consultant and former journalist, has written an occasionally insightful but mostly superfluous tale of life within the inner sanctum of NASCAR. Stock-car racing, long considered the red-headed stepchild of American sport, has had a spectacular growth over the past 20 years, evolving from the Deep South moonshine trade that brought it to life into a multibillion-dollar nationwide phenomenon. Each time Rich begins to entice the reader with legitimate insight into the sport, she immediately compromises her argument by ducking behind one of three fronts: a somewhat snobbish and coquettish debutante attitude that belies the simple country girl shtick of much of the book; a dime-store display of feel-good pop psychology; and a dubious habit of painting an idyllic portrait of genteel Southern life unencumbered by issues such as race. Readers are told that NASCAR is the most popular sport in the U.S. but, considering its Southern origins, it seems a little odd that the circuit has fewer black participants than hockey. Unfortunately, Rich never attempts to interpret such anomalies, which is disappointing, especially because her introduction is a fabulous, funny tale of misconceptions about the sport and its fans that promises much more than the rest of the book delivers. Rich most certainly has a great NASCAR book in her this just isn't it.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The vast popularity of NASCAR auto racing is giving abundant opportunity to authors who take a fresh approach to the sport. This original book is not directly about racing but about the author's experiences in racing and her relationships with racing people, which often gave inspiration and meaning to her life. Rich (What Southern Women Know) offers a unique perspective as a former sports reporter who gained the respect and close friendship of many NASCAR stars at a time when few women were a part of the sport's inner circleDeven though half of NASCAR's audience is female. The book consists mostly of brief stories, some humorous, some tragic, that illustrate life values Rich learned from some of the sport's legends, e.g., Bobby and Davey Allison, Dale Earnhardt, and Alan Kulwicki. This human-interest aspect is the book's ultimate appeal, adding dimension and character to individuals who are usually framed by their racing skills and triumphs. Rich shows a clear passion for the sport, and she offers many moving passages, particularly those dealing with the AIDS-related death of driver Tim Richmond. Sure to be appreciated by many NASCAR followers, this book is recommended for public libraries.DDavid Van de Streek, Pennsylvania State Univ. Libs., York
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: HarperEntertainment; 1st edition (April 30, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060005890
• ISBN-13: 978-0060005894
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #864,024 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MAKE THIS BOOK INTO A MOVIE!!!, May 27, 2002

By A Customer

This book should be a movie. On the other hand, though, I don't know that Hollywood could film these stories as well as Ronda Rich tells them. I read this book first then my husband kidnapped it. It is the first time we ever both loved the same book! And love it, we did. It is thoroughly entertaining and she does just as Richard Childress promises in his foreword --- she opens her heart and takes you inside to view firsthand her life as a young girl in a world dominated by men. This story is much, much bigger than just about racing --- it's about the lessons of life which are often fun and joyous but also sad and hurtful. The spin on this book is very positive and while I enjoyed every minute that I spent reading it, what I really enjoyed was the lingering feeling of warmth and good humor that it left with me for days after I finished reading it. This book is filled with heroic tales of life, tales that will entice and charm you. For the record, the author is one of those heroes. She chose to peel open her heart and share her most intimate feelings and failures. Thank you for that. I've just ordered her first book, What Southern Women Know, but I don't know how she could possibly top My Life In The Pits. Hollywood, are you listening?

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AWESOME! COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN!, May 4, 2002

By A Customer

I enjoyed this book immensely. In fact, this is one of the few books I have ever read, and I am an avid reader, that I read from cover to cover in one sitting. I could not put it down. I enjoy NASCAR racing, and Ronda Rich's book brings it to life. When we see celebrities and sports stars on television, they seem almost unreal, but "My Life in the Pits" shows a side of the most famous names in NASCAR that makes you feel you know them personally.

The book is divided into individual chapters on various experiences and stories that Ms. Rich had during her time as a sports journalist on the Winston Cup Circuit. There are some great stories on Dale Earnhardt, Richard Childress, Bill Elliott, Mark Martin, Richard Petty, and a really great chapter on the women behind the men in racing plus much more. Some of the stories will have you rolling in the floor laughing while others will bring a tear to your eye.

Ms. Rich is a wonderful storyteller and has a knack for making you feel you are actually there watching when these stories unfold. I read her first book, "What Southern Women Know That Every Women Should Know", and I loved it, but this one is even better. Ms. Rich is a female Lewis Grizzard, and you will love her true to life stories whether you are a NASCAR fan or not.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pleasantly surprised !, May 14, 2002

By	"lance06" (Birmingham, AL) - See all my reviews

I was listening to our local sports radio talk show one afternoon when Ronda Rich came on. After listening to her talk about her latest book (My Life In The Pits), I decided to give it a try. The old adage `don't judge a book by its cover' is so true with this book. I am not a NASCAR fan by any stretch of the imagination, and I must admit I had preconceived ideas about the book. I thought at the very least, the book would give me a greater understanding of NASCAR.

I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised by it's content. The book is not so much about NASCAR, or the sport of racing. Rather it's about the men who make up NASCAR. It's was a joy to read about the human side of these men and the encouragement they provide by the way they have handled success, happiness, overcome failure, hardships and tragedy.

How these men and their families stayed grounded through the success, stepped up to face each challenge, each setback and even heartbreaking tragedy shows the true character of these people, its encouraging, inspiration and can teaches us all a little something.

I enjoyed reading about the intense competitiveness of these men, and surprise by their willing to help a fellow competitor, who was low on cash, buy tires for a race by reaching into their own pockets to help him out. What other sport would you find that in?

This book is filled with wonderful stories that show the character of these men that make them so admired by their fans! When all is said and done, it is the drives who are the heart of this sport and their families are their heartbeat. NASCAR could not have become the number 1 spectator sport without them. Weather you like NASCAR or not, you'll enjoy reading about these men, their families and their ride through life. And if you are lucky, you'll learn a few valuable lessons from how they dealt with life's ups and downs.

I'm glad I took the chance on this book. I was wonderfully surprised by how much I enjoyed it and would highly recommended it. Don't be surprised if you find this book hard to put down!