Petty, Earnhardt, Allison, Baker, Jarrett: The names read like a starting grid of NASCAR's rich history. From its early dirt-track days to the swift speedway battles of the present, NASCAR has continued a tradition of excellence and competition passed down from father to son, and from older brother to younger. The desire of adoring kids to follow the path to family success--all to the delight of fans across America--remains at the core of NASCAR Winston Cup Series action and forms the thrilling landscape of NASCAR Generations. The Legacy of Family in NASCAR Racing.
Told through the eyes of the successful fathers, sons, and brothers who have made up the fraternity of racing during NASCAR's fifty-plus years, NASCAR Generations celebrates the winningest personal and professional moments, as well as the most poignant ones, experienced by the sport's beloved families.
There's Dale Earnhardt reflecting on the only race he ran with his dad, Ralph, a dirt-track legend, and the joys of embracing Dale Jr. in victory lane. Two-time series champion turned announcer Ned Jarrett happily admits that no moment in his storied career could ever rival the opportunity to make the spirited call for his son Dale's first Daytona 500 win and to follow Dale's quest for the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship. Stock car legend Bobby Allison speaks candidly about the glory days of racing against his brother and Alabama Gang partner, Donnie, as well as the honor of driving door to door with "the finest young man in racing," his son, Davey. Each of NASCAR's greatest family stars has a rich history to share, and each tells it here in NASCAR Generations.
Here also are the competitive siblings who somehow manage to keep the family peace at close to two hundred miles per hour every weekend. In 1999, Jeff and Ward Burton forged the sport's most curious one-two punch, finishing in that order for three races (much to Ward's chagrin). Bill Elliott and his brother Dan look back to the incredible effort they and their brother Ernie put into Bill's pressure-filled, unlikely drive for the first-ever Winston Million in 1985. And then there's the 1996 finale in Atlanta, when Bobby Labonte won the race and big brother Terry won the NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship, leading to a shared victory lap for the ages.
In interviews with many members of the NASCAR fraternity, longtime magazine journalist Robert Edelstein gets to the heart of NASCAR's family matters, especially in recounting the sport's two longest-running story lines. For the France family, who started the sport, the qualities that made Big Bill France and his wife, Anne, such a successful team inspired their sons, Bill Jr. (who continues at NASCAR's helm) and Jim, as well as the next generation of France family members, to help shape NASCAR in the new millennium. And for the Pettys, the only family in professional sports that has fielded four generations of competitors, there will forever be the glory of their accomplishmentshighlighted by King Richard's two hundred victories.
NASCAR Generations is the perfect book for any fan who has cheered on the sport's fastest fathers or favorite sons--or both.
About the Author
Robert Edelstein has written about NASCAR for TV Guide and Cable Guide, among other publications. He lives with his family in New Jersey.
