NASCAR for Dummies (Paperback)

by Mark Martin (Author) "NASCAR racing is everywhere nowadays: Races are on TV, racetracks are in nearly every part of the country, and drivers have their pictures on cereal..." (more)
Key Phrases: car owner points, motorhome lot, team hauler, Winston Cup Series, Busch Series, Victory Lane (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Like its teammates in the Dummies series, NASCAR for Dummies is cleverly organized and clearly focused. Winston Cup Series driver Mark Martin is in the driver's seat, providing a speedy tour through America's fastest-growing sport. In typical Dummies style, NASCAR for Dummies is filled with fun stuff such as lists of the 10 greatest drivers of all time, the 10 can't-miss races, and 10 future stars. It also contains plenty of information--from what NASCAR stands for and what makes a stock car a stock car to the rules of Pit Road and quick overviews of the 21 racetracks that host Winston Cup Series races. There's even good, practical advice about attending races (secure lodging well in advance, decide between infield and grandstand tickets, etc.) and pointers on how to best appreciate the televised races. After reading this book, you'll have no trouble qualifying as a NASCAR fan. --Sunny Delaney

Product Description
NASCAR stands for the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, and it’s the governing body for one of the most popular sports in the United States. The speed and power of NASCAR stock cars – and the people who drive those cars – have enticed millions of fans to the sport in recent years, making it one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States.

If you’re a NASCAR novice, NASCAR For Dummies can help you with the basics of the sport – the differences between the NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the NASCAR Busch Series, Grand National Division – so you can build upon your NASCAR knowledge from there. If you’re more advanced, you'll discover the subtleties of the sport so you can sound like an old pro.

No matter what level of NASCAR knowledge you have, you can find something new in the pages of this book:

Get to know the race team and what they do

Peek at the rules and see how teams get around them

Check out a stock car's body and components

Find out how to attend a NASCAR race and get the most out of the experience

Understand why tires are such a big deal during a race

Figure out what happens during a pit stop

Know why a regular Chevrolet Monte Carlo at a local dealership looks nothing like the one on a racetrack

Discover the meanings behind all those colored flags

Know why corporate sponsorship plays such a large role

Examine the different NASCAR tracks

NASCAR racing is a total body experience. When you sit in the grandstands, you can hear the cars roar by. You can feel the tremendous power of the engines when the stands shake and your guts rumble. Then you can smell the distinct odor of burned rubber. With NASCAR For Dummies, you'll gain an insider’s view of the sport, and enrich your experience.

Author Mark Martin, known as one of the most focused and successful drivers in NASCAR racing, started racing cars when he was 15 years old.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: IDG (January 10, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764552198
• ISBN-13: 978-0764552199
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #702,276 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect book for all NASCAR fans - new and old alike!, January 10, 2002

By	Vincent J Pia (Danbury, CT United States) - See all my reviews

NASCAR for Dummies is definitely a "must read" for any NASCAR fan. It is the perfect book for those who are new to NASCAR... and is packed with information which even a veteran fan will appreciate.

You'll find in-depth information about a variety of topics, from car tech to how qualifying works... from how points are awarded to what some of the rules and regulations are. You'll find information about all of the different NASCAR Series, how sponsorship works, how to contact your favorite driver - or even get an autograph. There's even advice and tips for attending races in person.

The book is also loaded with NASCAR stats on different drivers, tracks and some of the sports history.

The best part about this book is that it is not written by a bystander, rather, it is written by one of the top drivers in the sport. Mark Martin is able to provide you with a view of NASCAR which I have not seen in any other book thus far.

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mark Can Do It All!, February 13, 2000

By	wjo4244 (Milwaukee, WI) - See all my reviews

Mark is an awesome driver and now he's written an awesome book! I've been a NASCAR fan for several years and this book helps answer some of the questions I've had about the sport. Mark gives info on tracks, drivers, rules and how a stock car runs. I recommend this book to all NASCAR fans, male or female, those new to the sport or those who have been following it for years. GO MARK!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Turn left and hit the gas, September 17, 2005

By	David A. Baer (Indianapolis, IN USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: NASCAR For Dummies (Paperback)

My boss once jokingly told that's what NASCAR is about: turn left and hit the gas.

Then I went to the Alllstate 400 at the Brickyard and now I've read Mark Martin's NASCAR FOR DUMMIES. It's looking a little more complicated than fast left turns.

The author's enthusiasm for the sport of NASCAR racing is contagious. As the driver of the Viagra-sponsored car #6 in the Nextel Cup series, he ought to know what he's talking about from the inside out and about 188 mph.

Chapter 1 ('NASCAR Racing-the best sport around', pp. 9-24) tells you how men (well, mostly men) driving cars that look vaguely like your father's Taurus ended up racing them around oval tracks in front of millions of spectators and television viewers and why you couldn't possibly not be excited about this. Like most professional sports, NASCAR has acquired corporate sponsors. It is arguably the most logo-plastered sport in the world, a fact that Martin explores in 'The Big Business of NASCAR' (ch. 2, pp. 25-34). Martin convinces you that that's a good thing, and before you know it, you know the primary car sponsors as well as the drivers and their car numbers.

The rest of the book takes you from zero to sixty in a fairly easy stretch of reading. If, like me, you started this book after attending a race or two and just getting at toe-hold on the sport, you won't end up an expert. But you'll be in good shape to understand the basics of every major area of the sport and to learn more as your exposure grows.

Mark Martin is not a great writer, but you don't buy the Dummies series for great writing. You buy Tolstoy if you want great writing. What Martin effectively does is lets you know that there's a whole lot more to NASCAR racing than you thought when you got yourself into this, but that you can learn a fair chunk of it pretty quickly. It's also organized as a handy reference book for when you need to go back to look up a topic you breezed over a little quickly on the first go-around.

I bought this book because there's a strong NASCAR culture in the company I joined. My boss sponsors the 18, driven by Bobby Labonte. See, I knew how to say that right. You can too. Buy the book.