NASCAR Books

This book contains some great maps and some great info about the different tracks. However, it just wasn't all that I expected. It would be a great book to use to plan a cross-country trip to see all the NASCAR races. I was hoping for something more -- something with the history and info and statistics about each of the tracks that my husband could use as sort of a guide to each races. I wanted to know which drivers did what at each track. Who holds what records? This book isn't strong in that kind of info, but it can tell you where to get a great cheeseburger on the road.

This book is WAY overpriced for the content you get. Each of the many topics is only covered by a short little blurb - at best a couple of pages. Sometimes the blurbs are interesting, sometimes they aren't. But they all end, and sometimes abruptly. Sometimes you get drawn into the subject and then the author pulls the plug. It's like a tease. I almost think the author was hunting for a Nascar topic to write on, couldn't pick one, so decided to publish his notes instead.

You'd actually be better off spending more money on better developed books covering in more detail a topic you are interested in. You might think that this book will give you a broad overview, but the information it provides is often too choppy to do even that.

If you've just got to have this one, then at least go to Ebay and pick it up for a buck fifty. [Price] is really a steep price to pay for what you'll be getting here.

I bought this book thinking it would have good info on tracks, drivers and what not. If that is what you are looking for, At Speed is not that book. Dutton has spent time on each driver at a certain race. He gives no information about them, just a comment here or there. Nothing new about the tracks. Magazines can tell you more about individual tracks. I didn't notice much about the fans in NASCAR, either. Dutton clearly couldn't have spent much time on that anyway, judging from the rest of the book.

Monte Dutton's book is awesome! As a NASCAR fan, I couldn't ask for more insightful, entertaining, and dead-on analysis of my favorite sport. The author is honest in his assessments of NASCAR and its fans, tracks, and notable personalities--he doesn't fear he will offend anyone, and calls 'em like he sees 'em. Compared to some of the other drivel that is out there about NASCAR that does nothing but genuflect to owners and drivers, Dutton pays no mind to the politics and focuses on the racing. The result is an often laugh out loud funny and very informative book. I especially enjoyed the chapter on Adam Petty, the driver who was tragically killed recently. The author's words of praise for the talented young driver were all the more poignant. Hopefully Monte Dutton will write many more books and keep giving NASCAR fans what they want.

the short articles on people/tracks were not very informative nor funny. most of the time, the articles weren't even relevant to the topic. skip this one...

Cale Yarborough is a living symbol of NASCAR from its beginnings to the very creation of the dizzying heights that it has achieved nowadays. Sadly, most of the Johnny-Come-Lately fans have no idea, or at best, only a very dim idea who he is.

Sadly, this biography of Cale Yarbrough only covers half of his career. Indeed, most of the book covers his life before NASCAR. There are only 203 pages in this biography and he joins NASCAR full-time on page 169. Considering that the last 11 pages discusses his retirement years, that leaves 23 pages to discuss his amazing run of 3 championships in a row, the famous fistfight at the 1979 Daytona 500, his decision to run a partial schedule for more than 7 years and his 11 year stint as team owner (just 5 pages for that).

The book could have been tremendously improved if the author had bothered to interview a few people. After all, his stable of drivers include a bevy of current and recently-retired drivers, including Dale Jarrett, Jeremy Mayfield and John Andretti (his only win as a car owner came with Andretti). All of these drivers are media friendly. I've heard Andretti speak about Yarborough with nothing but praise.

The author should have included commentary about how Yarborough was able to field competitive cars running a partial schedule (nearly impossible to do today). How about Yarborough's willingness to have in-car cameras when most did not want them? How about Yarborough's involvement in a group that tried to set up an alternative to NASCAR after he sold his race team? Nope. None of that.

The lack of depth is not too surprising, really. The author's notes (p. 261) say that he got "many" of the stories in his book from Cale's autobiography and most of the rest came from 7 internet sites.

A nice feature of the book is the inclusion of more than 50 pages of tables that detail Yarborough's NASCAR and IROC career and his Indy 500 runs.

A disturbing feature is the naming of each of his children, grandchildren and the little towns in which they live in South Carolina. Jeez. There are weirdos out there, McGinnis. Why give out this sort of detailed info?

I give it two stars. The pre-NASCAR part of the book is interesting. It's just too bad the rest of the book couldn't follow up.

I enjoyed reading this book and learning more about Cale Yarborough.
There is great insight into the history of Nascar racing and the men who raced. Even bought a book for my oldest son who has heard me tell him about Cale Yarborough for 27 years. Learning more about Cale's character was worth the read.

The last 100 pages feel like they were written in the middle of the night to hit a deadline. (It's only 200-odd pages in total.) There are virtually no interviews, no insight, nothing new - a very lazy effort given that Cale has to be one of the most colorful sports figures in American history. Very disappointing.

The book was long, so I'll keep this short and sweet... there is so much in it you need to know if you are a fan! It is informative and I refer to it all the time. The problem is that as a stright read it boggles the mind

This book is a HUGE rip-off and I wouldn't recommend it to any true NASCAR fan.

It constantly repeats itself from one chapter to the next, there are typos all over it, the pictures of the current drivers are real old, and the stats are incomplete.

I read Motor Mouth when it first came out. I liked it then and i like it now. I'm surprised there are not more reviews for this follow up book to Metro Girl. Given, it is not S. Plum but it is a good stand alone read. It is a fast action read, interesting charactors and plot. Give it a try. I do hope Ms Evanovich will follow with book three. It is a tongue in cheek read for a cold winters night.

I usually love to read Janet Evonovich's books and always enjoy reading her "number series", but this fell so short that I would not have even given it one star if possible. The title should be changed to Potty Mouth because the "F" bomb is dropped one too many times. All of the characters were two short of a six pack, no doubt dropping out of school after the 3rd grade because their conversations were beyond juvenile. UGG! Save your money on this one: It's a total bust!

The editorial review that list all 50 greatest drivers didn't spell 'RAY HENDRICK's name correctly. Ray's name is listed as, Ray Henrick.

Please correct the Hendrick name, we are very proud of Ray and he has earned the right to at least be recognized as one of the 50 Greatest Drivers; at least you could spell his name correctly. At least give him that honor. Thank you, Mrs. Roy Hendrick

The book was so beautiful on the shelf that I had to buy it... Then I read the section on Curtis Turner. Ol' Curtis must have been a well-coifed choir boy, according to the way his life and driving record were presented. I leafed the rest of the book with its great photos, but that's about all there is... pretty pictures combined with a total lack of flavor. Someone at NASCAR should be ashamed of themselves...

The late sports columnist Jimmy Cannon when speaking of athletes once wrote "they are what they do". Meaning do not make the mistake of automatically elevating athletes or try to make them what they are not.Bobby Isaac,while one helluva racecar driver was simply a boring man.That doesn't make him bad but it does make him a tough subject for a biography.And, whew does that come across in this book.To his credit the author does not try and make Isaac larger than life.He simply tells us how Bobby did on the racetrack...in painstaking...and too often tedious detail.Ever watch the finance shows that are on TV during the day ? The ones where the stock symbols and their prices scroll at the bottom of the screen.That is what I was reminded of when I read much of this book.When Isaac raced NASCAR ran a 45-50 race schedule and by god the reader gets the results of every stinkin one.(yawn)I certainly want to know about the wins but do I need to know Bobby qualified 14th. and finished 16th. in some 200 mile,dirt race in a long defunct backwater racetrack ? I think not.But again,with so little to work with what choice did the author have ? If you are the hardest of hardcore NASCAR fan you may enjoy this book.If not pass it by.

For over $25.00 dollars you too can own a book no bigger than a Golden Book of children's tales. By adding the 'Nascar' title to your product you too can overcharge anyone because what trailer is complete without its own Nascar memorial?

The calendar titled Facts & Fun...... In my opinion, there is too many Facts and not enough Fun. The majority of the pages include facts of the older era of nascar.

I bought this and thought it wasn't a good deal for the price. Moreover, it is not for any child over three, which people should know before they buy it.

BootsO'Rourke