Nascar Racers: Today's Top Drivers, 2006 Edition - Hardcover

White, Ben; Kinrade, Nigel

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0760324042 ISBN 13: 9780760324042

Publisher: Motorbooks, 2006

Synopsis

A behind-the-scenes look at the hard-driving elite of stock car racing, NASCAR Racers immerses readers in the action of the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup season from garage and pit road to finish line and winner's circle. Get the inside scoop on today's top stock car racers' the legendary veterans, the hot newcomers, and the Rookie of the Year. Here are stars like Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle, Jamie McMurray, and Carl Edwards' in profiles that give the full story on each driver's career from his earliest racing efforts to the Nextel Cup; in year-by-year statistical tables; and in photos that capture the action on and off the track at America's greatest racing venues.

About this title

Review

A superb compendium focusing on the stars - past and present - of North America's biggest race series. Potted biogs of NASCAR legends, champions, one-hit wonders and up-and-comers help to paint a picture of the personalities that have shaped the sport. --Autosport, June, 2009

a good overview of the most important NASCAR drivers past and present. --MotorSport, October, 2009

The section dedicated to the current crop of drivers is obviously the largest, and includes nineteen of the most noteworthy. These drivers are racing for big budget teams and for huge purses at a time when NASCAR has become the most heavily-marketed entity in the United States. As a result, these drivers quickly become household names. Their faces are used to sell products for their team and personal sponsors on retail shelves, and they play themselves in television commercials. They are regular guests on popular television and radio shows, and even make cameo appearances on sitcoms, music videos and in feature films. The NASCAR drivers of the 21st century are as much in demand outside of the car as they are behind the wheel. Ben White has strived to give the reader many intimate details shots of life, opinions and reflections that fans may not know about their favourite drivers. Did you know that Ryan Newman has a Bachelor of Science degree in vehicle structural engineering? That might come in handy when his team is building him his new fleet of cars each season. The book includes a chapter featuring a number of drivers who lost their lives whilst in the prime of their careers. Adam Petty and Davey Allison stand out due to the long history both the Petty and Allison families have within the NASCAR community. As a memorial, these biographies will bring back some fond memories for fans as well as stand as a reminder of how dangerous this sport can be. The final chapter introduces us to the next wave of great drivers seeking to make a name for themselves on the NASCAR circuit. Open-wheel stars like Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya, Canadian Patrick Carpentier, and Americans Sam Hornish and AJ Allmendinger are in this new class of drivers hoping to adapt their considerable skills to piloting a clumsy stock car around a high-speed oval. Montoya is the real story here, as he represents the first Formula 1 driver to compete full-time in NASCAR. Most would consider this a step down, but Juan wanted to prove himself as a driver again, free of the computers and electronic aides that take much of the challenge out of a Formula 1 car. This book is a quick read as the biographies are brief, but the stunning collection of photographs, interesting statistics, and NASCAR trivia make thumbing through it a pleasant way for the NASCAR fan to spend a couple of hours. --canadian driver dot com, October 2009

A behind-the-scenes look at the hard-driving elite of stock car racing, NASCAR Racers immerses the readers in the action of the NASCAR Nextel Cup season, from garage and pit lane to finish line and winner's circle. You can get the inside scoop on today's top stoack car racers - the legendary veterans, the hot newcomers and the Rookie of the Year. here are stars( Jimmie Johnson, Tony stewart, Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr) in profiles that give the full story on each driver's career, form his earliest racing efforts to the very first Nextel Cup. with year-by-year statistical tables and photos that capture the action on and off the track, this book shouldn't be missed by any NASCAR fan. --American Car World, Oct, 2009

The section dedicated to the current crop of drivers is obviously the largest, and includes nineteen of the most noteworthy. These drivers are racing for big budget teams and for huge purses at a time when NASCAR has become the most heavily-marketed entity in the United States. As a result, these drivers quickly become household names. Their faces are used to sell products for their team and personal sponsors on retail shelves, and they play themselves in television commercials. They are regular guests on popular television and radio shows, and even make cameo appearances on sitcoms, music videos and in feature films. The NASCAR drivers of the 21st century are as much in demand outside of the car as they are behind the wheel. Ben White has strived to give the reader many intimate details shots of life, opinions and reflections that fans may not know about their favourite drivers. Did you know that Ryan Newman has a Bachelor of Science degree in vehicle structural engineering? That might come in handy when his team is building him his new fleet of cars each season. The book includes a chapter featuring a number of drivers who lost their lives whilst in the prime of their careers. Adam Petty and Davey Allison stand out due to the long history both the Petty and Allison families have within the NASCAR community. As a memorial, these biographies will bring back some fond memories for fans as well as stand as a reminder of how dangerous this sport can be. The final chapter introduces us to the next wave of great drivers seeking to make a name for themselves on the NASCAR circuit. Open-wheel stars like Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya, Canadian Patrick Carpentier, and Americans Sam Hornish and AJ Allmendinger are in this new class of drivers hoping to adapt their considerable skills to piloting a clumsy stock car around a high-speed oval. Montoya is the real story here, as he represents the first Formula 1 driver to compete full-time in NASCAR. Most would consider this a step down, but Juan wanted to prove himself as a driver again, free of the computers and electronic aides that take much of the challenge out of a Formula 1 car. This book is a quick read as the biographies are brief, but the stunning collection of photographs, interesting statistics, and NASCAR trivia make thumbing through it a pleasant way for the NASCAR fan to spend a couple of hours. --canadian driver dot com, October 2009

From the Back Cover

From the Allison brothers to Yarborough, NASCAR’s hottest and most legendary drivers are profiled in Ben White’s NASCAR Racers. The sport of NASCAR has evolved from a grassroots racing circuit of bootleggers and amateurs to a multi-billion-dollar enterprise of TV ratings and sponsorship, all made possible by drivers and their fans. Every fan tunes in or attends a race hoping to see their favorite driver succeed within the speed, technology, and drama of NASCAR.

Over 60 drivers are profiled in NASCAR Racers. Early legends, like Buck Baker and Fireball Roberts, represent the sport’s early days. Current drivers, like Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr., and up-and-coming rookies, like A.J. Allmendinger and Juan Pablo Montoya, show where the sport is headed. NASCAR Racers is the perfect resource for NASCAR fans of all ages.

*Over 350 color photos

* 60 top drivers, yesterday to today

*Rare historical photography

*Stats and trivia about each driver

About this edition

• Publisher: Motorbooks
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0760324042
• ISBN 13: 9780760324042
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 128