Arthur Johnson Memorial Library

Beekman, Scott. frey50

NASCAR nation : a history of stock car racing in the United States / Scott Beekman. - Santa Barbara, Calif. : Praeger, c2010. - xiv, 175 p. ; 25 cm.

Birth of a sport -- Back to the beach -- NASCAR rising -- Superspeedways -- Tobacco and television -- The age of Earnhardt -- Young guns.

NASCAR Nation: A History of Stock Car Racing in the United States details the ongoing saga of this quintessentially American pastime. Looking at the drivers, events, and teams, it positions NASCAR racing within larger social, economic, and cultural trends in an attempt to address the sport's phenomenal growth and popularity. This chronological examination of the evolution of stock car racing is the first history to go beyond the widely held myth that it was "invented" by Prohibition-era moonshiners. The book traces stock car racing history from its beginnings, to the formation of The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) in 1948, through today. Of course, readers will meet the sport's many colorful personalities, including the Earnhardts, Richard Petty, Jeff Gordon (who has raked in more than $70 million in career winnings), "Fireball" Roberts, Darrell Waltrip, Daytona pioneer Bill France, and women drivers like Janet Guthrie, Louise Smith, and Jennifer Jo Cobb. While the focus is on NASCAR, the book also examines other prominent stock car racing organizations to round out its comprehensive portrait.

9780275994242 (alk. paper) 0275994244 (alk. paper) 9781567206616 (ebook) 1567206611 (ebook)

2009051144


NASCAR (Association)--History.


Stock car racing--Social aspects--History.--United States

796.720973 Bee 13