Miracle: Bobby Allison and the Saga of the Alabama Gang
The high-speed, violent nature of stock-car racing lends itself to tragedy, but the Allisons--NASCAR royalty along with the Pettys, the Earnhardts, and the Jarretts--seem to have endured more than their share, losing two sons and a close personal friend. Golenbock, veteran author of dozens of sports chronicles, frames the story of brothers Bobby and Donnie Allison around a seemingly bottomless trove of anecdotes detailing their hardscrabble beginnings on Florida dirt tracks. The account eventually covers the Allisons' current -multimillion-dollar presence within the NASCAR empire, but the early years are the most fun to read about, as the brothers relied on nerve and street smarts while they careened around the South's small tracks, occasionally winning just enough for a $2 steak and a hotel room. The Allisons' rise coincided with NASCAR's burgeoning popularity, so their story also works as a casual history of the sport. Where there's interest in auto racing--which is virtually everywhere--there will be significant demand for this crowd-pleaser.Wes LukowskyCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.