Real NASCAR: White Lightning, Red Clay, and Big Bill France
"Of the many books on NASCAR history, few have been either as thorough or as authoritative as this one. . . . Pierce's aim to build his work on documented evidence rather than widely accepted and oft-repeated lore makes his book a standout. Enthusiastically recommended."--Library Journalstarred review"The first comprehensive history of early southern stock-car racing that reflects its rustic character but not at the expense of academic rigor."--Journal of Southern History"If you're a Southerner, by birth or by inclination, and love Southern foodways, folkways, highways, and low-ways, you'll lap up Daniel S. Pierce'sReal NASCAR. . . like grits and red-eye gravy, even if you've never been to a stock car race or watched one on television."--Our State"[A] fascinating history of the era."--Bookforum"Stories of stock car racing and moonshining come to life through oral histories. . . .Real NASCARcontains an energy and respect for its subject that reveals the historian's personal enthusiasm. Even if you have never been a NASCAR fan, you will find much to keep you reading in this intriguing history of the sport."--Smoky Mountain Living"Real NASCARis one of the very, very few [racing history books] worth reading."--Speedreaders.info"A rich source of the forgotten lore and overlooked history of stock car racing in America. Students of southern history and stock car racing fans alike will want a copy of this fascinating and eminently readable history."--Journal of East Tennessee History"Puts research and rigor into the rise of NASCAR, from its well known migration off the back roads of moonshine running to the paved Talladega Raceway."--Autoblog.com"An enthusiastic study that brings to life NASCAR's mythology and reality. . . . This volume will delight fans; researches will appreciate the bounty of resources cited. . . . Recommended."--Choice"Rollicking and innovative. . . . A history that is captivating, insightful, and surprising. . . . Enthusiastically recommend[ed]."--Florida Historical Quarterly"Capture[s] the spirit of the early years of rough-and-tumble stock racing."--Roanoke Times"Real NASCARcan be read by racing fans who will share stories about Bill France and Curtis Turner at lunch tables and bars all over America at the same time it becomes a key text in the reading lists of university courses on Southern culture."--Virginia Libraries"Details the sport's genesis as it has never been shown before. . . . A story that readers will find both fascinating and controversial."--McCormick Messenger