Racing Reviews

Race car fans, Mark Martin fans, Arkansans. This is an awesome book! It's a mini-biography about a fella from Arkansas who is determined to win! It's a look at what makes a race car driver tick, and how addicting the sport can be. Mark even says that winning is just like a drug -- it's addictive.

I'm quite proud of this book and I'm proud that Mark Martin and I share the same home town. Batesville, Arkansas.

I like how he races his car in every race. He's better than other drivers I know.6 6 6 6 go go go race your car all the way through each race.Being your fan forever.I want you to drive more better than the others.

This book is an insightful look into the life of Mark Martin. Certainly a must read for any Martin fan or fan of motorsports. It takes a special mix of natural talent, desire and tenacity to achieve the pinnacle of success as a NASCAR Winston Cup Driver and "Driven To Race" gives you a forthright look into how he was molded by his father, other racers and most of all lifes experiences to become the gutsy, gritty competitor that he is today. Nothing is held back and you won't be able to lay it down until you are finished.

Do yourself a favor and pass this one by. It is by no means a history of drag racing. Rather, it's the NHRA practically breaking it's arm patting itself on the back. Racers who don't cowtow to the "Gods in Glendora" are largely ignored. Can you believe Garlits is hardly represented at all?! Many other gaffes abound. Not a winner.

This book is phenomenal and a must have for racers, fans and car enthusiasts. Wally Parks and the NHRA should be commended for this wonderful compilation of history and excitement all packed into the colorful pages of "The Fast Lane". When I first opened it up I got goose bumps and was suddenly transported to a place near the starting line. With each new page I could hear the raw horsepower of the engines rumbling the pavement, the smell of fuel filled my nose and the ground shook under my feet. The adrenaline pumping and the memories of my days of racing and watching the pros run overtook me.

Being a female that has had cars and racing in my blood since I was a child, I was so happy to get this book and learn all about the history and the people behind the sport from the beginning. So guys and gals alike will love this one. I highly recommend it.

I have been attending the NHRA Drags in Pomona for many years. This book gives an interesting look at the beginnings of the sport. I learned alot. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of drag racing.

I can't disagree with the other reviewers that say this book is original and intense. However, I'm struggling to find out how my running can benefit from Heinrich's advice. The problem I have with the book is that it's disorganized. It starts off comparing the physiology of animals and humans' running ability, and ends with Heinrich's triumph at the big ultramarathon. I'm not sure what message the author and publisher are trying to convey to me. I was totally enthralled though with the discussion of the physiology of animals. I guess I was hoping for more details on how a runner can best prepare for an ultramarathon.

In "Racing the Antelope" (which has since been renamed "Why We Run"), Heinrich presents us with an exploration of the biological features that make running and other types of activity (for example sprinting, flying, and even marathon bouts of mating calls amongst male frogs) possible. He devotes the middle chapters of the book to individual animals (insects, birds, pronghorn antelopes, camels, frogs, dogs, cats, and more) and the biological characteristics which allow them to develop incredible endurance or speed.

The beginning and end of the book are concerned with the story of Heinrich's own experiences with running, an activity which has been for him an integral part of life. This autobiographical story is a bit disjointed, though. At the beginning of the book, we learn about the role running plays during Heinrich's childhood, through his school and college years, and on into graduate school. The end of the book details his preparation for, and participation in, a 100K race (62.2 miles). It is only at the end of the book that its structure becomes readily apparent. Preparation for the race is what ties everything together; Heinrich looked to the examples of the animals discussed in the middle of the book for ideas that would help him as he trained for his ultramarathon. I would liked to have seen the structure of the book be a bit more apparent to the reader throughout.

That said, this book is a nice overview of the incredible variety of--and potential for--endurance and speed present in animals (including humans) today. I read this book because I was looking for something to inspire and motivate my own running; this book isn't quite what I was looking for. However, once I finished it I found myself thinking about my running from a perspective I had not previously considered. Recommended for those with interests in biology, distance running, or both.

This was a thoughtful venture into the science of distance running. The authors presents us with this scientific material (the physiology of endurance running) in a digestable manner. His prose is excellent for a scientist.

I checked out the 1967 version of this book in the library when I first became interested in horse race handicapping. It was so full of information that I ended up buying it. A few years back, I loaned it to my brother and later asked for it back so I could review some stuff. But, his dominating wife had thrown it away. Well, enough of this boring stuff. This book does a good job of introducing a new, novice, or disorganized horseplayer to the fundamentals of handicapping--a fancy way to say picking winners at the track. Ainslie covers distance, speed, class, form, track conditions, breeding, and jockeys and trainers very thoroughly. The reader should avoid the laundry lists of specific qualifications for horses that appear periodically in the book. This book was published before the advent of Beyer speed figures and other new concepts in handicapping. Also, as in most how to pick winners books, Ainslie has sections of the Daily Racing Form from races where he made a big score. Racing authors seem to never have DRF examples of races where they lost their shirts. But, it is a useful treatise to learn the fundamentals of handicapping though even the lastest edition (1988) is a bit dated. I would advise the reader to learn the general concepts in the book and to avoid the specific criteria for picking horses. It is an excellent place for a new horseplayer to start. Now, if someone could write a book for my brother telling him how to stand up to his wife.

Tom Ainsle covers a lot of topics on Horse Racing and he explains then in good detail and with a wealth of personal knowledge.

This book may be a few years older then many others, but it is still a very important one on the subject of handicapping.

Tom did a great job and if your serious about picking horses, this one should be in your library.

Best Regards to all, MC - TheStickRules.Com

This was the first book on this subject that I have read and I bought it again for someone else. If you are just getting started this is an excellent place to begin.

For all Joe Drape is supposed to be a big, important writer, I have no compliments for him. This book was something of a letdown for me. It provides insight into Drape's personal opinion of some high-profile racetrack people, but it is more of a storybook than a documentary, and I found irritating errors (or poor editing decisions?) throughout the book.

Read it once; I have no wish to read it again.

Racing fans have heard it many times before...There have been only eleven winners of the Triple Crown. Sir Barton was the first in 1919 and Affirmed, the last, in 1978. Eddie Arcaro won two Triple Crowns, one on Whirlaway in 1941 and then on Citation in 1948. There was a drought of twenty-five years between Citation's sweep and the coming of Secretariat in 73'. Secretariat is moving like a tremendous machine... So that's an overview of racing's classics. Now for something meatier...Thank you Joe Drape! Finally someone has gone beyond the legendary telling of this story and put it under a microscope. Drape's portrait of the Triple Crown is like a Robert Altman film with people and horses, owners, trainers, jockeys, everyone weaving in and out in search of victory, or at least a ticket to Louisville. The book goes happily beyond the soundbytes of trainers like Neil Drysdale and Todd Pletcher and delivers us a story that is intense, hopeful, sometimes funny, sometimes disappointing, but always interesting.

"The Race for the Triple Crown" is not in the usual run of amiable puff jobs about Thoroughbreds and their owners. For one thing, the author is an award-winning sportswriter for the "New York Times." For another, he is a dedicated horse-player---Damon Runyon; bettin' on da gee-gees; bookies; "The Daily Racing Form"---that sort of scene. Finally and perhaps most importantly, he owned and raced a Quarter Horse named Oh Desperado, who turned out to be a whiz at dressage.

Joe Drape begins his story in June, 1999 when the big, beautiful Charismatic, a former claiming horse fractured his foreleg in the Belmont, just seconds away from becoming the first Thoroughbred in twenty-one years to win the Triple Crown. The book ends with Tiznow's victory in the 2000 Breeder's Cup Classic and the death of his eighty-three-year-old owner, Cecilia Straub-Rubens, three days later.

In between, Thoroughbred owners "spent $510,834,975 on 8,779 yearlings at auctions in the United States in hopes that one of them was the right horse for the 2002 Triple Crown."

The author writes primarily of the owners and trainers, by turns foolish, determined, and hopeful, and some of whom were real S.O.B.s. One of the prominent players is the trainer D. Wayne Lucas, who won the first two races in the Triple Crown in 1999, and then won the third leg in 2000. He is also one of the aforementioned S.O.B.s---one might even call him the Patton of Thoroughbred training. I finished this book with a tremendous admiration (although not liking) for Lucas, especially for winning the 2000 Belmont with a mediocre horse and sheer tactical brilliance. The author is still kicking himself for not betting on Lucas's horse in that race. It would have been his fifth winner on a Pick-Six ticket.

"The Race for the Triple Crown" is rich in the detail of what it takes to purchase a Thoroughbred at auction (lots of money, lots of testosterone, and lots of research). It portrays the agony and ecstasy of owning, training, and riding a potential Triple Crown horse. Here is the true story of the relationship between D. Wayne Lucas and Charismatic's jockey, Chris Antley. Here's what it feels like to try and outbid a Maktoum at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Here are the reasons why you shouldn't plan a celebratory dinner in advance of a Thoroughbred race. Here is Bob Baffert, "intoning, 'Houston, we got a problem' into the microphone at the 1996 Preakness when his horse Cavonnier was on his way to a fourth-place finish."

This is an absolutely riveting story for readers who are already somewhat familiar with Thoroughbred racing. I loved it. However, I disagree with the cover blurb that says it is "a delight for both aficionado and novice." If you're looking for a starter book on Thoroughbred racing, try "Secretariat: The Making of a Champion" by William Nack, or "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand. "The Race for the Triple Crown" has so much insider detail that a newcomer to racing might become totally confused if he or she doesn't already recognize some of the players, e.g. Pat Day, More Than Ready, Sheik Maktoum bin Rashid al-Maktoum, Jenine Sahadi, and The Deputy (for starters).

I'm a new NASCAR fan. I happened to buy this book at full bookstore price. I also bought a used version of Peter Golenbock's "American Zoom". I read Joe Menzer's book first. Loved it. Then I read Golenbock's 1993 book and read many of the same stories, almost word-for-word, about NASCAR.

"Know your roots" has always been one of my favorite sayings. When it comes to NASCAR, not many fans are aware of just how deep and strong those roots are. This book helps to change that.

From the days of running moonshine in the South, to the days of multi-million dollar sponsorship deals. From early stars who drove with pet monkeys in their cars, to racing legends who shall never be forgotten. "The Wildest Ride" takes you on a journey through NASCAR's history, and shows you how it has become one of the fastest growing sports in the world today.

You'll read about colorful characters like Tim Flock, Joe Weatherly and Glenn "Fireball" Roberts - and modern legends like Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. You'll celebrate in Victory Lane, and mourn with the entire racing world after the death of Dale Earnhardt at the 2001 Daytona 500.

This book is a must read for any NASCAR fan. It is the story of the foundation of the sport which we all enjoy. Without this story our sport would never be where it is today...

Excellent book, takes the reader behind the scenes of the sport of NASCAR. The information of how drivers got into the business and the interactions between the drivers and the France family, give the reader an great insight into the sport. Joe Menzer tells how the drivers began the sport which the France family made such a sucess and puts the reader where the drivers were and are. Really liked the information about how the drivers got the financial help needed to keep a car going, as well as how the corporate contributions laid the foundation for the sport. Great book

This book does everything right--it introduces the reader to a new world, it has a tight plot and engaging characters, and it uses emotion effectively. Tony Beach is, in his own eyes, a coward and a failure. Both his father and grandfather were distinguished military men, while he, after years of searching for something he can be good at, has settled into a modestly comfortable life as a wine merchant. As the story opens, Tony is still grieving for the death of his wife, whom he loved very much, and he is still living under the shadows of his great forebears. In the course of the story, however, Tony is able both to come to terms with his loss and to discover strengths of his own. The crimes described in the story are not pretty, but the story is about more than crime. My favorite part of the book is the ending, where Tony finds out that he has more in common with his father than he ever thought.

More sedate than his parents, Tony Beach has found contentment running a small wine shop in a small English town, but he is still dealing with the recent tragedy of the loss of his wife. He is soon brought in as a consultant by the police in what seems a relatively harmless, small scale fraud--someone is mislabeling wine. But it seems there's quite a bit more to it than that, and the wrongdoers are willing to kill--again--to avoid prison!

With only a minimal involvement of the racing world in this mystery, Francis paints an interesting and informed picture of the wine and liquor industry. A bit formulaic, not unusual for Francis (his heroes ALWAYS feel they have to go get the crucial evidence themselves, rather than leaving it for the police!), but not unduly so.

Well worth a good read.

This book is a typical Francis hard-to-put-down, fast-reading thriller with one exception. Francis does his usual thorough job of investigating Clancy-style, but this time goes easy on the horses and heavy on the liquor industry. As usual, one is swept away by the story and is delighted to learn what Francis has uncovered in his research.

I felt this book was worth the money. If you want to learn about SBC's and more of WHY to modify them (as opposed to how) then get this book.

I really think John Lingenfelter didn't get into enough detail on certain subjects such as heads, one of the most vital aspects of an engine. Also, there seemed to be a self promotion for his products in many articles. While this is understandable, I understood it was a good product from the first refrence to it.

The dyno charts in the back were nearly worthless. There were a total of around 7, and 2 were on an LT5. This is a very rare (and extremely expensive) engine with a DOHC configuration, so the info didn't have any application to standard SBCs.

Do not buy this book to build a powerful engine. Buy it to gain more understanding on what you want to do, but go with another for more specific refrences. I recommend it, just be prepaired to purchase additional books for more enlightenment.

THIS BOOK IS VERY GENERAL, POSSIBLY FOR THE NOVICE TO FORM A BASIS FOR BUILDING AN ENGINE. IT'S NOT FOR REFERENCE, NOT ENOUGH DETAILS.

In a day when we have many "how to" magazines and books, this book is a refreshing venture into the "how come". With that point in mind and despite other mixed reviews, I have to give John Lingenfelter's book on Modifying Small-Block Chevy Engines five out of five stars.

John leans more on the reason to build and modify various engine parts and touchs on the various parts and choices we as engine builders have. He thoroughly discusses which engine components should be given ample attention and which parts are just as well left alone. He also talks about how various parts work together to create a powerful unit.

In summary, if you are looking for a "hold my hand" walk through engine disassembly/assembly than you may be happier with author David Vizard or many other fine automotive writers. But, if you're looking for something different; maybe to gain the knowledge to begin to make your own engine assembly choices, than this is a fantastic read.

"God is everything". That's it. That's the whole book. You are not in control and God has a master plan already set just for you. Give yourself up to God and life will be grand.

Needless to say I was very disappointed in this book. I am (was) a fan of the Washington Redskins and I am a huge NASCAR fan so naturally I was attacted to this book by Joe Gibbs.

I do not mean to say that his hypothesis is incorrect (trust in God) but a 300 page book that states the same thing over and over???

Don't bother with this book unless you need reinforcement that God is the way of life. But if that is your passion, you should already be following in His footsteps so there should be no need for this book. If you are not a particularly religous person, this book will be way too much for you.

Save your [money]. Better yet, put the [money] in your collection plate on Sunday. It will do more good there.

Joe Gibbs speaks from his heart. While there are many people who will claim to have their secrets to success, Joe is very clear that his secrets are found in God's Word. He is honest and transparent in sharing from his personal life; both the "ups" and the "downs."

By the way, he doesn't say that to have "success" is to necessarily be financially prosperous. Some have missed his point in thinking that this is what he's saying. He's not preaching "prosperity theology," "get God and get rich" or that kind of stuff. He's pointing out the things that really count in life and how these can be obtained. That's what takes 300 pages to get through our hard heads!

Don't discount the book because you think he's just repeating the fact that God needs to be brought into the picture to make your rich (financially). He does need to be brought into the picture for true success. He discusses the real purpose in life. Something people today are ignoring. Joe points our attention to eternity and the success that will make a difference long after the NFL and NASCAR are gone!

Take time, if you would, and look up the verse on the right tail light of Bobby Labonte's #18 Interstate Battery car. John 3:16 tells the real purpose in life and how to be successful.

Thank you for taking time to give Joe Gibbs an opportunity to share from his heart. His book has given me much to think about.

This book was a pleasant surprise. I expected football and Nascar. Instead I was drawn into Joe Gibbs life. Joe described all the feelings and emotions that go along with unbridaled success and unplanned, catastrophic failure. Through all the trials and tribulations, Joe constantly refers and depends on his faith in God and the place it holds in his day to day walk. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the behind the scenes action of Nascar, the business side of professional football or the day to day decisions and life choices that come with being a christian.