American Zoom: Stock Car Racing--From the Dirt Tracks to Daytona

Auto racing is followed by 26% of the American public, stresses Golenbock ( Fenway ) in this survey which will serve as an ideal introduction for those interested in but unfamiliar with the sport. Beginning with the top event, the Daytona 500, he presents a brief history of the National Association for Stock Car Automobile Racing (NASCAR), founded in 1948, tracing its origins to Southern bootleggers who developed their driving skills fleeing the law. The major portion of the book is oral history by and about track figures, including Richard Petty, ``The King,'' who won 200 races in his career, car-builder Ralph Moody, engine-builder Waddell Wilson, crew chief Andy Petree, unsponsored independent Dave Marcis (most drivers now have corporate bankrollers) and the current ruler of the raceways, Dale Earnhardt. Richly anecdotal, the book is a rollicking account of roistering individuals in a high-tension sport. Photos not seen by PW. (Sept.)