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Full Throttle: The Life & Fast Times of Racing Legend Curtis Turner
A portrait of the late NASCAR racer documents his dramatic life from his early days as a teenage moonshine runner in Virginia and his million-dollar finance deals to the four years he was banned form the NASCAR circuit and his violent and mysterious death at the age of forty-six. By the author of NASCAR Generations. 40,000 first printing.
326 pages, Hardcover
First published January 27, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 14, 2008
I took away one star for the writing, not the subject. Curtis Turner's life is an amazing tale, whether you think you like stock-car racing or not. The early days of NASCAR were much more dynamic than the cleaned-up commercialized version of today and Turner's life exemplifies that. I found a few inconsistencies in the writing, though, that made me question the author's research. I would have also liked more of a personal slant regarding Turner's life. Sometimes the book becomes too much a history of NASCAR and not enough a biography of Turner, even though it's obvious that the man and the sport's conception are inextricably linked.
September 28, 2025
Curtis Turner was one on the early superstars of NASCAR racing. He has been called by some the “Babe Ruth of NASCAR’ with the many victories he had in the sport’s early years. This biography by Robert Edelstein is a testimony to not only his racing career but also to Curtis’ flamboyant lifestyle.
In those days of the sport, drivers did not win large purses and had to beg for sponsors or others to put up the investment for the cars. As a result, they also had to earn a living elsewhere and Curtis did so in the timber business. It gave him a nice income and while he didn’t immediately squander it (and his race earnings), it did give him the means to live an extravagant lifestyle.
This included legendary parties at Daytona every year, a small airplane (which he was flying when it crashed and killed him in 1970), and other business ventures, not all of which was successful. The book covers these adventures, especially his flights, with as much detail and entertainment as it does Turner’s racing career.
One aspect that covers both of these areas is Turner’s vision of building a speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina to rival that of the one in Daytona built under the guidance of NASCAR founder Bill France. This was part of the complicated cared relationship Turner and France had. While Turner’s fearless driving style won him many races and fans (and filled grandstands at France’s races), when Turner wanted to form a union for the drivers (as he was trying to secure funds from the Teamsters for his Charlotte track) he was blackballed from NASCAR.
All of this and more is told in a very good storytelling fashion by the author. It was not only very entertaining but also enlightening as a reader will, like me, learn much about the early days of the sport.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
In those days of the sport, drivers did not win large purses and had to beg for sponsors or others to put up the investment for the cars. As a result, they also had to earn a living elsewhere and Curtis did so in the timber business. It gave him a nice income and while he didn’t immediately squander it (and his race earnings), it did give him the means to live an extravagant lifestyle.
This included legendary parties at Daytona every year, a small airplane (which he was flying when it crashed and killed him in 1970), and other business ventures, not all of which was successful. The book covers these adventures, especially his flights, with as much detail and entertainment as it does Turner’s racing career.
One aspect that covers both of these areas is Turner’s vision of building a speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina to rival that of the one in Daytona built under the guidance of NASCAR founder Bill France. This was part of the complicated cared relationship Turner and France had. While Turner’s fearless driving style won him many races and fans (and filled grandstands at France’s races), when Turner wanted to form a union for the drivers (as he was trying to secure funds from the Teamsters for his Charlotte track) he was blackballed from NASCAR.
All of this and more is told in a very good storytelling fashion by the author. It was not only very entertaining but also enlightening as a reader will, like me, learn much about the early days of the sport.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
November 17, 2021
Guy truly embraced the “YOLO” ethos.
July 8, 2023
Good with good stories but just not excellent.
August 13, 2023
An entertaining book of one of the early drivers in NASCAR history.
January 11, 2011
A bigger than life character, right from the first story I was thinking "not great morals but, man this would be one fun person to hang out with". The story is written with a conversational tone, good ol boys talking at the bar type story. With almost every story in the book I had to wonder how could they pull that off, or could that really happen? Then I cross referenced some of the stories and the book was spot on with the details. I found myself reading quotes or sort sections out loud to my friends as they kept asking me what was so funny. I'm not a NASCAR fan, but this story was not so much a car racing book. but a book about a man who went from one crazy thing to another, and some of the of those events happed to be car races.
October 1, 2007
Reading this book will open you eyes to the true roots of NASCAR and gives you a taste of how it all began. Curtis Turner's story is really amazing. The worse thing that ever happened to him is that they made that dumb ass movie Stroker Ace loosely based on him. This book is a little long winded but a good cheap read none the less.
July 19, 2009
One of my all time favorite stock car drivers. Colorful to his untimely end. I got to see him race at the local track in Schererville IN at USAC races during his temporary ban from NASCAR.
February 4, 2014
I love this book and hope to see it as a movie one day
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews