I had watched NASCAR races as a kid in the 70s because my Dad did, so I grew up watching the greats - Richard Petty, AJ Foyt, Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison, etc. By high school in the 80s, I had stopped watching. Since then, I've had a long career working major sports events and in the last few years, have made it a goal to go to the biggest events that I'd never had a chance to work, like the Kentucky Derby. Last weekend I attended the Daytona 500, having not seen a stock car race since the 70s. I met Geoff Bodine there. I'd known his name, but never really saw him race. Bodine was there selling his book, and signing copies, so I bought the book to learn more about the sport that I'd missed for 40 years.
Bodine's book is great because he really covers racing from the 60s to the present. He talks about the classic drivers I grew up with in the 70s, regales the rivalry stories I never knew about with Earnhardt, and talks about the 90s generation of racers with the likes of Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. He also explains the sport well, about how drafting works, about differences in super speedways and smaller tracks, about adjustments to engine, chassis, and suspension systems, and explains in ways that make it easy to understand.
So I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I also enjoyed attending the Daytona 500 and hope to do so again! Thanks, Geoff, for sharing your story!