Driver #8

by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jade Gurss

Powered by a high-octane mix of bravado and humility, Dale Jr. shares the victory and joy, tragedy and heartbreak in his first Winston Cup season. Here are the crowds, the endless travel, and the behind-the-scenes action while Dale Jr. tries to carve out his own identity and win the respect of his peers. He shows you how races are won or lost, the bonds between a driver and his team-and the weight of racing against a man who is not only your father but also your boss, your toughest competitor, and a NASCAR legend. From the crush of the media to split-second, life-and-death decisions behind the wheel, Driver #8 is one helluva ride.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, Biography, Racing, Memoir, Autobiography, Celebrity

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2002

Reviews

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've watched him and his father race for so long. Seen the race that took his father. This book is funny. A must read if you love racing.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of course I liked it! It's about Dale Jr BY Dale Jr. It coveres only his first year in Winston Cup racing and only briefly mentions the death of his father in the Daytona 500 the next year. He's not an author but I thought the book was interesting and a fun read. It's kinda fun to see behind the scenes.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read Dale Jr.'s first book before I read his latest when it is released this month. It is crazy to think about how much has changed in the sport and in his life in just 17 years. It was an enlightening read and an inside look into his rookie season.

[Karin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book about a year in the racing life of Dale Earnhardt, Jr, from 2000-2001, which was his NASCAR Rookie year (note that you don't get into NASCAR with no racing experience, but it's a whole new ball game, so to speak). The vast majority of it involves racing and the days surrounding them, stuff about the cars and publicity things he does. It was a bit odd reading this after I read Racing to the Finish: My Story which is about the end of his career. It is ironic that the band he mentioned several times as his current favourite, Canadian alternative band The Matthew Good band, disbanded in 2001, but after the book.

It was also the rookie year for his dad's new team, and while they didn't do really badly overall, it was not their best year by a long shot.

The writing is very solid--during this year Earnhardt was also writing articles for an auto racing website, and included a couple of these in the book, so he is actually a writer as well. It's easy to dismiss all jocks and other celebrities as not being particularly cerebral, at least not when it comes to writing, but of course some of them can write (think singer Roseane Cash and former silent screen actress Louise Brooks, both of whom have written articles for prestigious magazines (Brooks was a big reader of serious literature, among other things).

For those of you familiar with 21st century auto racing or who just remember because it was on the news, 2001 was also the year that Dale Jr's dad died in a racing accident. This happened after the year in question, but Dale Jr. added an epilogue to write about that.

[Ashton Herrod · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was good for what it is. I was reading it as research for a novel I'm writing to get an inside view on racing. The racing portions were interesting, as were Earnhardt's reflections on the races.

The main problem with the novel was that Earnhardt is not a writer. His writing style is choppy and stream-of-consciousness style. It's not interesting and doesn't keep the reader engaged. His immaturity shines through during his descriptions of his social interactions. I ended up scanning most of these to get back to the racing portions.

I'll put a language warning on this book as well.

[Joy Gerbode · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of Dale Earnhardt Jr and his first year as a Winston Cup driver for NASCAR. Although his descriptions of the races got a bit long (and boring to a moderate fan like me) it was fun to go back and relive some of the memories of an earlier time in NASCAR ... the drivers I loved, and loved to hate, the tracks, the specific races, some of the accidents I remember. It all made for an interesting read. It is well-written, combining happy moments, tragic moments, and humorous anecdotes to form a complete picture. And nice to see some of the personal side of Dale Jr.

[Nicholas Land · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, let me say, it has been years since I've read this book, so I have forgotten some of the details. From what I remember, this book was awesome. I am a big fan of Dale Earnhardt Jr. I always have been. Reading the book, and seeing things from his point of view was awesome. It was nice to get an inside look at the world of Nascar, and Dale Jr's life. I highly recommend.

[Dan McKeage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is known nationally for being one of the best race car drivers to live. This book is about the hardships and battles he had to face when his father Dale Sr died in a racing accident. I highly recommend this book if you are at all interested in learning about racing.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Junior tells an autobiographical story of one of his life, early in his career.

[Allison Shelton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love anything to do with Dale Jr. I laughed as we was explaining things that weren’t in the Cup series yet but are now. Great book.

[Robert Barone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting look at his rookie season

[Marie Annick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book especially if you are a Dale Jr fan!

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off before anyone decides not to read this because the cover has a NASCAR driver on it, needs to forget about that and read it. I believe you can take something away from this after you read it that will make a small impact on your life. It teaches about not only Dale Earnhardt.JR's up's and down's throughout his career but also the everyday struggles through life. Many people can relate to this book after Dale speaks about losing his dad in 2001 at Daytona Speedway in a wreck. It is an amazing book that will bring you to tears when you look at the struggles many of us have to face in our life. I would recommend this book to everyone that likes a good biography every now and then. Last year they did film a movie about dale and his father Dale Earnhardt .SR played by Barry Pepper and Junior portrayed by Chad McCumbee. My favorite line within the book is said by Dale Sr "You ask me about tragic accidents? If I am on my tractor at my farm and it rolls over on me and kills me, that's a tragic accident. If I die in a race car, that's life. I died doing what I love."
Not long after they filmed that they produced another movie called Dale about the life of Dale Earnhardt. Sr. If they were to make another movie I would choose Barry Pepper and Chad McCumbee to play the starring roles. My favorite character in this book was Dale jr, because I can relate to his struggles he has gone through. For example, his parents divorced when he was a young kid. This was a very captivating book with all the different struggles he faced throughout his career. The most captivating part of the book was either when Jr won the Daytona 500 or when he was going through the different team changes after his stepmom ran him out of the company that his father built up for him up until the day he died. This was not really a book where you were able to predict the ending but in the end it didn’t really need it.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

One might have some preconceived notations about what a memoir written by Dale Earnhardt Jr about first season and NASCAR would be like... and for the most part this book is those things, but what makes it great is that Earnhardt doesn't shy away from them he leans in. Yes sometimes the way he views women is... not the best, and he straight up just mailed in a couple chapters buts it really does feel like him. He is willing to look a stupid redneck, or a spoiled kid, but he's also willing to stand up against social norms he doesn't agree with, and go out and do things not normally associated with a NASCAR driver. In short he is willing to vulnerable, to be himself, and in doing so you get a great look into the man that is Dale Earnhardt Jr. for all the good, and the bad. I haven't watch NASCAR since I was a kid and even then I wasn't much of a Junior fan, but I really did enjoy this book.
If your looking for an in-depth look into the workings of NASCAR this isn't for you, if you are looking for some thought-provoking memoir this book isn't for you. If you want a nice, calm, relaxing, cheerful read this is the book for you. In someway that's part of the reason I like it so much, that lighthearted cheerfulness it just feels like its missing from todays society. There were multiple points when reading when I just thought to myself - this book is from a different time, you could never write this book today, and not because it is controversial but for almost the exact opposite. He is just so neutral and amicable. He doesn't want to play politics, he just wants to drive around and do what he loves and enjoys. I think at one point he even talks about politics in racing as something he was 'happy to leave to the old guys'. It just felt refreshing and nice like something from the past that we've left behind. I was a fan of the book. If you read I hope you are too...

[Cherri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this at a library books sale and figured it's only a dime I'll try it and I'm glad I did. If you are NASCAR fan, this book is for you. It is a race by race account of Jr. first year in Nascar and how he viewed each situation. To remember these things happening, the deaths of Adam Petty and Kenny Irwin, and see his take on it at the time was interesting. Also, this book was about the year before Big E was killed and listening to his plans for the future is heartbreaking knowing what happens the next year.

[Peter Espelien · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought the story was really amazing. The story teaches you to never give up on your dreams and to stay focused on the task at hand. My favorite part of the story is when Jr. wins the Winston. I like this part of the book because it shows what hard work and determination can do. If I were the one writing the book now I would include all the races and get rid of all the things to do with the media. What really surprised me was that Jr. won the next race at Daytona the same track his dad was killed on. One lingering question I had was why is good year tire compound so unreliable?

[Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those interested in NASCAR, this is actually a pretty interesting read. Gives you a little insight into the world that is NASCAR. I, personally, am a Jr. fan, so the book was all that more interesting to me.

[Kellyanne Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can it get more exciting than a year in the life of NASCAR's most popular driver? You really do get an idea what it must be like to be him - everything from having fans to dealing with sponsors to relating to his family.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love this book because i love dale jr

[Bryan Tobiason · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was better than I expected it to be. It really goes into great depth of what being a NASCAR star is like. Very interesting perspectives on many things from Dale Earnhardt Jr. himself.

[Christa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inside look of what is like to be in the spotlight as a NASCAR driver. This really takes you into his personal life, just outside the camera's view on Sundays.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

tells abot the life of his style

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love Jr. the book is really good :)

[Debbyanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

a great read for the nascar fan, true life day to day with one of nascar's best!

[Katryna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

[Jodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read great insight