“What struck me in writing the book is just that whole notion of NASCAR nation,” says Giangola.  “As (chef) Mario Batali says, a NASCAR race is like ‘Woodstock, meets Mad Max, meets the Super Bowl, meets the Iowa State Fair.’  That was something I really wanted to capture.”  

 

Giangola’s inspiration came from two stories he came across while doing his daily NASCAR duties.  The first is the tale of Dr. Pat Hickey, who capped his accomplishment of climbing the “Seven Summits of the World” by placing a NASCAR flag atop Mt. Everest. The other is the story of John Bookie and his odd request.  An avid NASCAR fan, Bookie told his girlfriend Christine Kavka that when he died, he wanted his ashes scattered at a raceway where Jeff Gordon competed.  When Bookie died unexpectedly shortly thereafter, Kavka fulfilled his request.  His ashes now rest on Victory Lane at an undisclosed track.  These tales convinced Giangola that there just might be a book in the subject of NASCAR fans.  

With NASCAR’s blessing, Giangola went to work.  After finishing up his regular race day duties, he would begin wandering the grounds.  His travels led him to the people in the pages.

 

Now, I have to admit that I’m not a fan of NASCAR.  My sports viewing of choice is usually the NBA. But I have dabbled in the subject before, mostly through its Hollywood connection.  (Check out my March 16, 2009 posting which featured a trivia quiz on NASCAR-themed movies.)  But, by no means did that inhibit my enjoyment of this book.  It’s a breezy read that you can pick up and dive (or should I say drive?) into anywhere.  Each story stands on its own, categorized in intriguing sections that cover a spectrum of topics.  I had fun mixing and matching my way through, letting the chapter titles lure me to a page.

 

Sure, some of Giangola’s subjects are out there.  How else would you describe “Tire Man” (Chris MacNicol) who shows up to races wearing just a hat and a racing tire around his waist?  And then there is Barbie Robbins.  She is such a fan of Dale Earnhardt, Jr., she dons a nursing outfit and channels healing vibrations through the nethersphere whenever he gets into trouble on the track.

 

And then there are the fans who inspire the book’s title -- the ones who turn a trip to NASCAR into a multi-day event.  Giangola endears them to the reader in such entries as “Bob’s Party Bus,” which tells the tale of an amusement park-like vehicle covered inside and out with big colorful gobs of florescent paint.  Its owner has an unusual story to tell, but this is worth a look just to see his picture on the story’s first page.  In “Hearts Big and Brave,” Giangola writes about his amusing run-in with Craig and Jackie Reda after coming across their aging yellow school bus that sports a huge carved wooden three on its roof.

“He was literally putting a vinyl record on in the back of his bus,” remembers Giangola.  “We started chatting and the next thing I know, it was the next morning and I woke up in the back of his bus.” 

 

What may come as a surprise to some is the number of familiar faces that show up at the track.  Giangola serves up chapters on Tom Cruise, Kevin Costner, George Martin, Jim Cramer, Mario Batali, Rachael Ray, and Miss North Carolina Kristen Dalton.  Giangola likes that he was able to show how each enjoys the sport in his or her own unique way.  

 

“Kevin Costner seeing NASCAR through a director’s eye, Mario Batali seeing it more from a culinary viewpoint, going out and sampling food in the campgrounds, Jim Cramer through the logos and a business viewpoint,” Giangola says. “Everybody likes the sport for different reasons.”

 

And no notable seems to enjoy it more than NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams.  “I knew he was a Nascar fan, but he started talking about it and clearly the passion is there,” continues Giangola.  “He knows a lot about the cars.  He knows a lot about what’s under the hood.”

 

“I was there.  She finally just broke down in tears,” says Giangola, remembering Deuker’s story.  “I knew I’d meet the “Tire Man” types, and I love those stories too.  I was kind of surprised when I got the “Ryan’s Hope” stories.  I didn’t expect that.  I was thrilled to be part of it.”

 

 

Best of all, many fans are using the book as a rallying point to join together at both racing events and in cyberspace. “I sent out a mass email and now they’re emailing each other,” says Giangola.  “Seeing them meet each other on the track, and seeing all these interactions in cyberspace is very cool.”