Baja Cars

School Library Journal

ea. vol: 48p. photogs. glossary. index. (Super-Charged Series). CIP. Crestwood House. 1988. PLB $10.95. Gr 4-6 Colorful action photographs abound in these books on motor sports. Each begins with a dramatized account of a typical competition. A brief history of the sport is followed by several short chapters detailing types of vehicles and basic rules employed. Baja Cars describes classes and divisions of off-road racing vehicles and safety equipment and procedures used during races. Highlights of the Baja 1000, the most famous North American off-road race, are dramatized by photographs of muddy and dusty vehicles racing under all conditions of weather and terrain. Descriptions of various types of pulling vehicles, jobs performed by contest officials and safety considerations are included in Truck and Tractor Pullers. Here fans of this sport can get an inside look at how a pulling track is constructed inside a stadium usually reserved for ball games as well as how and why a pulling sled works. Flaming, steaming, and smoking vehicles are featured in sharp, vibrant color photographs. Both books predict their sport's future and provide addresses of two organizations which can supply more information. There is little information available at this introductory level, making these titles more likely to be in demand than some others in the series. Ann G. Brouse, Steele Memorial Library, Elmira, N.Y.