NASCAR Blast, Vol. 11

Children's Literature - Della A. Yannuzzi

There are many color photographs illustrating this slim book on NASCAR racing. NASCAR stands for National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. Readers will learn about their favorite racers and their cars, how it feels to be in the driver's seat, and the thrills of speed and racing. There are lots of facts packed into NASCAR Blast. For example, the first NASCAR races started in 1948 at Daytona Beach, Florida. Readers will also learn that there are four different types of tracks; short speedway, speedway, superspeedways and road circuits. Terms such as slingshot, aero loose and draft are defined. Readers will also learn interesting information about race car drivers. Richard Petty won more than 1,000 races, 200 wins and seven championships. He retired in 1992. Dale Earnhardt won 676 races, had 76 wins and seven championships. Back material includes a glossary and online sites. Words such as pulling Gs, gas catch man, "over the wall," banked and pace care are defined. Children who love cars will enjoy learning more about racing and their favorite drivers. Reviewer: Della A. Yannuzzi