Mark Martin is one of my favorite NASCAR drivers. And he is the author of this book, "NASCAR for Dummies." First, let's put it on the record: NASCAR stands for National Association for Stock Car Racing, founded way back in 1947 by Bill France. Some of the series associated with NASCAR: Sprint Cup (once known as Winston Cup), the premier series; Craftsman Truck Series; Nationwide Series (once known as the Busch series); etc. (See Chapter 3 for much more detail).

This volume, structured as all "For Dummies" works, features a discussion of the many features of NASCAR that the neophyte would want to know. "For Dummies," if the reader is not familiar with it, ". . .are written for those frustrated and hard-working souls who know they aren't dumb, but find that the myriad. . .of issues. . .make them feel helpless." Some examples of what is covered:
Chapter 2 examines the business of NADCAR, focusing in the critical financial support of sponsors. It costs a lot of money to build cars, hire and train crews, pay for drivers, and so on. Sponsors pay, for example, to have their decals prominently displayed on the car. Souvenirs, too, are big business (shirts, caps, and so on).
Chapter 6 looks at the nature of the race team. The owner "is the boss." Owners include Joe Gibbs (Hall of Fame football coach of the Washington Redskins), Richard Childers, Jack (The Cat in the Hat) Roush, and so on. The Crew Chief is a critical actor, making race day decisions as to when a car should pit, hoe many new tires should be added, how the set up the car even before the race. Then, the rest of the team--pit crew (tire changers, tire carriers, gas man, jack man, catch can man--See Chapter 10 for a lot more detail); engine specialist; tire specialist; engineers; fabricators; engine builders; etc. In short, there are a lot of employees here, getting back to Chapter 2, showing why lots of money is needed. Chapter 7 looks at another key person on the team--the driver.

There are a lot of chapters in this book; the above stands as a mere sampling. In passing, a few other key chapters if one wants to understand more about NASCAR: Chapter 9--race day strategy (pit stop gambles, tough calls such as 2 or 4 new tires [fewer tires lead to a quicker pit stop]); Chapter 16--greatest CASCAR drivers (e.g., Bobby Allison, Jeff Gordon, Rusty Wallace, Cale Yarborough, Richard Petty); Chapter 13--the tracks (from short tracks like Martinsville to the superspeedways at Talladega and Daytona Beach).

So, want to know more about NASCAR? Here's a good starting point.

I am a Sports Illustrated, ESPN sorta reader, anything short and with lots of pictures I will read, short attention span. I am a NASCAR fan and thought I knew alot about the sport and originally bought the book for my wife, but I must say I not only read the whole book in two days I also learned alot that I did not know or what I thought I knew. Excellent book, interesting reading and even if you are not into the sport it is just fun to read. Excellent Excellent book......

I bought this book in 2004 when I first started getting into Nascar, and even back then it was a little outdated. Now, with all the changes in rules and even teams, its more than "a little outdated". One of the chapters includes a list of drivers to watch for in the future, including Champion Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt Junior along with some drivers who barely race now. Even the information on tracks is past tense by now. For instance, we went to Lowe's Motor Speedway and followed his information on where race shops were located, only to discover that 90% of those had moved to different cities/locations. There are some basics in here that the newbie might appreciate, but be warned that it isn't up to date.

I am a new fan to NASCAR and I already know more than most longtime fans thanks to this book. It is written by Mark Martin, so you know it has lots of "insider" info. Even though Martin has been in the business for a long time, he wrote in a way that made it easy for me to understand, even with my limited knowledge. I enjoy watching NASCAR races every weekend even more because I actually know what's going on! I now know what a track bar is and what happens when you put a "rubber" in the right rear. Before reading this book, I would have been pretty sure that was obscene! You will enjoy reading this book but you also be able to keep it around for reference when you want to learn more about a particular track or adjustments being made on pit road. I highly recommend this book to a new fan or the most diehard fan out there.

I wanted to learn about NASCAR and knew nothing about it... and this book did a good job of introducing it to me. My one complaint is it doesn't talk enough about what's going on in the actual races, and I still feel a little lost about what exactly is happening on the track, how exactly the race works, and what specific strategies the drivers are using. A little more on the actual racing and this book would've been perfect. But it's still an excellent intro if you're looking to learn about the sport.

My boss once jokingly told that's what NASCAR is about: turn left and hit the gas.

Then I went to the Alllstate 400 at the Brickyard and now I've read Mark Martin's NASCAR FOR DUMMIES. It's looking a little more complicated than fast left turns.

The author's enthusiasm for the sport of NASCAR racing is contagious. As the driver of the Viagra-sponsored car #6 in the Nextel Cup series, he ought to know what he's talking about from the inside out and about 188 mph.

Chapter 1 ('NASCAR Racing-the best sport around', pp. 9-24) tells you how men (well, mostly men) driving cars that look vaguely like your father's Taurus ended up racing them around oval tracks in front of millions of spectators and television viewers and why you couldn't possibly not be excited about this. Like most professional sports, NASCAR has acquired corporate sponsors. It is arguably the most logo-plastered sport in the world, a fact that Martin explores in 'The Big Business of NASCAR' (ch. 2, pp. 25-34). Martin convinces you that that's a good thing, and before you know it, you know the primary car sponsors as well as the drivers and their car numbers.

The rest of the book takes you from zero to sixty in a fairly easy stretch of reading. If, like me, you started this book after attending a race or two and just getting at toe-hold on the sport, you won't end up an expert. But you'll be in good shape to understand the basics of every major area of the sport and to learn more as your exposure grows.

Mark Martin is not a great writer, but you don't buy the Dummies series for great writing. You buy Tolstoy if you want great writing. What Martin effectively does is lets you know that there's a whole lot more to NASCAR racing than you thought when you got yourself into this, but that you can learn a fair chunk of it pretty quickly. It's also organized as a handy reference book for when you need to go back to look up a topic you breezed over a little quickly on the first go-around.

I bought this book because there's a strong NASCAR culture in the company I joined. My boss sponsors the 18, driven by Bobby Labonte. See, I knew how to say that right. You can too. Buy the book.

My boss once jokingly told that's what NASCAR is about: turn left and hit the gas.

Then I went to the Alllstate 400 at the Brickyard and now I've read Mark Martin's NASCAR FOR DUMMIES. It's looking a little more complicated than fast left turns.

The author's enthusiasm for the sport of NASCAR racing is contagious. As the driver of the Viagra-sponsored car #6 in the Nextel Cup series, he ought to know what he's talking about from the inside out and about 188 mph.

Chapter 1 ('NASCAR Racing-the best sport around', pp. 9-24) tells you how men (well, mostly men) driving cars that look vaguely like your father's Taurus ended up racing them around oval tracks in front of millions of spectators and television viewers and why you couldn't possibly not be excited about this. Like most professional sports, NASCAR has acquired corporate sponsors. It is arguably the most logo-plastered sport in the world, a fact that Martin explores in 'The Big Business of NASCAR' (ch. 2, pp. 25-34). Martin convinces you that that's a good thing, and before you know it, you know the primary car sponsors as well as the drivers and their car numbers.

The rest of the book takes you from zero to sixty in a fairly easy stretch of reading. If, like me, you started this book after attending a race or two and just getting at toe-hold on the sport, you won't end up an expert. But you'll be in good shape to understand the basics of every major area of the sport and to learn more as your exposure grows.

Mark Martin is not a great writer, but you don't buy the Dummies series for great writing. You buy Tolstoy if you want great writing. What Martin effectively does is lets you know that there's a whole lot more to NASCAR racing than you thought when you got yourself into this, but that you can learn a fair chunk of it pretty quickly. It's also organized as a handy reference book for when you need to go back to look up a topic you breezed over a little quickly on the first go-around.

I bought this book because there's a strong NASCAR culture in the company I joined. My boss sponsors the 18, driven by Bobby Labonte. See, I knew how to say that right. You can too. Buy the book.

I bought this book because my son is a fan of NASCAR, of which I knew nothing until I bought the book.

It is very interesting and informative.

The information is also of the type you don't realize you need. For instance, there are many tips on going to an actual race--from buying tickets (buy early but not infield) to sitting in the stands (bring sunscreen and a cushion and no umbrellas)to bothering the racers (how to do it).

We enjoyed the book and it added to our enjoyment of the big weekend at Watkins Glen.

BootsO'Rourke

I bought this book because my son is a fan of NASCAR, of which I knew nothing until I bought the book.

It is very interesting and informative.

The information is also of the type you don't realize you need. For instance, there are many tips on going to an actual race--from buying tickets (buy early but not infield) to sitting in the stands (bring sunscreen and a cushion and no umbrellas)to bothering the racers (how to do it).

We enjoyed the book and it added to our enjoyment of the big weekend at Watkins Glen.

BootsO'Rourke

This book was well written and very easy to understand. I knew nothing about Nascar before I read it. After reading it I now watch some of the races and can follow them. A very good book.

As a die-hard NASCAR fan since 1984 I hate to admit all the things that I learned from this book.

This book is great at explaining the NASCAR scoring system and how the purse is divided not to mention all these bonuses that are available even if you have the best finish using a brand of motor oil.

This is a must buy book for old and new NASCAR fans.

Hi,

I just got into NASCAR racing this year after the Dayton 500. I order this book in hopes that it would explain some stuff. It did exactly that. it explained alot of stuff to me. I think this is a great book for any new fan.

This book is the best. Mark Martin is a great wrighter i reed the book so many times.He is helpful in many ways. He tells about everything and i will sugsest this book to anyone.

NASCAR for Dummies is definitely a "must read" for any NASCAR fan. It is the perfect book for those who are new to NASCAR... and is packed with information which even a veteran fan will appreciate.

You'll find in-depth information about a variety of topics, from car tech to how qualifying works... from how points are awarded to what some of the rules and regulations are. You'll find information about all of the different NASCAR Series, how sponsorship works, how to contact your favorite driver - or even get an autograph. There's even advice and tips for attending races in person.

The book is also loaded with NASCAR stats on different drivers, tracks and some of the sports history.

The best part about this book is that it is not written by a bystander, rather, it is written by one of the top drivers in the sport. Mark Martin is able to provide you with a view of NASCAR which I have not seen in any other book thus far.

This book helped me soooooooooo much! Like Mark says in the into this book is not for dummies only it's for everyone! I highly recommed this book!!!!!! Five stars all the way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is a great introduction to NASCAR racing. It's written in a very conversational tone, making it a joy to read. The book is broken into five logical sections, and the chapters flow very well. For the new race fans, the book includes a nice tear-out with descriptions of the Winston Cup, Busch, and Craftsman truck series as well as all of the racing flags with their meanings. The flipside of the card has a list of many NASCAR records. If you want to get your girlfriend or wife interested in racing, this would make a nice gift.

I work in research at a sports marketing firm. When I started my job, I knew nothing about NASCAR, but this book has not only explained it very clearly, it's actually gotten a born-and-bred Northeasterner to follow the Winston Cup series.

I've followed NASCAR for three years and been to more than a few races. If you're new to the sport read this book. It's got a good balance between the technical aspects of the cars (very basic but enough to understand what they're talking about) and the facts you need to know before you go to a race (practical stuff like get there early, where the best seats are at various tracks and what to look for when buying a scanner.) The book very accurately describes what it's like to attend a race, and gives you plenty of background info to add to your enjoyment of NASCAR whether you watch in person or on TV or listen on the radio.

There's on interesting typo concernng the driver of the 3 car - Too bad for Terry Labonte that it isn't true!

I bought this book for a gift. I am buying the second copy as another gift. I just leafed through it and was pleased to be informed of some things I had wondered about, in particular the subject of drafting.

Have you every wondered what really goes into putting together a winning stock car team? Mark Martin does a superb job of including everything from what a restrictor plate looks like to driving and pitting techninques. And, he adds his own insight to the sport with interesting anecdotes and war stories. A must for anyone even remotely interested in motorsports!

I had been trying to write a similar book just for some of my friends and was delighted when I found out one of my favorite drivers, Mark Martin, had written one. Even though I am a Nascar fan, a lot of my friends aren't and I wanted to help them understand racing--that it's more than just driving around in circles. I read the book cover to cover just this morning; I couldn't put it down. Thanks Mark!

I was doing research for a NASCAR Web site that I was creatingwhen I came across this title. Talk about a wealth of information!Ever wonder who won the first NASCAR-sanctioned race, or what makes astock car different from a regular passenger car? Mark has the answer! From track layouts to famous families, sponsorship to qualifying, Mark covers NASCAR with a thoroughness and humor that is a rarity, and much appreciated. I recommend that everyone, from new fans to old buffs, buy and read this book. I guarantee you that you won't be disappointed!

Mark is an awesome driver and now he's written an awesome book! I've been a NASCAR fan for several years and this book helps answer some of the questions I've had about the sport. Mark gives info on tracks, drivers, rules and how a stock car runs. I recommend this book to all NASCAR fans, male or female, those new to the sport or those who have been following it for years. GO MARK!

was watching the cbs pre daytona 2000 show where they interviewed Martin. seems he was in bed for a while following back surgery and my money is book was taped during this time. taped because you can hear Martin talking to you about nascar and personal stories and facts and he even repeats himself like a person does when talking to you - sorta like that. really enjoyed it - nascar for dummies or the average joe from a drivers perspective - heck my wife started reading it and she is not a racing fan. yes the book does not appeared to be edited that much. pick a topic and Martin talks about it and it goes to the printer. but where do we find such honesty today ? had some questions myself wish could ask but life is never perfect so will gladly accept this offering of a view from inside nascar.