The World's Number One, Flat-Out, All-Time Great Stock Car Racing Book
Encyclopedia
The World's Number One, Flat-Out, All-Time Great Stock Car Racing Book is a non-fiction book on early stock car racing written in 1973-1974. It was first published in 1975 by Doubleday.
The book revolves around the 1972 Southern 500
weekend at Darlington Raceway
in Darlington, SC, with historical pieces and driver interviews in between.
In the 20th Anniversary Edition introduction, Bledsoe notes that the first edition barely sold enough to cover the publishing and marketing costs. "Well, it was well received by critics," Bledsoe states, "several of whom said it lived up to its title. A couple called it a classic work on the subject, and to be a classic, it has to stay around, right?" One reader admitted to paying $85 for the first edition, which prompted Bledsoe to put out the anniversary edition in 1995, published by Down Home Press.
The book revolves around the 1972 Southern 500
Southern 500
The Showtime Southern 500 is the annual spring NASCAR Sprint Cup race held at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina, USA, and is the second such event at Darlington to bear the name. It began in 1957 as a race in the Convertible Division, known as the Rebel 300. In 1966, the race was...
weekend at Darlington Raceway
Darlington Raceway
Darlington Raceway is a race track built for NASCAR racing located near Darlington, South Carolina. It is nicknamed the "Lady in Black" and "The Track Too Tough to Tame" by many NASCAR fans and drivers and advertised as "A NASCAR Tradition"...
in Darlington, SC, with historical pieces and driver interviews in between.
In the 20th Anniversary Edition introduction, Bledsoe notes that the first edition barely sold enough to cover the publishing and marketing costs. "Well, it was well received by critics," Bledsoe states, "several of whom said it lived up to its title. A couple called it a classic work on the subject, and to be a classic, it has to stay around, right?" One reader admitted to paying $85 for the first edition, which prompted Bledsoe to put out the anniversary edition in 1995, published by Down Home Press.
Drivers featured
- Ethel FlockEthel MobleyEthel Mobley of Fort Payne, Alabama was tied for the second female to drive in NASCAR history. Her brother Tim Flock said she was named after the gasoline her father used in his car.-"Flying Flocks":...
- Tim FlockTim FlockJulius Timothy Flock was one of NASCAR's early pioneers, and a two time series champion. He was a brother to NASCAR's second female driver Ethel Mobley and NASCAR pioneers Bob Flock and Fonty Flock.- NASCAR career :...
- Friday HasslerFriday HasslerRaymond "Friday" Hassler was a NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series driver.-Summary:He made his debut in 1960 but only drove a handful of races per year until 1967 when he drove 21 of the 49 races for Red Sharp and finished 32nd in points. He improved to 27th for Sharp the next year and...
- Junior JohnsonJunior JohnsonRobert Glenn Johnson, Jr. , better known as Junior Johnson, is a retired moonshiner in the rural South who became one of the early superstars of NASCAR in the 1950s and 1960s. He won 50 NASCAR races in his career before retiring in 1966...
- David Pearson
- Richard PettyRichard PettyRichard Lee Petty is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series...
- Billy Scott
- Wendell ScottWendell ScottWendell Oliver Scott was an American stock car racing driver from Danville, Virginia. He is the only black driver to win a race in what is now the Sprint Cup Series. According to a 2008 biography of Scott, he broke the color barrier in Southern stock car racing on May 23, 1952, at the Danville...
- Larry SmithLarry Smith (NASCAR)Larry Smith , born in Lenoir, North Carolina, United States, was a former NASCAR driver. He made his debut in the 1971 World 600 in the #92 Ford, finishing 22nd. He would go on to run three more races that year, acquiring one top-ten finish...
Other personalities
- Bill Frazier
- Richard Howard
- Ken SquierKen SquierKen Squier is an American sportscaster and motorsports editor from Waterbury, Vermont. From 1979-1997, he was the lap-by-lap commentator for NASCAR on CBS, and was also a lap-by-lap commentator for TBS from the time they had rights to NASCAR until 2000. Squier was the first announcer to give...