Sharyn McCrumb is a favorite author of mine, and I love NASCAR, but it took a while for me to be drawn into this NASCAR-themed novel. The premise seemed a little contrived: a group of women investors decide to field an all-female race team. Well, not quite all. The highly-visible pit crew, crew chief, and lead engineer of the team will be women. But there aren't quite enough qualified women to fill all the behind-the-scenes slots. And they need an experienced driver that the small team can afford -- a fellow named Badger Jenkins.

Off the track, Badger is an affable good ol' boy with a fondness for animals and country life. (When we meet him, he's been in the midst of an animal-rescue effort saving an endangered turtle he found while out fishing.) And he's very nice looking. But put him in a firesuit, and he's something like Superman to his fans. Women swoon and/or try to proposition him. (There's something about a man in a firesuit . . .)

The novel follows the (often mis-)adventures of the team through much of a NASCAR season. Suffice it to say, it's not smooth sailing for the new team. As if mechanical issues and pit crew training difficulties weren't enough, throw in The Personal Manager from Hades handling Badger's business affairs, and the ribbing they take about their sponsor ("Vagenya," a Viagara-type drug for women), and life in the fast lane is far from smooth sailing.

This is NOT McCrumb's best novel. It's a rather simplistic story as far as plotline, but the joy of it is in the marvelous assortment of characters McCrumb has brought to life for the reader. The book also explores the themes of NASCAR as a sport from a variety of POVs. I touches on the ideosyncracies of the only major sporting body/league in America to be privately owned. It studies the way people (from sponsors to crew members to various types of fans) relate to race car drivers; it explores issues of teamwork (the driver may be the "star" of the team, but it takes a lot more people to put together a racing effort); it even delves into the mechanics of the race car a bit.

Some of the NASCAR details are outdated as the sport operates now -- there have been rule changes and even title sponsorship changes (series naming) in the few years since the book was written. However, the details were reasonably accurate when McCrumb wrote the book. Her author's note indicates plenty of knowledgeable advisors who kept her "on track" in her writing.

I suppose you have to be a NASCAR fan to fully appreciate this book; but I wish a few non-NASCAR fans would read this, just to have their eyes opened as to the compexities of ths sport. It's not just one guy in a car turning left, as so many uninformed people claim. I fear that sometimes it feels like McCrumb tried a bit too hard to educate & enlighten -- some of the details seem a bit forced into the mix. Still, I wound up enjoying the ride. ( )

A light and easy story about NASCAR teams and drivers ( )

This book was really funny and a great read, especially if your a NASCAR fan... ( )

Ever wonder where the female version of Viagra is? Sharon McCrumb has created Vagenya, which also becomes the sponsor of the first all female NASCAR crew. Only the Vagenya team's wheel-man is actually a man, and the women behind the southern, good-ole-boy Badger Jenkins are out to prove women belong in racing. They won't let anyone, including Badger, keep them down. Although the group starts as individuals, each with different secondary agendas, they must work together and become a true team to achieve their goals. First friendships and then even romance is created by the drive to win and the tension of the circuit. McCrumb's combination of strong female characters, wry humor, and NASCAR details are sure to entertain. Try Pamela Britton's NASCAR series, starting with Dangerous Curves, for more tales of love in the pits.

Ever wonder where the female version of Viagra is? Sharon McCrumb has created Vagenya, which also becomes the sponsor of the first all female NASCAR crew. Only the Vagenya team's wheel-man is actually a man, and the women behind the southern, good-ole-boy Badger Jenkins are out to prove women belong in racing. They won't let anyone, including Badger, keep them down. Although the group starts as individuals, each with different secondary agendas, they must work together and become a true team to achieve their goals. First friendships and then even romance is created by the drive to win and the tension of the circuit. McCrumb's combination of strong female characters, wry humor, and NASCAR details are sure to entertain. Try Pamela Britton's NASCAR series, starting with Dangerous Curves, for more tales of love in the pits.