READ THIS: HE CRASHED ME SO I CRASHED HIM BACK The True Story of the Year the King, Jaws, Earnhardt, and the Rest of NASCAR’s Feudin’, Fightin’ Good Ol’ Boys Put Stock Car Racing on the Map By Mark Bechtel
Recently, The Cruising Peachy Panel was enthralled with "He Crashed Me So I Crashed Him Back." Though you may think Peachy only knows about the best lipstick in Manhattan (Tom Ford), the best new fashion revitalization in Manhattan with the best beacon hill bag, espadrilles, raincoat and boat shoes (Talbots), the best restaurant in Manhattan (Swifty's), the list could go on and on- you will be surprised to hear that Peachy along with her Cruising Panel are quite well-versed in racing as well. Peachy has even worked on the track in Daytona for ESPN, and drove the ESPN golf cart on it to set up the cameras. She attended her first Nascar race at age 3, even before her first hockey game if you just read our Stanley Cup coverage. Not a tale for pacifists, "He Crashed Me So I Crashed Him Back" is a story for true Americans who appreciate the spirit of competition, and we would argue those that live in the hustle and bustle of Manhattan live in the biggest pedestrian racetrack in the country so they will appreciate the translation to a literal racetrack.
With the title based on the 1979 Daytona 500, this book commemorates American history, written at a high level that will attract those that know anywhere from nothing to everything about racing. When you have completed this, of course you will know quite a lot about Nascar and you'll also want to take a trip to Florida itself to check out the beach where they used to race, dating back to 1903. This is actually quite a popular place for those from Manhattan to go; John D. Rockefeller used to go to Ormond Beach where you'll find his Casements.
It's the story of how a snowstorm can put everyone in front of their television, it's the story of true American grit, it's about the law of supply and demand and fan awareness, it's the story of how television and the media have everlasting impact, and how now the Daytona 500 gets 20 million viewers due to the catalyst of the aforementioned 1979 Daytona 500.
Whom You Know highly recommends "He Crashed Me So I Crashed Him Back," but Peachy was not the only one with something to say! The speedy Cruising Peachy Panel commented:
I recently received an early Father's Day present, the book entitled He Crashed Me So I Crashed Him Back, by Mark Bechtel and published by the Hachette Book Group. I have lived in the Daytona Beach area for over thirty-five years and have had access to the Garage Area at the Daytona International Speedway for many of those years working for various sponsors of the sport of NASCAR. I have known personally over ninety percent of the people mentioned in the book and thought I knew everything about them because of our personal contact and my collection of over thirty NASCAR related books. Boy, was I wrong.
The author takes us back to 1979 and goes through that year with highlights of almost every race and the points battle between the superstars of the sport in that time period. The title of the book refers to the wild end of the 1979 Daytona 500 and the fight between Donnie Allison, Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison. That race was one of the first NASCAR races ever shown flag to flag on national TV and it had a captured audience.
Due to a huge storm system, the east coast was immobilized and there was not much else to do except watch TV and the race was something new to watch.
The last lap of the race had Donnie Allison in the lead and Cale Yarborough was trying to pass underneath, but Donnie was protecting his position and the beating and banging began, ultimately taking both cars out of the race. After the race was over Bobby Allsion stopped by the two wrecked cars and wanted to give his brother a ride back to the pit, and all hell broke loose. The three ended up in a fight that was seen by millions, and to this day Bobby says "Cale started beating my fist with his nose" and the fans wanted more.
What was once considered a Southern sport was now something the entire nation was interested in, and now NASCAR is one of the most watched sports ever.
Besides the story of the Cup Championship for that year, we follow the start of a new career for a new driver, Kyle Petty. His first race was not a NASCAR race, but in another organization called ARCA, but also held at the Daytona International Speedway one week prior to the Daytona 500. I was there and witnessed this crazy driver who was in way over his head. The moves he made had us race fans in the stands wonder when he going to wreck, but Kyle held on and won his first race.
We also learn that racing actually started in Ormond Beach, Florida, where you will be greeted by signs proclaiming "Birthplace of Speed" when you come into town. How do I know that, that is where I have lived for thirty five years. Ormond Beach is located north of Daytona Beach and back in 1903 the cars raced on the beach and as the speeds increased the course extended into Daytona Beach. "Big" Bill France saw Sir Malcolm Campbell racing on the beach in 1934 and decided to settle there with his family, $100 was in his pocket. He later formed NASCAR and the rest is history.
This book answers many questions, such as: How was Petty Blue made? Who gave Darrell Waltrip the nickname Jaws? Which two drivers got their start in racing driving Soap Box Derby cars? How did Humpy Wheeler get that name? Why is Darlington egg shaped? What does ESPN stand for and where is it located (my home town)? Who ended up as the Rookie of the Year and why did he have to borrow a sports coat for the Awards Banquet?
For anyone interested in NASCAR at all, this book is a wealth of information. Mark Bechtel did an excellent job in researching written articles, interviewing drivers, crew chiefs and car owners. You now know what to get that special person for Father's Day, birthday or just as a nice gift. Enjoy!
***
In February 1979, a snowstorm hit the country, burying cars and driveways from Chicago to Detroit to New York. Most of the nation was stuck indoors that Sunday afternoon, and ten million people decided to tune in to a stock car race that was being broadcast live on CBS — the Daytona 500. Almost instantly, thanks to one of the wildest finishes in the sport’s history, NASCAR went from being followed primarily in the South to the forefront of the American consciousness. Mark Bechtel chronicles this year in his upcoming book, He Crashed Me So I Crashed Him Back: The True Story of the Year the King, Jaws, Earnhardt, and the Rest of NASCAR’s Feudin’, Fightin’ Good Ol’ Boys Put Stock Car Racing on the Map (Little, Brown and Company; February 8, 2010; hardcover; $25.99).
The unforgettable tangle between Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison that resulted in a crash and gave Richard Petty the win, and the ensuing fistfight between Yarborough and Allison, mesmerized viewers that snowy afternoon. They wanted more — the speed, the legends, the fights — and soon everything changed for what is now America’s second most popular sport.
He Crashed Me So I Crashed Him Back recounts how stock car racing struggled to find its way as it emerged on the national scene. Legends like Bobby Allison, Donnie Allison, Cale Yarborough, Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip, A. J. Foyt, and Kyle Petty came together in a one-of-a-kind season that featured unprecedented television coverage. Also broadcast for all to see were rivalries, feuds, and frenzied finishes. And it happened at the perfect time: 1979, a year when the country was finally ready to embrace one of the South’s favorite pastimes. He Crashed Me So I Crashed Him Back is the remarkable tale of the birth of modern stock car racing.
Mark Bechtel is a senior editor at Sports Illustrated. Previously, he covered NASCAR for the magazine. A native of Alabama, he now lives in New York City.
HE CRASHED ME SO I CRASHED HIM BACK:
The True Story of the Year the King, Jaws, Earnhardt, and the Rest of NASCAR’s Feudin’, Fightin’ Good Ol’ Boys Put Stock Car Racing on the Map
Mark Bechtel
Little, Brown and Company
February 8, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-316-03402-9
$25.99; Hardcover
320 pages
8-page photo insert
Whom You Know highly recommends "He Crashed Me So I Crashed Him Back," but Peachy was not the only one with something to say! The speedy Cruising Peachy Panel commented:
I recently received an early Father's Day present, the book entitled He Crashed Me So I Crashed Him Back, by Mark Bechtel and published by the Hachette Book Group. I have lived in the Daytona Beach area for over thirty-five years and have had access to the Garage Area at the Daytona International Speedway for many of those years working for various sponsors of the sport of NASCAR. I have known personally over ninety percent of the people mentioned in the book and thought I knew everything about them because of our personal contact and my collection of over thirty NASCAR related books. Boy, was I wrong.
The author takes us back to 1979 and goes through that year with highlights of almost every race and the points battle between the superstars of the sport in that time period. The title of the book refers to the wild end of the 1979 Daytona 500 and the fight between Donnie Allison, Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison. That race was one of the first NASCAR races ever shown flag to flag on national TV and it had a captured audience.
Due to a huge storm system, the east coast was immobilized and there was not much else to do except watch TV and the race was something new to watch.
The last lap of the race had Donnie Allison in the lead and Cale Yarborough was trying to pass underneath, but Donnie was protecting his position and the beating and banging began, ultimately taking both cars out of the race. After the race was over Bobby Allsion stopped by the two wrecked cars and wanted to give his brother a ride back to the pit, and all hell broke loose. The three ended up in a fight that was seen by millions, and to this day Bobby says "Cale started beating my fist with his nose" and the fans wanted more.
What was once considered a Southern sport was now something the entire nation was interested in, and now NASCAR is one of the most watched sports ever.
Besides the story of the Cup Championship for that year, we follow the start of a new career for a new driver, Kyle Petty. His first race was not a NASCAR race, but in another organization called ARCA, but also held at the Daytona International Speedway one week prior to the Daytona 500. I was there and witnessed this crazy driver who was in way over his head. The moves he made had us race fans in the stands wonder when he going to wreck, but Kyle held on and won his first race.
We also learn that racing actually started in Ormond Beach, Florida, where you will be greeted by signs proclaiming "Birthplace of Speed" when you come into town. How do I know that, that is where I have lived for thirty five years. Ormond Beach is located north of Daytona Beach and back in 1903 the cars raced on the beach and as the speeds increased the course extended into Daytona Beach. "Big" Bill France saw Sir Malcolm Campbell racing on the beach in 1934 and decided to settle there with his family, $100 was in his pocket. He later formed NASCAR and the rest is history.
This book answers many questions, such as: How was Petty Blue made? Who gave Darrell Waltrip the nickname Jaws? Which two drivers got their start in racing driving Soap Box Derby cars? How did Humpy Wheeler get that name? Why is Darlington egg shaped? What does ESPN stand for and where is it located (my home town)? Who ended up as the Rookie of the Year and why did he have to borrow a sports coat for the Awards Banquet?
For anyone interested in NASCAR at all, this book is a wealth of information. Mark Bechtel did an excellent job in researching written articles, interviewing drivers, crew chiefs and car owners. You now know what to get that special person for Father's Day, birthday or just as a nice gift. Enjoy!
***
In February 1979, a snowstorm hit the country, burying cars and driveways from Chicago to Detroit to New York. Most of the nation was stuck indoors that Sunday afternoon, and ten million people decided to tune in to a stock car race that was being broadcast live on CBS — the Daytona 500. Almost instantly, thanks to one of the wildest finishes in the sport’s history, NASCAR went from being followed primarily in the South to the forefront of the American consciousness. Mark Bechtel chronicles this year in his upcoming book, He Crashed Me So I Crashed Him Back: The True Story of the Year the King, Jaws, Earnhardt, and the Rest of NASCAR’s Feudin’, Fightin’ Good Ol’ Boys Put Stock Car Racing on the Map (Little, Brown and Company; February 8, 2010; hardcover; $25.99).
The unforgettable tangle between Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison that resulted in a crash and gave Richard Petty the win, and the ensuing fistfight between Yarborough and Allison, mesmerized viewers that snowy afternoon. They wanted more — the speed, the legends, the fights — and soon everything changed for what is now America’s second most popular sport.
He Crashed Me So I Crashed Him Back recounts how stock car racing struggled to find its way as it emerged on the national scene. Legends like Bobby Allison, Donnie Allison, Cale Yarborough, Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip, A. J. Foyt, and Kyle Petty came together in a one-of-a-kind season that featured unprecedented television coverage. Also broadcast for all to see were rivalries, feuds, and frenzied finishes. And it happened at the perfect time: 1979, a year when the country was finally ready to embrace one of the South’s favorite pastimes. He Crashed Me So I Crashed Him Back is the remarkable tale of the birth of modern stock car racing.
Mark Bechtel is a senior editor at Sports Illustrated. Previously, he covered NASCAR for the magazine. A native of Alabama, he now lives in New York City.
HE CRASHED ME SO I CRASHED HIM BACK:
The True Story of the Year the King, Jaws, Earnhardt, and the Rest of NASCAR’s Feudin’, Fightin’ Good Ol’ Boys Put Stock Car Racing on the Map
Mark Bechtel
Little, Brown and Company
February 8, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-316-03402-9
$25.99; Hardcover
320 pages
8-page photo insert
