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In this excellent biography, Donovan, a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper reporter and seasoned race car driver, recounts the overlooked life of Wendell Scott, the one-time Danville, Va., moonshine runner who broke the color barrier in stock-car racing in 1952 and competed for more than 20 years in a sport dominated by Southern whites. Scott, despite never having the backing of big automakers to put him in a top-notch car, finished many NASCAR races and season standings in the top 10. He won a Grand National event in Jacksonville, Fla., in 1963, a race in which officials initially tried to deny Scott the trophy because it meant he would be entitled to kiss the white race queen. Scott survived with soft-spoken manners, avoiding confrontation with those who resented him by driving conservatively to avoid collisions that would have raised the ire of white drivers and fans. He was an excellent mechanic who cobbled together subpar engines as best he could and often lived on the edge of bankruptcy. Donovan's writing is well-paced and measured, clearly depicting the complex atmosphere of race relations in the segregated South. His extensive reporting, including interviews with Scott before he died in 1990, combined with his descriptive and enjoyable prose about racing, make this book a deeply compelling story. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Wendell Scott broke the color barrier in stock car racing in the early 1950s, when the sport was firmly rooted in the South and America was still largely segregated. The racing establishment did little to encourage Scott and at times was antagonistic toward him. Unlike other sports, in which teams or organizations supported those crossing the racial divide, Scott regularly faced blatant bigotry, countless injustices, and chronic underfunding for his cars. Yet he persisted owing to a strong will and considerable talents as a driver and mechanic. Ultimately, he became a fixture in NASCAR racing in the 1960s and was not only popular with many fans but also achieved what by most measures would be an admirable racing record. This work by race driver and journalist Donovan is a thoroughly researched account of Scott's 22-year racing career, compiled from published sources as well as interviews with Scott, family members, and racing cohorts. What makes this compelling is the human drama interwoven with the racing narrative. We learn, for example, of the passive demeanor Scott felt he had to maintain around the racetrack to keep from inflaming any hostility around him, and of the rage he felt and acted upon whenever he thought members of his family were endangered. This important book is highly recommended for both motorsports and civil rights history collections.
—David Van de Streek
Prologue 1
1 Didn't no black kids have no bicycles 7
2 I don't never want to punch no clock 14
3 A hard, nasty business 21
4 Judge, it couldn't have been me 28
5 Let me see how you doin' them turns 35
6 He had to be tough-skinned 41
7 I said, 'Well, I won the steaks 48
8 You're going to be knocked around 55
9 The more you do it, the more you like to do it 64
10 He knew just how to hit me 71
11 If he had the power, he'd come on at you 81
12 We're movin' up 89
13 They didn't want to use the word Wendell 93
14 A standoffish position 99
15 He hid the pain so well 105
16 Man, I come a long way 117
17 They took all the kick out of it 127
18 I just knew Ford was going to do something for me 136
19 How come way out here? 144
20 We used to be the cleanup boys 152
21 I'll get it done, Bill 161
22 You're not gonna miss that li'l ol' wheel 168
23 I'm going to show them 176
24 The funds was just not there 185
25 I know my place now 192
26 We will not forget 197
27 It was about wore out 202
28 I'm gonna wreck him 210
29 A chance to win one 214
30 Just dreaming 223
31 And the crowd laughed 233
32 He put all his chips on the table 239
33 What's the purpose? 245
34 Business is business 250
35 I couldn't drive like he drove 261
36 I saw a different Wendell 270
37 Hope for the best 277
Epilogue 284
Acknowledgments 289
Notes 292
Index 301
Ente
Posted October 2, 2009
The "Wendell Scott"-Story was long-time overdue. It shows the hard way and struggle and sometimes success of a real under-dog in motorracing. Looking into the past of NASCAR-Racing,guys like Petty, Allison,Baker,Roberts,Yarborough,Parsons...stood always in the limelight,so it's great to have a book now on the market,which tells the story of a real under-dog!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 16, 2008
I'm not a huge NASCAR fan. I feel compelled to state that up front. I've watched some over the years, and when it was more of a regional sport and the cars looked more like something you could actually buy, it was more fun for me. As NASCAR has increased in popularity, it has decreased in interest for me, personally. After reading Donovan's biography of Wendell Scott, I was left with the same set of feelings I had when I visited the Negro League Museum in Kansas City. First, an appreciation for the stories of what Men of Passion were willing to do to chase their dreams and do the things they loved. The stories of Men and the inspiration that could be had from their stories of overcoming overwhelming odds. Secondly, I feel shame. Shame that other white people could, would and did some of the awful things to another person simply because of their color. Wendell Scott never set out to be a trailblazer or make a racial statement. Wendell Scott wanted to drive race cars for a living. That he chose to do this in the Red Neck world of NASCAR, in the Deep South with Jim Crow in full flower is a testament to his desire to do what he wanted to do. Donovan does a fine job of showing the trials and tribulations that Scott faced, the overt racism both in and out of NASCAR, and the good and less than good people that helped or hindered Scott as he chased his dream. He also shows a side of NASCAR, both past and present to some degree, that they would rather not have aired. Namely that NASCAR was racist, that promises made to Scott by founder Bill France weren't honored, that NASCAR did nothing to ensure that Scott was treated fairly. He won a race in Jacksonville, and to avoid him getting a peck from the track Beauty Queen 'naturally a white woman', they jobbed him out of the victory celebration at the time. It was later awarded to him, with no fanfare, and blown off to a scoring error. A fiction NASCAR still stands behind. Wendell Scott was hardly perfect, but who of us is? He was the first of four '4!' Black Drivers to have driven in NASCAR races, and while never a huge winner, he was a competitive driver for quite some time. Donovan presents not only the story of Wendell Scott, but the story of NASCAR, Civil Rights struggles, political skulduggery and institutional racism. He addresses the fictions of the 'Greased Lightning' movie starring Richard Pryor and Scott's lack of concern for accuracy. He paints a solid picture of a man trying to do something he loved, and how he overcame and dealt with obstacles. A highly recommended biography and history book.
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Posted January 12, 2010
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Posted December 27, 2009
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Overview
Hard Driving is the dramatic story of one man’s dogged determination to live the life he loved, and to compete, despite daunting obstacles, at the highest level of his sport.Wendell Scott figured he was signing up for trouble when he became nascar’s version of Jackie Robinson in the segregated 1950s. Some speedways refused to let him race. “Go home, nigger,” spectators yelled. And after a bigoted promoter refused to pay him, Scott appealed directly to the sport’s founder, nascar czar Bill France Sr.France made a promise Scott would never forget – that nascar would never treat him with prejudice.For the next two decades, Scott chased a dream whose fulfillment depended on France backing up that promise. Persevering through