Today the Daytona 500 was postponed due to rain. I am a little disappointed. I am not a huge fan of NASCAR, but I generally watch the first few races of the season. I enjoy the fanfare of “The Great American Race”, but who doesn’t enjoy a race with its roots deep in the moonshine industry? Cars were built for the sole purpose of outrunning revenuers. Once prohibition ended, drivers took their cars to the track to maintain their bragging rites. Is there anything more American than that?

It seems that women are as attracted to speed as the men are. More and more women are following the sport of racing from NASCAR to Formula 1. And publishers are taking notice of this trend as a major setting in the Romance genre is the race track, but I have not read many novels set there.

But a book I would like to recommend that discusses racing is:

Garth Stein’s The Art of Racing in the Rain

Told from a dog’s perspective, Enzo is smarter than the typical dog. He has largely educated himself through television and studying the human condition. Enzo’s owner is Denny Swift, an up and coming race car driver. Through observing Denny’s life, Enzo learns that life like racing isn’t always about going fast. On the eve of Enzo’s death, the dog reflects on all the twists and turns that have taken place to Denny and his family over the years.

This book draws so many emotions from its readers. It is well worth the read.