From Booklist
This pictorial includes a DVD, making it an exciting multimedia slice of American sports and well worth its very reasonable price. The editors of NASCAR Scene have put together a collection that's sure to find a rabid audience, what with the immense and ever-growing popularity of NASCAR racing across the country. In Thunder and Glory, the focus is on 25 of the editors' most memorable Winston Cup races, which are analyzed and recounted with utter reverence. Popular racer Richard Petty provides the foreword, where he lays out why it's important for the future of the sport to look back to the past. The third race in the list is the Daytona 500 in 2001, which saw the death of one of the industry's great pioneers, Dale Earnhardt. Crashes come up elsewhere, of course, but usually with less tragic ends, for example, in 1976 when David Pearson emerged from a wreck to beat Richard Petty in Daytona. Even nonracing fans will find the drama compelling. Mary Frances Wilkens
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From the Publisher
"I am very pleased to be a part of it all. More than that, I'm pleased that NASCAR fans have this opporunity to enjoy the experience of reading about the greatest races of an important era in NASCAR." -Richard Petty


From the Inside Flap
In 1972, Winston took over as the presenting sponsor of NASCAR's most competitve stock car racing circuit. With a powerful sponsor in place, NASCAR's elite drivers and teams entered a period of growth and excitement that saw stock car racing emerge as America's fastest-growing spectator sport. From 1972 to 2003, NASCAR Winston Cup racing weathered an energy crisis, pioneeered corporate sponsorship, prioritized safety and made the transition from regional to international phenomenon. More than anything else, the appeal of Winston Cup racing lies in its accessibility. It is, in many ways, a sort for the common man, NASCAR fans find drivers and their cars easily identifiable. During the Winston Cup era, fans followed the exploits of Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Bill Elliot, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and many other - usually on the edges of their seats. Determining the 25 most memorable Winston Cup races of all time is no easy task. With so many worthy candidates, we at Street & Smith Specialty Publications and NASCAR Scene surveyed an expert panel of NASCAR journalists and broadcasters to narrow the field. The responsibility of listing the races 1-25 then fell to the editors of NASCAR Scene. With unlikely exception, we have compiled the definitive list of the most memorable races in Winston Cup history. They're all here... 1976 Daytona 500 with Pearson and Petty crashing to a finish 2000 Winston 500 which saw Dale Earnhardt motor from 19th place to victory lane in just five laps 1994 Brickyard was NASCAR's first trip to hallowed grounds 1991 Goody's 500 in which Harry Grant came back from a wreck to win his fourth race in a row and solidified his place in history as "Mr. Septemeber" 2001 Daytona 500 forever to be known as "Black Sunday" 1984 Firecracker 400 which gave Richard Petty his record 200th win with President Ronald Reagan watching from the press box ...And many, many more.

FROM THE PUBLISHER