LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE

Barrie Jarman is the hope of racing’s future because he is a link to its past. The teen-aged native of Spartanburg, South Carolina, is talented, articulate, intelligent, brash, and mischievous. To the image-conscious braintrust that runs the sport, Barrie is a wild Mustang – and, yes, he drives one – who must be broken. Ain’t no way. The yarn is told mostly through the narration of Uncle Charlie, a racing veteran who took in Barrie at age 16 and helped him get a shot at the big time. Only Charlie, it seems, can nudge Barrie in the right direction, and only Charlie knows when it’s time to get out of his way. Monte Dutton's sixth novel is an ode to his acknowledged field of expertise. For twenty years, Dutton crisscrossed the country, writing about automobile racing.

Monte Dutton has lived most of his life in Clinton, South Carolina. He graduated from Furman University with a B.A. in political science and history. For two decades, Dutton wrote about NASCAR as a newspaper reporter and columnist. He wrote At Speed, a collection of columns; Rebel with a Cause: A Season with NASCAR Star Tony Stewart; Postcards from Pit Road, an account of the 2002 season; Jeff Gordon: The Racer; and edited Taking Stock: Life in NASCAR's Fast Lane. Dutton's first book, 1986's Pride of Clinton, was a history of high school football in his hometown. His last non-fiction work was 2006's True to the Roots: Americana Music Revealed. He still dabbles in sportswriting, writing a weekly NASCAR column at competitionplus.com. He also writes frequently about local sports in blogs and stories. Lightning in a Bottle is Dutton's sixth novel.