Real Men Work in the Pits: A Life in NASCAR Racing

A fascinating perspective on the sport of racing-a rare firsthand view from the pit, where races are won and lost, by the most successful crew chief in NASCAR® history.

With an astonishing 43 checkered flags and three Winston Cup championships, Jeff Hammond is in the record books as one of NASCAR®'s all-time great crew chiefs. Today, with his expert race analysis for Fox and his weekly cable show, Totally NASCAR®, for the Speed Channel, he remains one of auto racing's most recognizable figures, mobbed by fans wherever he goes.

In Real Men Work in the Pits, Hammond recalls the thrilling moments of his life in racing: starting out as a tire changer for Walter Ballard in 1974 and quickly becoming one of the best jackmen in the business, serving on all three of driver Cale Yarborough's championship seasons, and then taking over as crew chief during the glory days of legendary driver Darrell Waltrip. The stories Hammond tells about his life in NASCAR® and the greats he has known are funny and, sometimes, tragic. He has strong opinions about the current state of the sport and pulls no punches as he offers his insights about the past 30 years when the sport grew so phenomenally from a regional obsession to a national pastime.

Jeff Hammond is the most successful crew chief in NASCAR history whose teams won three Winston Cup championships and 43 checkered flags. He is a commentator on Fox's NASCAR® broadcasts and hosts a weekly show, Totally NASCAR®, for cable TV's Speed Channel. Hammond is also a weekly guest on Fox Sports Radio Network's show The Drive, hosted by Tim Ryan and C. J. Silas, and also on Gametime. He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Geoff Norman is an award-winning author and regular contributor to a number of magazines, including Esquire, Forbes, and Sports Illustrated. He divides his time between Vermont and the Gulf Coast.