Start Your Engines: Famous Firsts in the History of NASCAR

Start Your Engines contains twenty-nine chapters describing different inaugural accomplishments that have taken place throughout NASCAR history. This book answers the following questions:

• When was NASCAR officially founded?
• Where was the first Strictly Stock race held?
• What was the first flag-to-flag race ever broadcast on TV?
• When was the first night race?
• When and where was the first international NASCAR race held?
• Who was the first woman to win the Daytona 500 pole position?
• And many more!

In Start Your Engines, seasoned writer Jay W. Pennell outlines some of the most iconic and unknown firsts in NASCAR history. From Red Byron to Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt to Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson to Danica Patrick, Pennell also covers some of the biggest names of the sport and their landmark contributions. Providing in-depth explanations of each milestone, Pennell takes readers through the peaks and valleys of NASCAR history and details the impact each first had on the legacy of the sport. From the earliest days of NASCAR’s foundation, to the high banks of Daytona and famed Brickyard at Indianapolis, Pennell also looks at monumental dates and races that changed the sport and helped it grow from a small gathering of race car drivers and promoters into the multibillion-dollar sports industry it is today. This book is a unique look at racing for new and experienced NASCAR fans alike.

Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, is proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team.

In addition to books on popular team sports, we also publish books for a wide variety of athletes and sports enthusiasts, including books on running, cycling, horseback riding, swimming, tennis, martial arts, golf, camping, hiking, aviation, boating, and so much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Jay W. Pennell has been covering NASCAR since 2007 and currently serves as a digital writer/editor for Fox Sports. He has written for multiple racing sites including SB Nation , HardcoreRaceFans.com, and Frontstretch.com. He was also a contributor to the Sports Business Resource Guide & Fact Book from 2007 to 2009. He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.