Description
Book SynopsisSoon after the first automobiles were introduced in the United States, auto racing became a reality. Since that time, motorsports have expanded to include drag racing, open wheel racing, rallying, demolition derbies, stock car racing, and more. Motorsports have grown to such an extent that NASCAR is now the second most watched professional sport in America, behind only football. But motorsports are about much more than going fast and finishing first. These events also reflect our culture, our society, our values, and our history. In Motorsports and American Culture: From Demolition Derbies to NASCAR, Mark D. Howell and John D. Miller bring together essays that examine the relevancy of motorsports to American culture and history, from the late nineteenth century to the present. Addressing a wide spectrum of motorsportssuch as stock car racing, demolition derbies, land speed record pursuits, and even staged train wrecksthe essays highlight the social and cultural implications of contempo
Trade ReviewHowell and Miller have brought together a wide array of individuals with disparate backgrounds and interests. The volume asks the question of whether US motor-sport culture is unique (as compared to that of Europe or Asia)--and if it is, how and why. The question, addressed in several essays, is answered in part by the nature of the geography of the US (large and open) and the nature of the population, diverse in origin and behavior. The most striking, well-considered discussion is of stock-car racing--and by extension NASCAR--which began on dirt track as a regional event and gradually became national (though it is often still considered culturally regional). Also discussed are gender issues, which began in particular types of racing; as in many situations, a woman had to be better than the men even to become involved. This bias diminished but has still not disappeared. . . .Summing Up: Recommended. . . .Lower- and upper-division undergraduates; general readers. * CHOICE *
Howell’s and Miller’s Motorsports and American Culture: From Demolition Derbies to NASCAR is a welcome publication in the small but growing field of motor sports studies. . . .[C]ollections of essays such as this one offering different perspectives on a common theme can be exciting reads because one witnesses on the page scholars in the act of angling approaches to a newer area of study. * Aethlon: Journal of Sports Literature *
Motorsports and its multiple variations have influenced American history and culture in myraid ways, and Motorsports and American Culture: From Demolition Derbies to NASCAR chronicles this influence in the critical and entertaining fashion. . . .For those whose background and knowledge of American motorsports is limited, Motorsports and American Culture serves as an excellent introduction to the role of motorsports in American culture, with thorough research notes and bibliogrpahy provided. Even those who are well versed in the subject will find the book an enjoyable read. * Society of Automative Historians Journal *
The primary value of Motorsports and American Culture is launching conversations that encourage more in-depth studies in this under-examined field. In other words, the volume offers starting points for research as motorsports becomes increasingly intermingled with broader popular culture domains. These essays help readers further understand, and even critique, the relationships between racing and American culture/national identity. . . .[T]he collection is most useful for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in sport communication, cultural studies, gender studies classes, and even applied coursework in sports management. Motorsports and American Culture provides valuable contextual and historical background regarding the intricate relationship between American identity, popular culture, and auto racing. * Popular Culture Studies Journal *
Written in accessible language and interspersed with intriguing photographs. . . .[The] chapters provide novel empirical material capable of enriching discussions of narratives, repertoires, consumption and boundaries. . . .Academics concerned with the links between culture and consumption will also find Motorsports and American Culture a worthwhile read. . . . [It] would therefore be a welcome addition to both undergraduate and graduate classrooms. . . .Motorsports and American Culture succeeds in its quest to be a spark for additional academic conversations around racing. * Sport in Society: Cultures, Commerce, Media, Politics *
This interdisciplinary collection offers further evidence that a vibrant auto racing historiography is finally emerging. * Journal of Southern History *
Motorsports and American Culture: From Demolition Derbies to NASCAR seeks to answer the question “Why study motorsports?” by offering several fascinating glimpses into a subset of sports studies, particularly the study of motorsports. . . . The volume is a welcome addition to the growing academic arena of sports studies, and the essays bring together motorsports and American popular culture studies in compelling ways. The inclusion of women and men as racers and competitors presents a more-balanced perspective on gender and auto racing by providing readers with scholarship on the history of women in NASCAR and drag racing. . . . The volume will be particularly beneficial for scholars and general readers interested in the history of American sports, popular culture studies, the history of American technology, and gender and sport. I look forward to additional scholarship based on the essays from this useful introduction to American motorsports. * Journal of Sport History *
Table of ContentsIntroduction, Mark D. Howell and John D. Miller Speed and Spectators: What Motor Sports Means to Fans Chapter 1: “The NASCAR Paradox,” James Wright Chapter 2: “Automobile Racing and the American Hot Rod,” David N. Lucsko Chapter 3: “Speed and Destruction at the Fair,” Emily Godbey The Track and Beyond: Motor Sports and Community Identity Chapter 4: “Creative Destruction: The Demolition Derby,” Susan Falls Chapter 5: “’What Is Your Racket, Brother?’: Bootleggers, Respectable Atlanta, Bill France, and the Birth of NASCAR,” Dan Pierce Chapter 6: “’Running with the Big Dogs’: the Rhetoric of Fan Identity in a Postmodern NASCAR,” Ehren Pflugfelder Fenders and Genders: Motor Sports, Femininity, and Masculinity Chapter 7: “Just a Good ‘Ol Gal: Pioneer Racer Louise Smith,” Suzanne Wise, Martha Kreszock, and Margaret Freeman Chapter 8: “’Anything but a Novelty’: Women, Girls, and Friday Night Drag Racing,” John Mason Chapter 9: “’Way Tight’ or ‘Wicked Loose’?: Reading NASCAR's Masculinities,” Patricia Lee Yongue Stars of the Road: Spectacular Drivers and Spectacular Feats Chapter 10: “The Spectacle of NASCAR: Rationalized and Enchanted by Sponsors,” Jaime Noble Gassmann Chapter 11: “Barney Oldfield: Daredevil Demon of Speed and the First Multimedia Superstar,” Lisa Napoli Chapter 12: “The Fastest Cars in the World,” Ronald Shook Bibliography Index About the Editors
