Oldest NASCAR great writes memoir
Rex White, who was 1960 NASCAR Grand National Champion and Driver of the
Year, has written a memoir. He is the oldest living of the drivers named
by NASCAR as the Top Fifty Greatest.
"People want to know about racing's changes," he says. "They want to
know how it all came about and what made it what it is today. Fans are
always asking me questions about the past. I decided the best thing to
do was get it all down."
Gold Thunder : Autobiography of a NASCAR Champion, released by McFarland
Publishers, describes his personal and career experiences against a
backdrop of the history of NASCAR. Its title comes from the paint job on
his gold and white # 4 Chevrolet.
"We wanted a nice shiny gold" says White, "so my mechanic, Louie
Clements, made a mixture of clear enamel and gold dust. That car was
magic. My 1962 Atlanta Motor Speedway win was the only super speedway
victory by a driver with a 409 engine."
In the 1950s, Chevrolet fans prayed for a savior and Rex White answered,
winning more races than any other NASCAR driver from 1959-1963.
Challenging a tough lineup of competitors, he raced against Lee and
Richard Petty, Ned Jarrett, Junior Johnson, Fireball Roberts and other
well-known racing personalities. Referred to as Chevrolet's best driver
in the late fifties and early sixties, he is also known as the most
consistent.
Gold Thunder tells of White's struggle to overcome a poverty-ridden
childhood and a physical disability to become a champion. In the book's
Foreword, Rick Minter, sportswriter for the Atlanta Constitution writes
"The way he performed in his era, the way he left the sport, and the way
he was able to build another life outside of racing, make him forever a
winner, forever a champion, forever a hero."
The book's firsthand account of the early days of stock car racing, is
based on over 2000 hours of interviews with Rex White by writer Anne
B. Jones. Included are tales by participants and fans interlaced with
anecdotes about a virtual Who's Who of NASCAR. The work contains a wide
variety of illustrations, including photographs from White's private
collection.
Rex White makes many racing-related appearances in radio, newspaper,
magazine and television interviews. Gold Thunder can be obtained from
McFarland Publishers, Inc. (1 800 253-2187).
By: Larry E. Hinson
