This book investigates the transformation of stock car racing from a regional, illicit pastime into a multi-billion dollar professional sports industry. Author Peter Golenbock, a noted sports historian, utilizes extensive interviews and archival research to trace the evolution of the sport. He presents a framework that links the cultural origins of moonshine running to the corporate-sponsored spectacle of modern NASCAR.

Experts and enthusiasts recognize this work as a comprehensive oral history that captures the cultural essence of the sport. Readers frequently note the accessible prose and the depth of the personal anecdotes provided by the racing legends interviewed.