How did stock car racing evolve from a regional moonshine-running subculture into a multi-billion dollar professional sports industry? Peter Golenbock, an established sports journalist and author, utilizes extensive interviews and historical research to document the transformation of NASCAR. The book provides a chronological framework that tracks the transition from informal, dangerous races on dirt tracks to the highly regulated, corporate-sponsored Winston Cup circuit.

Critics and readers frequently identify this work as a comprehensive oral history that captures the cultural atmosphere of the sport's formative years. Experts note that the text serves as a foundational resource for understanding the transition of NASCAR into a mainstream American phenomenon.