Gold Thunder: Autobiography of a NASCAR Champion

by Rex White, Anne B. Jones

Overview

Chevrolet fans were wishing for a hero and Rex White made their dreams come true. He took on big muscle cars and eventually won both the 1960 Winston Cup Championship and the Driver of the Year title and was selected as one of NASCAR's Top Fifty Driving Champions. This autobiography is the story of his struggle. Set against the rough and tumble days of early racing history, it gives insight into the sometimes humorous and sometimes tragic experiences of motor sports pioneers. The autobiography also contains information gained through interviews with other racing professionals, including personal stories from NASCAR greats Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett. The book is well illustrated.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786493463
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date:	07/07/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	764,117
File size:	8 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Rex White makes numerous NASCAR–related appearances today and has appeared in recent radio, newspaper, and television interviews, as well as national motorsports magazines. Writer Anne B. Jones lives in St. Simons Island, Georgia. Her articles have appeared in numerous newspapers and magazines.
Rex White makes numerous NASCAR-related appearances today and has appeared in recent radio, newspaper, and television interviews, as well as national motorsports magazines.
Writer Anne B. Jones lives in St. Simons Island, Georgia. Her articles have appeared in numerous newspapers and magazines.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments     
Foreword by Rick Minter     
Preface by Anne B. Jones     

1. Carolina Moonshine Country     
2. Growing Up: A Life Filled with Deadlines and Speed     
3. Motorsports Mania: Another Magical World     
4. Racing Fever: Frankie Schneider Becomes My Mentor     
5. Darlington: First Pass at the Lady in Black     
6. The Early Years: Running with the “Hot Dogs”     
7. On-Track and Off-Track Shenanigans: Racing's Just Part of the Show     
8. Fanfare and Friendships: A 300-Pound Kid Named Tiny Lund     
9. Hot Dogs to Hamburgers, in a Hurry: At Last, Chevrolet Sponsorship     
10. Staying Focused: Drivers Need a One-Track Mind     
11. Daytona and Drafting: Beginning of the Super Speedway Boom     
12. Sex and the Super Speedways: Motorsports Gain Media Attention     
13. Chasing the Championship: Against the Giants     
14. Hunting for Horsepower: Fighting Pontiacs with a 348     
15. Battling with Brothers: A Rolling Racetrack Community     
16. Giddy-Up 409: The Dixie 400     
17. From Detroit to Despair: Chevrolet's Mystery Engine     
18. Death and Disappointment: Tragedies On and Off the Track     
19. Motorsport as Megasport: The #2 Sport in the Country     

Epilogue: Gold Thunder: A Moment Frozen in Time by Larry Hinson     
Appendix: Rex White’s Career Statistics     
Index     

Editorial Reviews

a terrific read”—Old Cars Weekly; “interesting...well-illustrated...filled with fun...highly recommend...congratulations on a great book that both teaches and entertains”—Autos; “a treasure...loaded with reminiscences”—Now & Then; “terrific read”—Old Autos; “few early Chevy drivers had as much success on the track as Rex White”—Christian MotorSports Illustrated; “From 1959 through 1963 Rex White won more races than any other driver, and he competed among the best—Lee and Richard Petty, Ned Jarrett, Fireball Roberts, Junior Johnson, Joe Weatherly, Curtis Turner and Buck Baker. He was Chevrolet’s best driver in the early sixties and one of the most consistent drivers ever. If Richard Petty is the Babe Ruth of stock car racing, then Rex White is Joe DiMaggio.”—Doug Allan, Motorsport America

From the Publisher

a treasure...loaded with reminiscences

Now & Then

interesting...well-illustrated...filled with fun...highly recommend...congratulations on a great book that both teaches and entertains

Autos

a terrific read

Old Cars Weekly