"...this well written book kindles the older racing fan's cherished memories while giving the young fans an opportunity to learn some history of Sprint car and Champ car racing...it's a great investment for auto-racing history and memorabelia collectors..."
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Jim Donnelly, Hemming’s Motor News
“This, at long last, is ‘Tummy’s’ story. Authored by Pennsylvania historian and novelist Gary Ludwig, this first-ever Hinnershitz biography is a deeply researched tale, crisply written, of the quiet Pennsylvania Dutchman…It encompasses 260 pages, with photos, and what is most probably the first authoritative statistical accounting of every start that Hinnershitz made in his stellar career, which began in 1928 and lasted through his (probably miraculous) retirement in 1960…This book was decades overdue and very welcome…” more
Tom Grenga,, retired URC Sprint car driver
“Truly one of the greatest dirt track drivers of all time, this book will help race fans understand how remarkable this man’s achievements were in the most dangerous era of racing.”
Dan Sernoffsky, Lebanon (PA) Daily News
“Although Ludwig set out to write a biography of Hinnershitz, the book itself is more than a biography. Well researched, Ludwig not only writes about Hinnershitz’s life and racing career, he also writes about the times, about the men who, with Hinnershitz, made central Pennsylvania the heart of dirt track racing in the United States...” more
Amazon.com
Review by "Emma"
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Excellent! A fascinating book on one of the greatest automobile racing legends. It brings to light the many talents of Tommy Hinnershitz. Highly recommend.
Amazon.com
Review by "B. Miller"
What a fascinating book! This book is more than a biography. Ludwig is a talented writer who has a reputation for thorough research and attention to details, and this book is proof. He not only writes about Hinnershitz's life and career, but also about the era when Hinnershitz and his contemporaries pioneered championship auto racing in the United States. It is the story of auto racing as it developed in the 1920s and '30s and what it became after World War II, evolving during the 1950s, `60s and `70s to become the sophisticated sport it is today. Ludwig is a member of a family that helped pioneer championship auto racing. He carried on the family tradition not as another competitor, but by becoming a member of the sport's print and broadcast media. He was a columnist for nationally circulated weekly tabloid Illustrated Speedway News, and wrote and anchored news segments on the Speedsport Commentary Radio Network. Ludwig uses his many personal recollections and experiences to not only tell the reader about great drivers of the past, but also stories about speedways, and the mechanics, car owners, and promoters, who stood in the shadows while making the major contributions to the sport's development. Of particular interest are accounts of how dirt track racing began on the horse tracks of county fairs throughout America. Fully explained is Hinnershitz's unique driving style and his philosophy about winning by not only driving fast but preparing for every race and using strategy to beat his challengers. His complete race-by-race career statistics are listed in the book. Ludwig's talent as a writer, coupled with his being part of the auto racing fraternity, has resulted in a great book that has received enthusiastic praise from fans and past and present competitors, plus positive reviews from members of the sport's media and from mainstream sports writers as well.
Amazon.com
Review by "Gapsy"
"Tommy Hinnershitz began his career as a racecar driver in 1928, and soon became a racing legend. He was one of a handful of daredevil athletes who pioneered auto racing in America. In this fascinating book you'll read about great racecar drivers of the past, mechanics, owners, and the promoters who ran the races at their race tracks. He helped invent the power slide, and mastered the art of running high in the turns. While his competitors were racing close to the inside rail, he sped around them. He raced in the days without seat belts, roll bars, cages, and other safety equipment. Consequently, many drivers died young. Winning Sprint car races on the state and county fair's dirt horse tracks across the country got Hinnershitz to the Indianapolis 500. This extensively researched and well written book by author/novelist Gary Ludwig, a former columnist for Illustrated Speedway News and writer and anchor for the Speedsport Commentary Radio Network, contains not only facts and figures but awesome accounts about the men and their machines of their time. Ludwig is an easy to read writer, and particularly excels in this book because of his years of experience as a journalist covering the sport. This experience enables him to use much of the sport's insider terminology while writing glowing accounts of the early years. This book is a great big dose of Americana and a fun history lesson about American ingenuity. Don't miss this book."
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