Donovan's writing is well-paced and measured, clearly depicting the complex atmosphere of race relations in the segregated South. His extensive reporting, including interviews with Scott before he died in 1990, combined with his descriptive and enjoyable prose about racing, make this book a deeply compelling story. (Aug.)

Donovan, Brian
HARD DRIVING; THE WENDELL SCOTT STORY, AN AMERICAN ODYSSEY OF NASCAR’S FIRST BLACK DRIVER Steerforth (320 pp) $25.95 US/ $30.00 CAN August 19, 2008 ISBN: 978-1-58642-144-1

Pulitzer Prize–winning Newsday reporter Donovan, now retired and a race-car driver, follows the hard-luck career of a man who challenged NASCAR’s racial barrier in the 1950s.

Growing up in [Virginia], Wendell Scott parlayed his early years as a police-dodging moonshine runner to become one of NASCAR’s best, most reliable drivers. If he didn’t finish with roomfuls of trophies to show for his two decades as a driver, it’s only because he labored under incredible disadvantages, most notably a lack of…support from either NASCAR officials or the major car companies that poured millions into the sport.

He was forced to drive a beat-up old car that he often had to repair mid-race—and that was when he was even allowed to the starting line. In the South, where [NASCAR] racing had its roots, Scott was routinely banned from entering tracks like Darlington…. When he was allowed on the track, bigoted drivers often intentionally wrecked him while fans harassed him with racial slurs. His fortitude and persistence knew no bounds. Using his sons and friends as pit crew, he competed for more than 20 years until a wreck nearly killed him in 1973. It was typical of Scott’s bad luck that the wreck occurred in a brand-new race car that it took him 11 years to pay for.

Donovan does an excellent job recounting the numerous roadblocks that were placed in Scott’s way. Even when he won his only Grand National race (now the Sprint Cup series), officials initially awarded the checkered flag to someone else; he didn’t receive his first-place trophy until a month later. Following the many other races in Scott’s long career may prove less fascinating for the casual reader, but Donovan provides additional interest with his portraits of such major players of the period as George Wallace and NASCAR founder Bill France Sr.

A memorable tale of an unsung American hero, and a worthy history lesson as well.

Wendell Scott broke the color barrier in [NASCAR] stock car racing in the early 1950s…, when the sport was firmly rooted in the South and America was still largely segregated. The racing establishment did little to encourage Scott and at times was antagonistic toward him. Unlike other sports, in which teams or organizations supported those crossing the racial divide, Scott regularly faced blatant bigotry, countless injustices, and chronic under-funding for his cars.

Yet he persisted owing to a strong will and considerable talents as a driver and mechanic. Ultimately, he became a fixture in NASCAR racing in the 1960s and was not only popular with many fans but also achieved what by most measures would be an admirable racing record. This work by race driver and journalist Donovan is a thoroughly researched account of Scott's 22-year racing career, compiled from published sources as well as interviews with Scott, family members, and racing cohorts.

What makes this compelling is the human drama interwoven with the racing narrative. We learn, for example, of the passive demeanor Scott felt he had to maintain around the racetrack to keep from inflaming any hostility around him, and of the rage he felt and acted upon whenever he thought members of his family were endangered.

This important book is highly recommended for both motorsports and civil rights history collections.
-- David Van de Streek, Penn State Univ. Libs., York

"The gripping story of a fascinating, brave man who deserves serious recognition for his solitary accomplishment. . . . Donovan has produced one of the most compelling sports biographies of this or any year. A must-read for NASCAR fans."<
-- (starred review) Booklist

"Donovan shows how Scott's career was every bit as ground-breaking as Jackie Robinson's feat of breaking baseball's color barrier. Perhaps even more. . . ."
-- The Tampa Tribune

I absolutely loved this book from start to finish. When I first got the book, I thought I may not enjoy it. I am a huge NASCAR fan but I do not know much about their history and I was not sure I would enjoy reading a biography about someone I never heard of. But this book is not just a biography. The author artfully weaves in the history of the segregational south, and north for that matter, and Wendell Scott's story together. The reader is able to follow Mr. Scott as he goes from bootlegging to becoming NASCAR's first African-American race car driver during a time in America where African-Americans were not wanted and were discriminated against.

Wendell Scott's life was not whitewashed by this author and the reader is able to get a real sense of what his life was like, what type of person he was, and how he was able to break through barrier after barrier. He is an amazing person and did a lot for NASCAR and America.

What I enjoy best about this book is that you do not need to be a NASCAR fan to enjoy it, which opens this book up to a wide audience. Yes, it is a book about a NASCAR driver but it is also an American history book interweaving this amazing biography with a history of discrimination and segregation in America. I highly recommend this book to everyone, whether or not you have even heard of NASCAR. This book is a definite page-turner and you will end up rooting for Wendell Scott.
-- www.librarything.com

"Brian Donovan has written a surprisingly moving and powerful account of Wendell Scott’s utterly American odyssey. It offers a window into a world not that far removed from our own."
-- Ken Burns, filmmaker

"As a long-time admirer of Scott, it’s my hope that this book, splendidly researched and written, brings him the widespread recognition that he has long deserved."
-- Jerry Bledsoe, author of The World’s Number-One, Flat-Out, All-Time Great, Stock Car Racing Book

"Wendell Scott was to NASCAR what Jackie Robinson was to baseball. The difference was that Robinson played in liberal Brooklyn and had the backing of Branch Rickey, and Scott raced in the segregated South and had . . . nobody."
-- Peter Golenbock, author of Miracle: Bobby Allison and the Saga of the Alabama Gang

"In Hard Driving, Brian Donovan has given us a beautifully insightful look at Wendell Scott — a vital NASCAR pioneer — that’s exceedingly well written, and researched with the kind of zeal and expertise necessary for a tale that covers so rocky a road. Talk about a necessary sports biography. Hard Driving is unquestionably a winner."
-- Robert Edelstein, TV Guide motor sports writer and author of Full Throttle: The Life and Fast Times of NASCAR Legend Curtis Turner