Sands of Time: Celebrating 100 Years of Racing: Officially Licensed by NASCAR - Paperback

by Bill France Jr (Foreword by), William P. Lazarus (Author)

"I give this book two thumbs up! Bill Lazarus did a remarkable job. Every race fan should have this in their library." - Buz McKim, former NASCAR Hall of Fame historian."The Sands of Time" takes readers on a wild ride through a century of action, from the first makeshift race in 1903 to the incredible panorama of the 2003 Daytona 500. Each aspect of the story is accented with colorful anecdotes, featuring the cultured drivers of the early 1900s, jauntily racing against the clock in immaculate uniforms and scarves waving in the breeze, to the roughnecks from the Southern woods, who found themselves in jail as often as Victory Lane, to today's famous athletes who dare the famed high banks at speeds close to 200 mph. Each chapter includes additional details on such topics as women, drivers, sponsors and prize money, as well as the origin of race flags, development of tires and the sites of forgotten tracks.This book is extensively illustrated with rarely seen photos drawn from Motorsports Images & Archives, the largest single collection of race photography in the world. The account is centered in Daytona Beach, a small Florida community that hosted the first race in 1903 and has come to embody motorsports in this country. Virtually every prominent driver in the past raced on its hard-packed sand.Today, historic Daytona International Speedway remains "The World Center of Racing." Written for a general audience, The Sands of Time brings to life an entire era, filled with colorful personalities and exciting on-track events that help explain why racing is now the largest spectator sport in America.

Author Biography

Around the age of seven, Bill Lazarus decided to become a writer. He has never deviated from that career choice. He worked on junior high and high school newspapers before majoring in journalism at Kent State (OH) University. As an undergraduate, Bill served as editor of his college newspaper as well as college correspondent for the New York Times. After obtaining his Master's Degree in journalism from Kent State, he began a career that included writing for daily Connecticut and Florida newspapers. He branched out to other media, writing race programs for NASCAR, producing radio scripts and serving as editor of a regional magazine. Along the way, he won numerous writing awards, including two international prizes for programs and was named Florida Feature Writer of the Year. In addition, Bill is a religious historian. He has spoken on the topic before numerous civic groups and religious organizations, and appeared on radio and television. He has written 14 books on religious history, including "Comparative Religion for Dummies" and published multiple novels and nonfiction books. A native of Portland, ME, Bill now teaches writing at Daytona State (FL) College and lives in Daytona Beach with his wife, Kathleen.