Title/Author:
“Faith In
the Fast Lane: How NASCAR Found Jesus” by Chad Bonham
Tags:
Auto
Racing, NASCAR, faith, Christianity
Publish date:
January
15, 2014
Length:
192 pages
Rating:
5 of 5
stars (outstanding)
Review:
While many
sports tend to not intertwine faith and Christianity into the games or events,
NASCAR takes a completely different approach to Christianity and welcomes faith
into its “family.” How this came to be
is documented in this well-written book by Chad Bonham. Along with some history
of the sport itself and many stories of the various ways NASCAR drivers have
shown their faith, Bonham takes the reader on a journey of many different
aspects of the life of not only the drivers, but their families, crews and fans
and how their Christian faith is part of their lives.
On the
back cover of the book, one of the points made is that the book will make the
reader “recognize, embrace and answer God’s call on your life.” Aside from the
afterword by the President of Motor Racing Outreach (MRO), I didn’t find that
to be the case while reading this book.
By that, I mean that the book concentrated on telling the history of the
relationship between faith and NASCAR along with personal stories from many
people, mostly drivers. The book did not
come across as preaching or pleading with the reader to explore his or her
relationship with God. Instead, by
telling these stories, it is up to the reader to determine if these stories
will inspire him or her.
That is the
tone of the stories as well. From all time greats such as Richard Petty and
Darrell Waltrip to young drivers like Trevor Bayne, their stories of faith and
how that helps them on and off the race track are very interesting. However,
drivers are not the only people featured in this book. Bonham interviews people from all aspects of
the racing experience – crew members, spouses of drivers, people who serve as
ministers and workers who help spread the message are included as well. This
produces a book that is not only diverse in how faith is a part of the NASCAR atmosphere,
but also a book that readers of nearly all levels of faith and also any
denomination can read and enjoy.
This is a
book that I believe can be enjoyed by anyone who is a NASCAR fan, wants to
learn about the sport’s history, or wants to learn more how the Christian faith
can impact people’s lives. This book does that in a manner that does not preach
nor condemn those who may not have the same level of faith as others, but still
tells the way that Christianity can make a difference in one’s life.
I wish to
thank Judson Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest
review.
Pace of the book:
Because
the stories and interviews are compact and woven together well, this was a very
quick read for me, finishing it in less than two hours.
Do I recommend?
Fans of
NASCAR will enjoy this book, especially with the stories and background information
on the early days of the sport. Readers
who enjoy faith-based or Christian-based books will also enjoy this, no matter
what level of belief or faith they may feel.
Book Format Read:
Paperback
Publisher link:
Buying links:
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