Mark Martin: Driven to Race

I have not read this book yet, but my husband has and he said I would really be surprised to read about "my favorite" NASCAR driver. There was a mixture of good and bad about the Martin's as he was advancing into NASCAR. But he was very impressed with the book and would recommend to anyone who loves NASCAR

very good book

Mark Martin will go down in history as one of the best racers of all time! I was a kid in 1980, and Mark was a hero to me then, and still is. I had the good fortune of seeing him race on local tracks in Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana several times with the now famous #2 Dillon Mark II chassis before he ever made it to Nascar. I'll never forget it! It was the best era of late model racing because the talent he raced against was unprecedented...Dick Trickle, Mike Eddy, Bob Senneker, Butch Miller, Joe Shear, Jr. Hanley, Larry Detjens, Rusty Wallace, Alan Kulwicki, Gary Ballough, to name a few. I can't recall a single time when Mark showed up to the race track with a crappy car....EVER! He always ran good, was always competitive and was extremely focused. I admire that kind of work ethic, determination and focus. As far as I'm concerned, Mark Martin will always be a champion!This book was excellent, and there were a few times I laughed out loud when Mark was telling stories about his dad (Julian) and Larry Shaw.

Must have book! Covers his entire career from 1974 through 1996-ish. Lots of great info that many still don't know about.

This book is an insightful look into the life of Mark Martin. Certainly a must read for any Martin fan or fan of motorsports. It takes a special mix of natural talent, desire and tenacity to achieve the pinnacle of success as a NASCAR Winston Cup Driver and "Driven To Race" gives you a forthright look into how he was molded by his father, other racers and most of all lifes experiences to become the gutsy, gritty competitor that he is today. Nothing is held back and you won't be able to lay it down until you are finished.

Race car fans, Mark Martin fans, Arkansans. This is an awesome book! It's a mini-biography about a fella from Arkansas who is determined to win! It's a look at what makes a race car driver tick, and how addicting the sport can be. Mark even says that winning is just like a drug -- it's addictive.I'm quite proud of this book and I'm proud that Mark Martin and I share the same home town. Batesville, Arkansas.

Mark Martin is an excellent race car driver and the consumate professional. This book goes where few other "biographies" of NASCAR stars has ever gone. Controversial subjects such as alcohol abuse, family problems, etc. are brought out. The book starts to go where few of this ilk have ever gone - a no bull look at what makes a man do what he does and the demons that can bedevil him as he does it. BUT, there is the problem. This book only mentions the controversial, the truth about family life, the happiness and hurt of growing up to be a star in NASCAR. If the volume had gone into more detail, not voyeurism, but honest writing it would have been an original book that might have done more to legitimize stock car drivers as diverse and complicated people. The photos are good and the subject is well worth the effort and time a reader would spend learning about Mark Martin. It is just sad that it could have been so much more. Tom Wolfe wrote about Junior Johnson and put NASCAR on the literary map - this book could have updated that work and made the grade as a "stand on its own merits" work that readers from all walks of life could enjoy. I feel the book is worth every penny and hope it is successful enough that Bob Zeller will write more about people and what makes them human beings - along with being a Sunday driver who happens to travel at 180 MPH as his profession.

I am a Mark Martin fan, and this book makes me even more proud of my choice of drivers to follow. Some good pictures, but I would have liked to have seen more text. Probably not the first book on NASCAR one should buy, but NASCAR fans will appreciate it.

Awesome book about what Mark went thru

Awesome