SimHQ.com - Motorsports Zone - Book Review: Big Time Bid

From a European perspective NASCAR is a baffling phenomenon. Few racing enthusiasts have ever heard of Daytona being mentioned other than with regard to the Ferrari 365's name. Similarly you would be hard pressed to find many Formula 1 fans who will know many of the drivers. A few will have heard of Dale Earnhardt and the more observant will know that Jeff Gordon drove a Williams a couple of years ago but beyond that the knowledge of the US premier motor racing series is as vague as the maps of the Conquistadors. Matt Kenseth? Never heard of him!

I can claim to have a slightly better knowledge than many (I have watched a few Winston / Nextel Cup races, have tried several of Papyrus' offering and have been comprehensively beaten by my virtual competitors everywhere from Bristol to Nazareth). Even so I was unaware of any sort of league system of driving to get to Winston Cup level, and instead assumed that Dale Earnhardt was born fully grown with a helmet on in a black Chevy barging someone out of the way!

With a slightly skeptical attitude I embarked upon Big Time Bid. The book tells the story of the formation of a racing team from their first meeting with one of their personnel. It charts the team's ups and downs and tells of the individual members' lives away from the tracks as much as it describes their racing.

The characters are supremely well portrayed and the author expertly conveys the sense of quiet determination and competitiveness which can easily be seen in every racing team from the smallest garage team to the multi-million dollar Formula 1 companies. Each character is brilliantly woven into the storyline to provide a part of the total with their human frailties exposed for no more than what they are.

The racing descriptions are brief with most of the action happening around the race rather than during it. That said the author provides a superb sense of what is happening on track even though I find the lack of feedback from Rick a little strange. Similarly the descriptions of many of the women in the book are a little too similar for comfort and their characters (with the notable exception of Margaret) seem a little flat. To put it another way if all women looked as gorgeous and put out as easily as they appear to in the book then I grew up in the wrong place!

Despite these minor pricks of criticism I have to say Bob Liguori's first work is an assured piece that is sure to appeal to race fans and casual readers alike. It is more accessible and intelligent than Bob Judd's and sets a new benchmark in racing fiction. Many of the stories in the book are clearly taken in part from the author's own racing experiences and his confidence shows through in his writing. He knows what he is talking about and writes about it flawlessly.

In conclusion I heartily recommend the book to anyone with an interest not only in motorsports but also for anyone who simply enjoys a good read. The book deserves to do well and I for one look forward to the sequel.

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