Driver #8

by Jade Gurss and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Book Overview

Coming off the wildly successful 2000 NASCAR season in which he won two races, Dale Earnhardt, Jr viewed the 2001 Daytona 500 as an opportunity to entrench his name in racing history. Tragically, more than his dreams died on the track that day. After crossing the finish line in second place, Dale Jr turned to find that his father had been involved in a horrific crash that killed him upon impact. His death shook the racing community and made front-page...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0446530301
• ISBN13: 9780446530309
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Warner Books (NY)
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.26 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 13 years and up

Customer Reviews

GREAT book

As a Dale Jr. fan I'd read anything he does but this is simply a well written piece of work. He may be a youngster in the sport but Dale Jr. can write with a maturity while still maintaining his youthfull sense of style and humor. Although those that don't follow races every week may not understand some things he talks about or find the summary of races a bit boring....NASCAR fans will enjoy getting a behind the scenes feel for what drivers and their crew go through week after week, be it the thrill of victory or the low points after a heartbreaking bad day. I especially loved Dale's honesty about the things he does off the track, like the appearances he makes, how he feels about them and the fun he has with friends at Club E. After reading this book I'd give anything to see Dale at Halloween as "Dirk Diggler".....what a hoot!!DON'T get this book if you are looking for a "life story" about his childhood or a biography about Dale's life after losing his dad. Although he touches on it in the Epilogue, this is a book about Dale JR, not SR and as Jr says in the beginning, that book may be coming years down the road.I'm proud to be a fan of one of NASCAR's rising stars and this book will make the upcoming 2002 season all the more enjoyable.

Racing to the Top

Dale Jr. and Jade have hit the nail on the head with this book. I feel it brings the reader to the point of actually being in the pits and the car during a race season. I found this book to be a very fast read, I couldn't put it down. Thank you Dale Jr and Jade for the well written book. Run for the Championship in 2002. Hope to see you at the head table in New York.

Dale Earnhardt Jr is more than just a driver

Driver #8 is an excellently written book. The driver details his rookie season with so much feeling and description you feel the joy and pain right along with him the entire way. The end of the book is summed up with the Daytona 500 of last Feburary. Throughout the book you see this soon to be driving icon as more than an athlete, he's a person that anyone would love to know and be around. This is a book for anyone, racing lovers or haters.

JR in his own words...

I don't know how to describe this book, unless to say it describes Earnhardt Jr. I didn't realize what a talent he had for writing and I am glad he opened his life up, in his owns words. Not really a biography, "Driver #8" follows Jr. throughout his first year in Winston Cup. He talks about how he felt during a particular race, how it feels to deal with the media, and just in general what it is like in his day to day life. I know, like any race fan, that Earhardt Jr. has a real talent for racing. This book proves that his talents reach far beyond the racetrack (not that I ever though otherwise), as well. Opening himself up and sometimes showing a different side, this book gave me a real idea of how he feels. This is a must own for any Jr. fan, or maybe just anyone who enjoys a little something different. One caution, if you are looking for a real in depth view of his life outside and before NASCAR, this isn't it. But don't let that fool you about how much it shows.

WOW

One word......AWESOME!!! Dale Jr. takes on a wild ride through his rookie season running with the Big Dogs in the Winston Cup. Not only does he give us an insider view of what happens on race day, he takes us behind the wall and gives us a look at a driver off the track. This is the closest I've felt to the real life of the guys I watch on Sunday. Driver #8 is a great read full of emotional highs and lows. I found myself laughing in some segments and nearly crying in others. Even if you aren't a fan of Dale Jr., I encourage you to read this book. You'll have a whole new respect for what these fellows do and a whole new respect for them as people.