NASCAR Women: At the Heart of Racing »

Though too few racing fans realize it, the NASCAR Winston Cup Series wouldn't be possible without contributions and cooperation from a range of remarkable women.

Now, for the first time, a new book from David Bull Publishing reveals the essential role that women play in NASCAR-both behind the scenes and in high-profile positions with racing teams, the media, and the NASCAR organization itself. In NASCAR Women: At the Heart of Racing, author Denise Wood profiles a cross-section of women-from drivers' wives to top executives and team owners-who have been instrumental in helping make NASCAR America's biggest spectator sport.

Wood, who played her own part as a racing journalist and team P.R. executive, tells the stories of 13 of NASCAR's most notable women. Among them:

• Stevie Waltrip, wife of three-time Winston Cup champion Darrell Waltrip, who fought to allow women into garages so they could support their husbands with timing, scoring, and fuel economy calculations
• Deb Williams, one of NASCAR's first and most widely read female reporters
• Lesa France Kennedy, president of International Speedway Corporation, which owns and operates Daytona and 11 other NASCAR tracks
• Gail Davis, who, with her husband, Bill, established a successful trucking company before starting their own team in the NASCAR's Busch and Winston Cup Series.

While each woman's story is unique, they all share a common theme-the struggle to win a position in a uniquely competitive environment that, until recently, was overwhelmingly dominated by men.

NASCAR Women: At the Heart of Racing offers revealing insights and anecdotes about the sport and business of stock car racing, told through the voices of its unsung heroines. The book is 144 pages, retails for $24.95, and is illustrated with over 100 color and black and white photographs, most provided from family photo albums.

About the Author:
Denise Wood became involved with racing in 1989 as a journalist with The Richmond Times-Dispatch in Richmond, Virginia, and the Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Virginia. In 1995, she became a sponsor public relations representative for Sports Marketing Enterprises. Subsequently she has also done public relations work for RCA and Roush Racing.