From Bob Baker
KNOXVILLE, IA – Continuing the pre-Christmas trend, books continue to fly off the shelves of the museum store at the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in Knoxville. Said administrative assistant Lori DeMoss today, “I don’t know if its just people wanting something to do inside during the winter or what, but we continue to do well with our book business. The new books about Jack Zink of Oklahoma, the Wilke family of Wisconsin, and dirt track racing in Sacramento, California, have been very popular the first couple of weeks of the new year. Plus ‘Speedy’ Bill Smith’s story is still popular and I expect it will be through the Valentine’s and Father’s Day holidays this year.”
“Sacramento: Dirt Capital of the West” by Tom Motter is available for $70. This is the long-awaited volume on the history of Sacramento-area race tracks, including West Capital Speedway, Hughes Stadium, Lazy J Speedway, Old Sacramento Fairgrounds, Cal-Expo Fairgrounds, and Sportsman K-9 Park. The 203-page book is hard cover with dust jacket, and over 200 black-and-white photos.
“Leader Card Racers: A Dynasty of Speed” by Gordon Eliot White is available for $55. It is the remarkable story of one family’s four-generation passion for auto racing. Beginning with a team of midgets before WW II, successful paper manufacturer Bob Wilke, his son Ralph, and now his grandsons have owned and sponsored winning racing cars on the Championship trail, on dirt tracks, and currently with a successful return to midget cars. Superbly chronicled by noted author Gordon White, the story of Leader Card Racers is a testament to the Wilke family’s devotion to motor sport and to the history of American oval track racing. It is hard-bound with dust jacket.
“To Indy and Beyond: the Life of Racing Legend Jack Zink” by Dr. Bob L. Blackburn is available for $35. Jack Zink is a legend on the world of automobile racing. As a driver for more than twenty years, he won stock car races on dirt tracks, accumulated trophies in off-road dune buggies, and even set a flying-mile speed record in a 1957 Pontiac he designed and built for the early NASCAR circuit. Twice, his team won the coveted Borg Warner Trophy, in back-to-back Indy victories (1955 and ‘56). This 206-page hard-cover biography weaves all of these stories into a portrait of Jack Zink. This is the story of one amazing man who lived by a simple code, “The man who wins is the man who tries.”
Those seeking more information on the National Sprint Car Museum store are urged to call 1-800-874-4488 or visit the on-line store at www.sprintcarstuff.com. The museum store accepts cash, checks, money orders, and the Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover credit cards. Those wanting a hard copy of the 2010 National Sprint Car Museum store catalog can also e-mail giftshop@sprintcarhof.com.