060730A Race Car Driver

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RACE CAR DRIVER

Program 06-07-30-A

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No matter what quiet corner of America you inhabit, you've heard about NASCAR. You may not understand it. You may not get it. But while you weren't paying attention, those cars, driving in circles for hours, became our national pastime. In this hour of To The Best Of Our Knowledge, car racing. From NASCAR to Formula One, with a few Pit Stops in between. And, coasting downhill in homemade cart - the All-American Soap Box Derby.

Janet Guthrie

SEGMENT 1:

Sports Illustrated writer Jeff MacGregor spent a year on the NASCAR circuit and writes about it in "Sunday Money: Speed! Lust! Madness! Death!" He tells Steve Paulson why NASCAR is so popular, why Dale Earnhardt was such an icon, and why his death resulted in a surge in popularity for racing.

SEGMENT 2:

Bob Varsha is the play-by-play announcer for Formula One racing on the SPEED Channel. He tells Anne Strainchamps that top teams spend hundreds of millions of dollars on their cars and that the road race in Monaco is the most deluxe sporting event in the world. Also, commentator Erika Monroe-Kane reflects on the appeal of driving really fast. And, Janet Guthrie was the first woman to race in the Indianapolis 500. Her autobiography is called "A Life at Full Throttle." Guthrie tells Jim Fleming that she was born to be an adventurer.

Erika Monroe-Kane

SEGMENT 3:

Charles Monroe-Kane tells a story from his car-racing background. His father, Pat Kane, grew up racing hot rods on the back roads of rural Ohio with his brother Butch, who became a professional drag racer. And, Tyler Gallagher is the 2005 All-American Soap Box Derby Super Stock World Champion. Jeff Iula is the Derby's General Manager. They talk with Jim Fleming about the race and its history.

CD copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 06-07-30-A.

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Books:

Janet Guthrie: A Life at Full Throttle (Sport Classic Books)
Jeff MacGregor, Sunday Money: Speed! Lust! Madness! Death! (Harper Perennial)

Websites:

Music:

Diamond Rio's "One More Day" off of their CD One More Day on Arista Nasville.
Yo La Tango's "The Ballad of Red Buckets" and "False Alarm" and "My Heart's Reflection" off of their CD Electro-Pura on Matador Records.
The Beach Boys' "Little GTO" off of their Greatest Hits CD on Sundazed Music.
Johnny Bond's "Hot Rod Lincoln" off of his CD Hot Rod Lincoln on Aim Records.
War's "Low Rider" off of their CD Why Can't We Be Friends on Avenue Records.
PJ Harvey's "50 FT Queenie" and "Man-Size" off of her CD 50 FT Queenie on Island Records.
PF Harvey's "To Bring You My Love" and "I Think I'm a Mother" off of her CD To Bring You My Love on Island Records.
Smashing Pumpkins' "Rhinoceros" off of their CD Gish on Caroline Records

Distribution dates:

week of 07/01/2007 - hour 2
week of 07/30/2006 - hour 1

Listen!

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Questions and comments can be addressed to: flemingj@wpr.org

Wisconsin Public Radio is a service of the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension.

Page design and management by Jim Fleming at Wisconsin Public Radio and Sarah Fleming.