As NASCAR's popularity has sky rocketed in recent years, the Daytona 500-or "the Redneck High Holy Days," as Speedweek in honky-tonk Daytona Beach is affectionately known among stock car racing fans-has grown from its southern moonshiner roots and its humble beginnings on the hard-packed sand to become the number-one auto race in America. In Tales from the Daytona 500, Jim Hawkins, auto racing writer and sports columnist for The Oakland Press (Mich.) takes the reader behind the scenes and back into the history of the signature event in this country's fastest growing sport. Ride along with NASCAR "Wonder Boy" Jeff Gordon, three-time champion Dale Jarrett, and outspoken Darrel Waltrip. Relive the thrilling Daytona exploits of "The King," Richard Petty, hometown hero Fireball Roberts, star-crossed Bobby Allison and racing legend A. J. Foyt. Remember Dale Earnhardt's tragic death in the last-lap crash that captured the attention of the entire country and brought about the most sweeping safety changes in the history of the sport.