Edelstein, Robert 1960–

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Edelstein, Robert 1960–

PERSONAL: Born 1960.

ADDRESSES: Home—Caldwell, NJ. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Overlook Press, One Overlook Dr., Woodstock, NY 12498.

CAREER: Journalist. TV Guide, executive motor sports writer; television commentator on racing.

WRITINGS:

NASCAR Generations: The Legacy of Family in NASCAR Racing, HarperEntertainment (New York, NY), 2000.

Full Throttle: The Life and Fast Times of NASCAR Legend Curtis Turner, Overlook Press (Woodstock, NY), 2005.

Contributor of articles to Stuff, Blender, and A&E Biography.

SIDELIGHTS: An executive motor-sports writer at TV Guide, Robert Edelstein puts his expertise to use in the book Full Throttle: The Life and Fast Times of NASCAR Legend Curtis Turner. Turner was the major force in stock-car racing in the mid-twentieth century, long before the sport was known by the acronym NASCAR, from its governing association, the National Association for Stock Car Racing. A contributor to Publishers Weekly noted that Edelstein "breathlessly recounts Turner's career as well as his significant contributions to the sport."

In Full Throttle Edelstein recounts how Turner, born in 1924, began driving at age nine; by the time he was a teenager in Virginia he had already gained local fame for his ability to dodge police while delivering illegal moonshine whiskey. Turner gained the ability to slam on the breaks, fishtail half a circle to face his pursuers, then speed off in the opposite direction. He put these same driving tricks to use as a stock-car racer. Turner was a major star on the circuit until the 1960s, when his attempts to unionize drivers put him at odds with the owners and be was banned from racing for several years. Ironically, Turner, who risked his life behind the wheel in hundreds of races, died in a plane crash in 1970.

Booklist reviewer Alan Moores wrote that Edelstein presents "a well-researched, thoroughly enjoyable account of the life of this NASCAR pioneer and iconoclast" in Full Throttle, while Library Journal reviewer Eric C. Shoaf called the book "an entertaining read."