Blood and Smoke

The earliest auto races were more about endurance than speed, writes Leerhsen (Crazy Good: The True Story of Dan Patch, the Most Famous Horse in America). Cars were more likely to break down, burst into flames, or fall apart than complete the race, and drivers weren't sure they'd be alive at the finish line. Early automakers wanting to promote sales of their cars—like Louis Chevrolet—and promoters looking to net a tidy profit joined forces to promote auto racing as a spectator sport. With alternating tales of horrifying crashes and the schemes of Carl Fisher, who promoted the Indianapolis Speedway as a venue for airplane races, this is a ripping good yarn of America in the early 20th century. Leerhsen, a witty storyteller, draws from contemporary articles, histories, and interviews to pull readers into a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the building of the Speedway and the first race.