L.D. Russell, lecturer in religious studies, will read from and sign copies of his new book, “Godspeed: Racing Is My Religion,” at the Regulator Bookshop in Durham, N.C., at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 19. The event is free and open to the public.
At the same time that country music and Southern Baptist religion have moved from the margins of American life to take a place near its center, NASCAR has become the fastest-growing spectator sport in the nation. “Godspeed” examines the increasing popularity of NASCAR both as a sport and as a business, but more crucially as a religion. Rather than forcing a religious template on the sport, Russell examines the culture of racing, beginning with a tour of the southern racetracks where racing as we know it today was born, and finds ample evidence to support his theory that, for many spectators, watching a race really is a religious experience.
Russell’s intimate and engaging journey into the world of NASCAR is enriched by the stories of drivers, mechanics, racetrack chaplains, owners and fans he meets along the way as he explores the existential appeal of the sport, and the ways that its followers have shaped the religious dimensions of NASCAR.
Lee Smith writes, “True fan, fine philosopher, seer and seeker, L. D. Russell takes us on a guided tour-make that ‘pilgrimage’-through the ins and outs of NASCAR: its appeal, history, and importance as perhaps the greatest cultural phenomenon of our times. Personal and passionate, this is a great read!”