Saturday Night Dirt--the novel
As a novelist, I've thought for a long time that there was a group of "missing novels"--fiction for teenagers who love cars and hate their English classes. There's really nothing out there except for some cheesy hot rod novels published in the 1950's and early 1960's. There are some nonfiction books on auto racing, usually the life story of some famous driver like Dale Earnhardt. But few if any good novels about auto racing. That's all changing, however, with the launch of my MOTOR SERIES. The first novel in the series is called SATURDAY NIGHT DIRT; it's about a small town speedway in the Midwest (though it could be anywhere in America), where everybody comes together for dirt track racing on a Saturday night. My idea was to focus on several key characters at the speedway, and come at race night from their different points of view. Trace Bonham, 16, drives a Street Stock. He's in love with Melody Walters, the track owner's daughter--and Melody is also the track manager. Beau Kim drives a patched-together Mod-Four; his main competition is Amber Jenkins, who also drives in his class, and is sponsored by her brother's gas station. Also in the mix is Mel's father, Johnny Walters, former sprint car driver but now in wheel chair. And famous Late Model driver Cal Hopkins, who ends up racing at Headwaters because of rainouts across the state. He and Johnny have some unfinished business, regarding a very bad crash years ago in Knoxville, Iowa. And oh--one more key character--the rain. Some weather is coming in, but will it hold off in time to finish the feature racing at Headwaters?....
That's the plot of the novel of Saturday Night Dirt. But there's a real story behind this fictional story. When I pitched the idea of a racing novel to my New York editor, I challenged him to show me other racing novels for teens. As I knew, he found none. This got him excited, and he came up with a plan of a series of books--the MOTOR novels. With this kind of enthusiasm, I pitched another idea to him. I said that if we were going to do racing novels, we should have a race car and a teenage driver. I could barely believe it when he agreed--and Team Weaver Racing was launched. How I put together the team, found a crew chief and a driver, is another great story. Stay tuned....
I was very excited to find this article. I am Christmas shopping for my cousin who, liked your article said, loves racing but hates his English teacher. I always want to buy some book for Christmas that might spark his interest in reading. i think this series just might do the job.
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my language arts (english) teacher bought this book just for me. ive been looking for dirt track racing book cuz my dad is a driver in northern wisconsin. i like racing alot.
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Congrats on your novel, at this point: Sept 2008 it must be all finished and published, I Googled your novel: "Saturday Night Dirt" and it appears every where. You made it!
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this book was right on track with reality. that normal people that do just actual things can also be a REBEL RACE CAR DRIVER.
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Awesome ... a very well identified hole in the market! You're right ... as far as I can see, teenage buys can read war books, more war books, or what the girls read ... and that's about it
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