For scientifically minded fans of The Pedal-to-the-Metal, Totally Illegal, Cross-Country Sprint for Glory.

Having caught, by chance, the broadcast of a multi-car NASCAR crash on television, Nebraska University physics professor Diandra Leslie-Pelecky found herself compelled to understand why it happened. Soon, a growing list of scientific questions ("How do you build an engine...that can run at 9,000 rpm for three hours without blowing up?") steer her to meetings with engineers, ground crews and drivers who work together "at the limits of what we understand about aerodynamics, structural engineering and even human physiology." The first part of the book deals with materials, and looks at how combustion, power and aerodynamics work together to maximize speed. But it's the driver and his crew who win the race, and Leslie-Pelecky gets plenty of time with the men behind the machines, joining Ray Evernham's crew to watch him race, and taking a turn behind the wheel herself. Along the way, the nanotech specialist becomes an unlikely racing fan; this fun physics primer should give any NASCAR aficionado a similar appreciation for science.

See also the companion web site, Stock Car Science, or check out the book blog (only a week old, though).

The Physics of NASCAR: How to Make Steel + Gas + Rubber = Speed