Discusses exciting finishes and key people involved in the Daytona 500, sharing the perspectives of various people involved in the races, including its founder, a chief starter, a fan, a driver, and a broadcaster.

"From the time cars were invented just before the turn of the 20th century, men have loved driving fast in them. It was almost a compulsion of pioneers like Emile Levassor and Karl Benz to make their machines go fast. Racing fever began in Europe, with races happening from point to point, city to city, on existing roads. Open-wheel road racing there evolved into the super high tech, big budget sport of Formula One Racing. American open-wheel racing...

Baseball is known as America's national pastime, but its popularity did not happen overnight. The modern game evolved in the late 1800s in the Midwest, and by the turn of the century, Americans were telling stories about heroic exploits on the baseball diamond. Players from Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth to Andrew McCutchen and Albert Pujols have thrilled fans with dramatic late-inning plays and thrilling World Series winning hits. The constant simplicity...

Once a discipline for training soldiers for combat, gymnastics has evolved into a sport that emphasizes not only strength but also artistry and grace as well. Modern gymnasts compete with the lofty goal of someday making it to the Summer Olympic Games, where gymnastics are one of the most popular events. Athletes from countries like Russia, Romania and Japan dominated the sport through most of the 20th century, with stars like Olga Korbut, Nadia Comaneci,...

World's Fastest Human. That is the title bestowed on the man with the best time in the 100 meter dash. This event is the centerpiece of track and field, the collective name for events that are based on running, jumping and throwing. Who is the fastest? Who can jump the highest? Who can throw the farthest? These are the questions men have been challenging each other to answer for centuries. The World's Fastest Human was Jamaica's Usain Bolt in 2015,...

"Learn what it takes to become a professional hockey player. Readers get an insider's look at how athletes prepare for competition as well as the special events players participate in when they aren't on the ice"--