By Peter M. DeLorenzo
Detroit. John Oreovicz has delivered a must read for racing enthusiasts of all stripes entitled: TIME FLIES THE HISTORY OF PACWEST RACING (www.documentarymedia.com). The author, who was embedded with PacWest Racing, provides an inside account of the team's eight-year run in the heyday of the CART series. The book serves as a primer for racing enthusiasts who might not recall that golden era of racing, and for those who do, it provides a level of depth and detail that is revealing and welcomed. Bruce McCaw and his partners had grandiose plans for their CART effort, and remarkably enough PacWest Racing developed into a race-winning team within four years. But after being established as a front-running contender the expectations became too high, and the book reveals how quickly fortunes can change in one of the toughest businesses in the world.
While PacWest celebrated many achievements during its tenure in CART, one of the most significant accomplishments was launching the Indy car career of Scott Dixon, who won his first Indy car race in a PacWest Racing machine. Racing is a kaleidoscope of highs and lows, punctuated by tragedies, and Oreovicz covers all of it with aplomb. John has written about the sport in print and online since 1993 for outlets including National Speed Sport News and ESPN. He worked in PR for PacWest Racing, where he developed a lifelong friendship with Bruce McCaw. "Oreo" is acknowledged as one of the most versatile and experienced American auto racing journalists, and he now resides a "short walk" from Turn 1 of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
I highly recommend this book because John reveals in vivid detail just how difficult it is to field a major league racing team in one of its most competitive eras.
And that's the High-Octane Truth for this week.
