I like to refer to the day I graduated college as the day I officially would never have to read another book again.

Hallelujah!

OK, so in the past four years I have read books and I’m not ashamed to say they have all been autobiographies of famous athletes or the very best in the fabulous genre known as Chick Lit.

Strange combination but what do you expect from a vegetarian from Texas who is as obsessed with NASCAR and hockey as she is with Coach purses? I’m a walking contradiction.
Then I received a package in the mail at work.

I have worked here at the Star for a little over a year and a-half and the only pieces of mail I’ve ever received have all been of the junk variety. So when I received an actual real piece of mail that was really meant for me I was a little excited.

It was a copy of Jerry Wilson’s “Restrictor Plate This! An Unapologetic Look at Stock Car Racing.”

For those of you who spend time in the NASCAR blogosphere – man, I really hate the word “blogosphere” – you may know him better as the Diecast Dude.

Again, Jaynelle is not a fan of the “reading” so it took a while to finally turn the volume down on the TV – you didn’t think I’d actually turn the TV off, did you? – and crack this thing open.

But I’m glad I finally did.

It’s a great look at what it means to be a fan, at how NASCAR creeps its way into our everyday lives.

It’s more than that, too.

It gives a little peak into what it’s like to be a part of the NASCAR world from all fronts – fans, drivers, crews, journalists.

He’s not preaching about what he’d do differently if he were running things – as he points out we already have too many of those in this sport.

It is simply a fan’s view. He doesn’t try to make it anything more and he doesn’t need to because anyone who is a NASCAR fan can relate to what he’s saying.

I know that nothing can make me smile more than the UPS truck stopping in front of my house 7 to 10 days after my latest NASCAR.com order was placed.

I like to pretend to be a writer but I’ve never pretended to be a book reviewer.

All I can say is that I get what the Dude says because I’m someone who, as a person who works nights and doesn’t do the whole early morning thing – has on more than one occasion set my alarm clock to wake me in time for the drop of the green flag.

I don’t think the inhabitants of the Bay Area where the Diecast Dude lives can be compared to the townies of Tucson but I still get what it’s like to live where the majority of people just don’t get NASCAR and feel it is their God-given right to tell me all the reasons that the sport that is such a big part of my life and career sucks.

So if you want proof that you’re not the only NASCAR fan who is non-Southern, non-redneck, non-homophobic, non-fill-in-the-blank-with-your-favorite-stereotype and you’re not crazy for spending your hard-earned money on little metal cars you should read this book.

Now, excuse me, but I have to go watch 12 consecutive hours of television to make up for all these written words I let into my brain.