Teens who dream of NASCAR racing will feel as if they’re in the driver’s seat with Robert Lipsyte’s newest sports novel, brimming with the details and language of the race. Seventeen-year-old Kyle was born into a family of racers. Starting with his grandfather and continuing through his older brother Kris, the Hildebrands have been a vital dynasty in regional stock car racing. But after a crash injury ended Kyle’s father’s driving career, the family has struggled to maintain the support needed to keep them in contention. Potential sponsorship by a corporate backer could represent a turning point in the Hildebrand’s future as a force in the big leagues of racing. Although he enjoyed competing in the youth circuit, Kyle has turned away from racing and now finds pleasure and satisfaction in the music he makes on his trumpet. When a risky stunt puts Kris out of commission for the short term, Kyle bends to family pressure to step in and take up the driving slack. To his surprise, he rediscovers the joy he used to feel behind the wheel and realizes that he brings his own set of skills to the race. Conflicting expectations and demands from his family and his music teacher mingle with his own mixed emotions, and present a question that Kyle struggles to answer: what will he choose, racing or music? Glimpses of the celebrity culture of stock car racing, and the potential of two very different romantic relationships add layers of interest to Kyle’s compelling story. (Age 14 and older)