Mini Book Review: Fast Girl

Photo  courtesy of Seal Press

For many years, my "hobby" has been driving a car fast on the racetrack. I don't race, but I do get to drive my car at high rates of speed on tracks throughout the Northeast. I mean how else am I going to find out where my limits (and the limits of my car) are? Needless to say, there aren't many women at these events. And I often find it difficult to explain exactly what it is I'm doing at the track on the weekend.

Well, author Ingrid Steffensen didn't have that problem. In her new book, Fast Girl: Don't Brake Until You See the Face of God and Other Good Advice from the Racetrack, Ingrid documents her first year of participation in high-performance driving events, from finally accepting her husband's invitation to join him at the track to, well, I don't want to give away the ending. (For those wondering, she started driving her everyday car (a Mini Cooper) before graduating to a Lotus Elise.) Throughout the book, she weaves her experiences behind the wheel with stories from off the track, proving that one definitely can have an effect on the other.

As a woman participating in the same activity, I totally related to Ingrid's stories. As I read, I could picture the tracks she described and recalled having similar experiences and feelings. But this book is about more than just driving fast -- it's about stepping out of your comfort zone and finding out how that can affect your life. Join Ingrid on her journey -- from the pit lane, through the esses, and to the checkered flag.