The Lost Manuscript
The True Story of One Year In The World of Professional Drag Racing
Published on 3. October 2023
Book
Paperback/Softback
362 pages
979-8-8229-1922-8 (ISBN)
Description
In 2001, Bob Wilber was entering his fifth season as the Team Manager and PR Rep for NHRA Nitro Funny Car driver Del Worsham. The team was also entering its fifth season with CSK Auto (a large auto parts retailer) as their primary sponsor. While the team had performed admirably in the first four years with CSK, they had only won one race on the NHRA tour. Somehow, Wilber decided to roll the dice and write a full-season diary in 2001, having no idea if the subject matter would be interesting or boring. It would be whatever it would be. He kept copious notes and wrote the diary throughout the calendar year, and in the end it was a season that Del Worsham said, "Changed our lives and careers." Wilber printed one copy, and put it away, not feeling yet justified as a writer to attempt to publish it. For 22 years it was lost. In 2023 it was found again. This is his work, as it was written "in the moment" during the 2001 season. It is The Lost Manuscript.
More details
Language
English
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
524 gr
ISBN-13
979-8-8229-1922-8 (9798822919228)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Bob Wilber made a name for himself in the world of NHRA Drag Racing, as a PR rep and manager for Del Worsham's Nitro Funny Car team, after joining the organization in 1997. In 2001, he decided to privately write a diary of all the inner workings of a professional drag racing organization throughout the calendar year. A former professional baseball player himself, Wilber saw the value in exposing the "behind the scenes" business side of motorsports as well as the heart-racing action on the track. He finished the diary at the conclusion of the 2001 season, printed one copy for himself, and put it away. Soon thereafter, the manuscript was lost, until a fateful day 22 years later, in 2023, when his wife stumbled upon it. The Lost Manuscript was found. And now it is here. It has been published just as it was written in 2001, with all the urgency and "real time" drama as experienced by the team. Wilber had no idea how the season would go when he began writing but documented nearly every day of what turned out to be a life-changing year for all involved.