Daredevil at the Wheel

"This is a wild story, exceedingly well researched and compellingly told... Very highly recommended. And let's throw an exclamation point at it too. Very highly recommended!"-- "speedreaders.info" How someone as accomplished in the sport of auto racing as Joan LaCosta precipitated her own downfall and effectively ended her high-flying public life makes for a fascinating tale in the hands of Tony St. Clair.--Bill Poehler, author of The First Lady of Dirt: The Triumphs and Tragedy of Racing Pioneer Cheryl Glass The spellbinding story of Joan LaCosta, one of America's first speed queens on wheels, splendidly researched and told with tremendous verve and empathy for an extraordinary woman. I loved it.--Miranda Seymour, author of The Bugatti Queen: In Search of a Motor-Racing Legend This well-researched book about 1920s 'daredevil' Joan LaCosta restores this early trailblazer of auto racing to her rightful place in history and paints a vivid and thrilling picture of the early days of motorsport.--Anne Morrissy, author of Street Fight: The Chicago Taxi Wars of the 1920s "...straightforward page-turner... Daredevil at the Wheel is a fascinating biography of the race car driver Joan LaCosta. It also doubles as a look into 1920s-era Chicago..."-- "Chicago Reader" Chronicling the rise and fall of a forgotten female athlete, Daredevil at the Wheel is the ideal read for lovers of history and sports. Tony St. Clair's crisp prose brings to life the one-of-a-kind personalities and high-speed thrills of early auto racing.--Sarah James, international bestselling author of Last Night at the Hollywood Canteen In Daredevil at the Wheel, Tony St. Clair delivers a riveting account of one of the most enigmatic figures in early American auto racing. This meticulously researched narrative takes us on a thrilling ride through the Roaring Twenties, following the extraordinary life of Joan LaCosta--a woman of many names and even more daring exploits. As LaCosta breaks speed records and gender barriers, captivating crowds and defying expectations, St. Clair masterfully weaves together the threads of auto racing history, early twentieth-century gender dynamics, and--ultimately-- true crime. Captivating and unputdownable, St. Clair's vivid prose brings to life the incredible tale of one woman's climb to the pinnacle of a male-dominated sport and her spectacular crash into infamy--a tale that reminds us how quickly fortunes can change when living life at full throttle. An urgent and electric read.--Timothy J. Hillegonds, author of The Distance Between "An essential contribution to women's sports history and car racing collections."-- "Booklist, Starred Review"