BOOK REVIEW: “All of It” by Geoff Bodine and Dominic Aragon
by Brock Beard / LASTCAR.info Editor-in-Chief
“All of It” chronicles the extraordinary career of NASCAR Winston Cup Series veteran Geoff Bodine, from his modest upbringing working on the family farm to becoming one of NASCAR’s 75 greatest drivers.
This is indeed a timely read for Hendrick Motorsports’ 40th anniversary season that just concluded last week. The complete story of that critical win at Martinsville in 1984 is just one of many described with excellent detail. Yes, you learn about his biggest wins, but also the ones that got away – personal memories not often caught while watching a race broadcast, or reading an article.
Bodine has long been one of NASCAR’s most outspoken drivers, and much like his on-track rival Dale Earnhardt, has experienced many of the sport’s biggest moments firsthand. In fact, Bodine’s racing career extended a full decade after Earnhardt’s passing, extending another decade into the “Chase” era of the sport. It’s doubly interesting for a driver from New York at a time when the sport was still predominately filled with drivers and teams from the south.
What’s strange is you don’t really get a sense of Bodine aging into the veteran driver he became. Co-author Dominic Aragon presents the story with good internal momentum, breaking down the cause-and-effect of each moment. In so doing, he illustrates how Bodine maintained a youthful enjoyment of the sport. It actually makes his retirement from the sport a bit surprising, which speaks to the inner drive of Bodine himself.
Because of this, it was a brilliant choice by Aragon to keep the story in first-person perspective. You can tell this was the result of exhaustive interviews. He’s captured Bodine’s tone so clearly you can imagine sitting there with the driver as he’s telling you all this. He’s just as candid about his personal life as his performance on track, which casts the boisterous driver in a humble, even vulnerable light. This becomes particularly significant in describing the most harrowing experience of his career – his Truck Series wreck at Daytona in 2000. There, time slows down, and you fully comprehend what it was to not only survive, but return to the track.
In describing these moments, Bodine pulls no punches. Whether driving for Cliff Stewart, Rick Hendrick, Junior Johnson, or himself, he goes into great detail how each deal came together, and why they ended. He’s quite candid about many of his biggest sponsorship deals – including deals that fell through - and his continued pursuit for a championship. I was particularly interested to learn about his experiences in Cup during the last 15 years of his career, including his time driving for Joe Bessey, James Finch, and Tommy Baldwin. It’s in there – this is, indeed, “All of It.”
Bodine also shares his knowledge of the cars themselves, describing how specific setup choices contributed to certain outcomes, or what part failure or damage cost him a win. Through it all, he maintains a positive outlook, steeled by the support of his family and his deep religious faith, which forms the book’s conclusion.
Aragon has also included various block quotes from Bodine’s contemporaries, which give the book the feel of a documentary. Fellow drivers, crew chiefs, and others share their thoughts on moments Bodine describes, giving a fuller understanding of each story. The last several chapters also offer a broader understanding of Bodine away from the race track, covering his faith, his involvement in the design of Olympic bobsleds, and his goodwill visits with members of the armed forces.
Overall, “All of It” is an enjoyable read and a revealing account of one of stock car racing’s superstars. It is currently available on Amazon and at other booksellers in paperback, published by Trilogy Christian Publishers.
