ONCE AROUND THE TRACK

Take one handsome has-been NASCAR driver named Badger; team him with an all-female pit crew, staff, and investors; add a "Viagra for women" sponsor--and you have a recipe for disaster or success. Neither really happens, but this is a fun story anyway. Nicole Poole delivers the narrative parts with just a hint of a drawl. Further, she aptly plays each of the women who revolve around Badger--love-struck engineer Taryn, devious publicist Sark, tough crew chief Grace, slimy manager Melodie. Poole especially brings out Badger's naïveté and "aw-shucks" niceness. There's lots of detail about racing and the NASCAR circuit, which adds to this satisfying, if not thrilling, drama. J.B.G. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2008]