Update from the Founder, Andy - Hello from Charlotte NC!

Hi everyone! It’s been a while since my last email and that’s because we’ve had some big changes on the home front! I’m writing this from our new home in a suburb 20 minutes outside Charlotte, North Carolina. If I’ve been quiet, it’s because we were getting our Miami home ready to sell (countless showings), and once it sold we drove straight (okay… with a Disney pit stop) to Charlotte to house-hunt. Exhausting few months, but we’re settling in and loving being close to Lake Norman!

The upside of being here: this area is a major motorsports hub. It’s home to Penske, NASCAR, and most teams have HQs nearby. There are a ton of tracks. There are even folks here working on future F1 tech (think GM/Cadillac engines).

Also: so many racing people. When we went house hunting here we spotted racing sims in bonus rooms, lifts in garages, and the several serious-looking karts. My kind of people!
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Some Highlights from the past couple of months!

First stop after moving to North Carolina? The local indie bookstore, Main Street Books!

I had the pleasure of meeting the team, and they picked up copies of all our books—so you can now find Red Racer Books on the shelves at Main Street Books in Davidson, right alongside their amazing children’s section. If you’re in the greater Charlotte/Lake Norman area, pop in, say hi to the team, and browse this little gem by the lake. 📚🏎️✨ Shop local, discover something new, and if you spot our books, send me a pic! And if you’re local, stay tuned for upcoming events!

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INDYCAR GP in Nashville + Author Events

I made it to the last INDYCAR race in Nashville earlier this month and it was a blast. Nashville’s a great town; if you love music, go. I was there for a few reasons, including a book signing with Josef and Ashley for Josef’s BIG Dream and Goodnight Racetrack, and the launch of their new Newgarden Family Foundation at a super fun karting event.

I also got to do a school visit at Roy Waldron School in La Vergne where Katherine and I met close to 300 students—I read Kat’s Magic Helmet and Katherine inspired the kids with stories of pioneering on track.

And with Josef winning his hometown race, it was a perfect way to close out the INDYCAR season!

America’s Got F1 Talent

Did you hear about the newest F1 team coming to the grid next year? I can’t believe it’s finally happening. When they announced Checo and Bottas as drivers, it really hit home. I’m excited about this lineup and think it’s exactly what the Cadillac F1 team needs for launch. And if you missed it, American INDYCAR driver Colton Herta is moving to F2 to prep for a potential future seat. Big moves.

Katherine at the Brickyard

If you haven’t realized yet, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is special to me (see Goodnight Racetrack, Ashley Newgarden’s tribute to the iconic track). It was very cool to watch a totally different series race there. I’ve been to a couple of NASCAR races at Homestead near Miami, but seeing them at INDY was something else. Those vibrant cars around the historic pagoda on race day… chef’s kiss. And it was extra special to Katherine Legge (author of Kat’s Magic Helmet) race there again this time in both NASCAR races the Xfinity and Cup series race, where she had an impressive race finishing in top 15 to break a record. And she was wearing the same magic helmet from her book!!!

Ended the weekend with seeing Bubba Wallace from the 23x11 team (Michael Jordan’s team) win and kiss the bricks, another driver breaking boundaries in the sport.

My First NHRA Event (4-Wide!)

Back in North Carolina, the Charlotte Motor Speedway complex (less than 15 minutes from my kids’ school) includes zMAX Dragway—usually drag racing is two lanes but here it’s four wide. I took my son on Friday for the NHRA and we had a blast.

There are several different classes, from modified road cars to Funny Cars, Top Fuel dragsters, and even bikes. I was told to bring extra hearing protection and I’m glad I did...“earthquake” is not an exaggeration. The entire grandstand vibrates when these things fire off the line. Intense, exciting, unforgettable. Move over F1 V10s, these cars ROAR like nothing else. And yes, they go over 300 mph / 480 kph (that’s not a typo).

🏁 Thanks for Being on This Ride

Thanks for reading and for cheering on this little indie press as we try to make racing welcoming and understandable for every kid (and plenty of grown-ups, too). Whether you’re F1-only or NASCAR-curious, I’m glad you’re here. 🏁📚

— Andy
Founder & Publisher, Red Racer Books

Small Independent Publisher Dedicated to Children's Motorsports Books