Reviews of Starfire Kids - Midnight Blue Express
I need to say this: I own many, many books on sled racing, and auto racing as well. Starfire Kids is perhaps my most treasured book! It takes me inside the Polaris Factory Team like I never imagined I could go. Since I used to attend oval races all during the 70s in places like Lancaster, N.H., Bangor, Maine, and saw Sno Pro at Scarborough downs, those stores hold special meaning for me. THANK YOU, Larry, for making the incredible effort it must have been to assemble "Starfire Kids." #LoveIt
Phil Whipple
Larry... I just finished the book. What a fantastic job! I am blown away at the details in the contents of the book! Its been a long time for me and I'd forgotten a lot of it, but your account of the stuff I was involved in is spot on...It certainly brought back memories for me. Very well done! [Bob] Eastman taught me so much about getting good people and let them do their thing. I used his advice so many times during my career. Thank you again for writing the book and for the kind words about me, especially the note in the front.
Gary Mathers, Polaris Race Director, 1971-1975, Motorcycle Museum Hall of Famer
This book will not only be of special interest to Polaris fans but also to others interested in snowmobile history. It is a result of many hours of interviews with various people mentioned within and includes insights that may change one's perceptions of the early history of the sport.
Jim Beilke, Hall of Famer, Creator of Race & Rally and Snowtech Magazine
A STELLAR SLICE OF RACING HISTORY This book made me think, reflect, laugh, and cry. Great entertainment, no matter what the form, runs the gamut of emotions. What more could a reader ask for!
Scott Robbins
A FRONT ROW SEAT TO THE GLORY DAYS OF POLARIS AND ITS ALMOST UNSTOPPABLE RACE TEAM!
Jim Haug, Polaris Industries
Very well written with facts and pics you will not find anywhere else.
Bruce Kilmer - Pro VIntage Racing
The way the book is written, it makes you feel as if you were a part of the team! One can almost hear the sound, smells the 2 stroke fume, and feel the excitement as one-page cant be turned to the next fast enough! A very well written, and thoroughly researched story of a time in snowmobile history that will never be repeated, told with the enthusiasm of the little kid who got to spend the weekend with his hero's.
Anonymous
GREAT READ ON THE HISTORY OF SNOWMOBILE OVAL RACING Great history lessons for the beginnings of oval racing and its rise and fall.
Anonymous
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A POLARIS FAN TO ENJOY THIS BOOK! Larry Preston did an amazing job with this book. It helps that much of it was from my era. My only negative comment would be that the wonderful pictures should have captions. Thank you Larry for bringing back some great memories!
Don Amber
THE BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ My frist race was in 1971 , and your book has brought back a lot of memories , and thare is so much I didn't now about the racers and the thing thay did to the the sleds, thanks !
Nimsy
WORTH EVERY PENNY What Larry Preston does so well in this book is highlight personalities and events off the track that contribute to understanding in more depth the people and events of this great era. For example Larry Rugland's unfortunate encounter with the Butte Montana Police or attitudes after Bob Eastman's career ending accident, reveal the work hard/play harder camaraderie and closeness between all of the SnoPro racers of that time. In addition he deftly uses different stories to illustrate the timely confluence of such people as Gordon Rudolph and Jerry Bunke in creating the IFS Polaris race sled. A terrific book; I would recommend it to anyone.
Paul Lauer
I just received my book and delved into it.it is very well versed and in language any age group can understand.it is very important to learn about the past before the story tellers have passed.an excellent read and thank-you Larry for your hard work and devotion to this projectI
Justin Kramilius, Sault Canada
STARFIRE KIDS REVIEW This is by far the most interesting book I have read in years, it tells the stories behind all the pictures and article's I saw & read back in the day, I was totally mesmerized during the sno-pro era and had never heard such behind the scenes stories, what a great read. Super job Larry.
Jim
AN IN DEPTH LOOK AT THE MOST SUCCESSFUL RACE TEAM EVER
While I just received my copy of Larry's great book, I am well into it. Reading his first chapter about meeting Bob Eastman brought back memories. I was 18 in 1974, and saw Bob at Boonville, but couldn't get close enough for an autograph. Like Larry, my heroes were Bob Eastman, Don Omdahl, Greg Grahn, and others like Roger Jannsen, Larry Coltom, Jim Adema and Yvon Duhamel.
I can tell Larry spent a great deal of time researching this book and I enjoy him giving the reader the story from the very beginning. And like Larry, I gave up on sleds in 1976, only to return in 2002, when I bought a vintage sled and now I have four. So, I missed all the great years of the incredible RXLs and Jerry Bunke. After Eastman retired, I gave up on racing and after the 75 PDC season ended, it was evident the writing was on the wall about USSA oval racing. Sadly, a great time and I am happy to say I witnessed it first hand. Great job Larry.
George Mattar
THANKS FOR A GREAT TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE!
I grew up in central Iowa during the 1970's. My small town was the home to the Polaris Distributor for the state of Iowa. I spent much of my childhood winter days on Polaris sleds ('69 Colt, '76 Colt SS, and '80 TX-C). My uncles and neighbors all raced Polaris sleds and some of my earliest memories were of going to local races. While I had a first-hand experience of local racing, I always waited for my issue of "Snow Week," to arrive so I could find out what was happening on the larger racing stage.
This retelling of the Polaris racing story is something I will treasure and re-read. I've read through the book carefully over the past 3 days since it arrived. I haven't been able to put it down. Larry Preston did a fine job. I hope that some of the other brands will tell their story too! Thanks again!
Gregg L.J. Hemmen
WHAT A BOOK!
The book is very well written! It feels like I'm along side the crew and the team. Thanks Larry for all your hard work and efforts you have poured into this passion!
Scott Bunke
AWESOME BOOK LARRY
This book brought many memories of my teenage years. growing up in upstate n.y. i used to go to Weedsport speedway on Thursday nites under the lights. can't wait to finish reading! thanks again Larry.
Dave Wiesner aka "D-Max"
WOW! Great memories revisited. Thoroughly enjoyed the inside stories. Unfortunately the ending couldn't be changed.
Mike