A busload of unlikely travel companions, thrown together by accident, luck, or choice, begins a modern-day pilgrimage to honor the memory of seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt. With track insider Harley Claymore as tour director, the improbable pilgrims begin a journey of the NASCAR circuit. From Bristol to Daytona, they leave wreaths and heartfelt messages for "The Intimidator."

The Dale Earnhardt Memorial Pilgrimage is the last trip Judge Bekasu Holifield would have chosen for her vacation. But this year it's her sister Justine's turn to make their plans, and soon Bekasu's boarding a silver cruise bus for a tour of Southern stock car speedways with Justine, their cousin Cayle, and a group of strangers--all of whose lives have somehow been touched by the legendary racer they never met. . . For Shane McKee, the tour is a chance to get married at the speedway with his hero there in spirit. New York stockbroker Terence Palmer has made the trip to honor his only link with the father he never knew. Rev. Bill Knight, whose hobby is medieval pilgrimages, agrees to chaperone a dying child--and finds himself on a strangely familiar journey of faith and devotion. Bekasu begins connecting with her fellow travelers in unexpected ways. But she's not the only one. As the bus rolls down an uncertain road, prayers will be answered, secrets will be revealed, bonds will be forged, and no one will leave this journey of self-discovery quite the same. "One of McCrumb's finer achievements." --Denver Post & Rocky Mountain News "A wild ride! Sharyn McCrumb has done it again." --Ward Burton, winner of the Daytona 500