Don’t Thank God, Thank The Crash Test Dummies That Came Before You — Frank Allison

$18.00

Frank Allison’s debut poetry collection, Don’t Thank God, Thank The Crash Test Dummies That Came Before You, sinks the reader into the mythos surrounding the highest league of motorsport racing, Formula 1. Developed out of the sense that there was a bloody, beating heart waiting to be cracked open beneath the champagne soaked veneer of F1, Don’t Thank God will drag you straight into the heart of the action. This collection will send you careening at breakneck speeds through the schedule of a race weekend, from media day all the way through to the post-race comedown. From the guts required to succeed against all odds, to the unwavering faith it takes to keep returning to a sport that does not often love its participants back, this collection serves as a heart-wrenching love letter to motorsport and the people who devote their lives to it.

Frank Allison’s debut poetry collection, Don’t Thank God, Thank The Crash Test Dummies That Came Before You, sinks the reader into the mythos surrounding the highest league of motorsport racing, Formula 1. Developed out of the sense that there was a bloody, beating heart waiting to be cracked open beneath the champagne soaked veneer of F1, Don’t Thank God will drag you straight into the heart of the action. This collection will send you careening at breakneck speeds through the schedule of a race weekend, from media day all the way through to the post-race comedown. From the guts required to succeed against all odds, to the unwavering faith it takes to keep returning to a sport that does not often love its participants back, this collection serves as a heart-wrenching love letter to motorsport and the people who devote their lives to it.

“Don’t Thank God by Frank Allison is a visceral, up-close look at the emotions of not only Formula One, but motorsport as a whole. The poems mix ambition with self-doubt, fear with love, and unpredictable danger with the relentless pursuit of victory. 

Allison beautifully juxtaposes risking one’s physical and mental well-being to win (“Reluctance is a death sentence in this line of work”) with the sometimes trivial nature of the trophy itself (“What more are you than furniture in a rich man’s house?”). This book encapsulates the primal need to risk it all in motorsport—not just because it’s all you’ve ever known, but because it’s all you ever want to know. 

It’s the perfect addition to your motorsport collection. I guarantee you won’t find anything else like it.”

—Alanis King, co-author of Racing With Rich Energy

“The Don’t Thank God Thank the Crash Test Dummies That Came Before You poems capture the essence of Formula 1 in all its glory—the fierce competition, the strategy, the teamwork, and the relentless pursuit of victory. But what truly sets this book apart is Frank Allison's ability to delve into the human side of the sport. The book explores the emotions of the drivers, the dedication of the teams, and the triumphs and heartbreaks that make this sport a rollercoaster of emotions.”

—Kate Lizotte and Nicole Sievers, Two Girls One Formula Podcast

Frank Allison is a queer Jewish writer residing in Cincinnati, Ohio. She studied Creative Writing with an emphasis in poetry for five years, at an art school she will not name. Frank is the author of Don’t Thank God, Thank The Crash Test Dummies That Came Before You. She loves fast cars, throwing knives, and hot coffee. You can find them on social media at @frankwithaknife