The Last Lap by William T. Walker Jr. is a gripping, novel-like exploration of the life and mysterious 1934 Indianapolis 500 practice crash that killed driver Pete Kreis and his mechanic, delving into Kreis's rise from rural Tennessee to international racing stardom, the tragic collapse of his wealthy family, and the unresolved enigma of his death, deemed the "strangest in racing history" by a 1935 coroner's jury.