UNM alum publishes book with racing legend

It's not every day a Lobo becomes a published author alongside a NASCAR legend and remembers to thank their professor.

UNM alumnus Dominic Aragon is celebrating the release of All of It: Daytona 500 Champion Tells the Rest of the Story. Aragon's publication of the life and legacy of racer Geoff Bodine has alreadyreceived stellar reviews, with copies available across major retailers.

"It has been a dream come true to have worked with my racing hero Geoff Bodine and to tell his story. It was an honor to work with the Bodine's. Of all the people he knows and could have picked, I am forever grateful he took a chance on a small-town kid from Grants, New Mexico to tell the story," Aragon said.

Before he hit the shelves, though, Aragon was a UNM student earning his bachelor's in mass communication and journalism. He started reporting on the sport of racing in 2009 and was inspired to further combine his passion and writing skills into a tell-all tale of Bodine.

"It is Bodine's tell-all story about his time on the racing circuit, his personal life, and his faith journey.I think it's a great book in the fact that it appeals to all: the die-hard race fan, the casual race fan, and the non-race fan. There's something in it for everybody," Aragon said.

Aragon pitched this book as a UNM student, and Bodine, an 18-time NASCAR Cup Series winner, and 1986 Daytona 500 winner, heard him out.

"He's experienced the highs and lows of professional motorsports, and life. I had gotten to know Bodine over the years with my work covering the sport of NASCAR and pitched my help to tell his story in a book while I was still at UNM. He agreed!" Aragon said.

It took Aragon from 2015 to 2023 to co-author the book with Bodine, and it officially debuted in February 2024. He says he could not have gotten that confident start on an auto-biography without the help of UNM Communication & Journalism Professor Michael Marcotte, who helped him through graduation and beyond.

"He's a fine, upstanding young man, teaching high school in Grants while running a race car news service and, as it turns out, helping write autobiographies," Marcotte said. "The Dominic I knew at UNM is still the Dominic I know today - curious, bright, respectful, and very hard-working! A professor's dream!"

Marcotte oftentimes knows his students succeed, but it's another thing entirely to see it firsthand.

"He asked to meet me to hand me a copy of the book, and it was all very delightful. Professors don't always get that kind of appreciation! It's perhaps the ultimate reward for a teacher of reporting and writing to see a former student out in the world, successfully publishing their work," Marcotte said.

Alongside never giving up on this book, Aragon is now the editor-in-chief for online publication The Racing Expert. Between that and the connections the book is helping him further develop in the racing world, his career is speeding ahead.

"It feels amazing to see this project from start to finish. It hasn't completely sunk in that the book is out," Aragon said. "I've been amazed at the reception of the book from race fans, the media and some of Geoff's former competitors. I wanted to make sure I helped Geoff tell his story as best as possible."

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