"A Man In Full", by Tom Wolfe is an extremely racist book. Agree, disagree, why?

I mean, I've read it 3 times straight through, and I am stymied here. It's one of three things: A) He's extremely racist, or the main character is; B) He's playing on the audience's sense of stereotypes, showing them for what they are; or C) He knows the stereotypes and is giving his audience what he thinks they want. Other options? I can't imagine that an author of his stature would be that blatant, but maybe he can "get away with it" because of that stature? Or am I just being stupid here? If you've read it at all, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Thanks all!