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Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Motor sports > Car racing
The world of Champ Car auto racing had changed. As cars became more sophisticated, the cost of supporting a team had skyrocketed, making things difficult for team owners. In an effort to increase purses paid by racing promoters and win lucrative television contracts, a group of owners formed Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) in 1978. Soon after, CART split from its sanctioning body, the United States Auto Club (USAC). Though champ cars ran on numerous tracks, the Indianapolis 500 was the payday that supported most teams through the season. From the beginning, CART had most of the successful teams and popular drivers, and they focused on driving a wedge between the track owners and the USAC. Over the next 30 years, the tension between CART and USAC ebbed and flowed until all parties realized that reunification was needed for the sake of the sport. This book details the fight over control of Champ Car racing before reunification in 2008.
Set amid the glamour and bravado of 1980s Formula 1, The Power and the Glory tells the story of a rivalry unsurpassed in motor-racing history. By the mid-80s Alain Prost had firmly established himself as leader of the F1 pack. Winning Grands Prix almost at will, the French ace radiated invincibility. But then came the emergence of Ayrton Senna, sparking a decade-long battle for supremacy out on the track. Although chalk and cheese in terms of character and background, the two men were driven by the same burning desire: to become Formula 1's heavyweight champion of the world, its undisputed king. Senna and Prost would both go on to win multiple world championships in what was a golden era for F1 racing. Their Suzuka showdowns of 1988-90 attracted record worldwide audiences and popularised the sport as never before. An intimate portrait of two unique competitors, The Power and the Glory is a supercharged story of acrimony and sheer ambition.
"The sport of stock car racing continues to grow exponentially. Bigger tracks, with larger purses, have been added to the schedule. Television coverage is unparalleled. When Dale Earnhardt died on the final lap of the Daytona 500 in February of 2001, more people were watching that race than ever before. His untimely death, viewed in real time by millions, marked an end to something special, a period in NASCAR history the likes of which we may never see again." —From the Introduction Alan Kulwicki Bill France, Sr. Curtis Turner Joe Weatherly Exclusive insights into the man known as "The Intimidator" "At any time during any race he was in, there was only one question everyone asked: ‘Where's Earnhardt?’ He was the standard by which all other drivers were measured." —From the Introduction "My mind will drift to Dale Earnhardt. I guess I always feel these guys are invincible. I know they're not. You just miss having him around. There's a void there. It's not just his competitiveness or his ability—it's everything, just his being there." —Eli Gold, TV Commentator for NASCAR Visit us at www.hungryminds.com
'Captures the bold, engaging spirit of one of Britain's best-loved sporting heroes' Sunday Times 'A fascinating read and sure to be the definitive account of his life' Mark Knopfler SHORTLISTED FOR THE SPORTS WRITING BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD Even in the midst of a global pandemic, the death of Stirling Moss on 12 April 2020 at the age of 90 made headlines, almost 60 years after he retired from Formula One. In The Boy, Richard Williams assesses what made him such an iconic figure. Told in 60 brief chapters, Williams builds a fascinating and revealing portrait of a driver who was a hero to millions. As the long years of war began to recede, sport in Britain was getting moving again and there was a need for heroes. Denis Compton and Stanley Matthews were in their pomp, playing to packed houses. But Stirling Moss was a fresh face, just 17 years old when he first emerged in 1947. Too young to have served and been scarred by the war, he was soon revealed to possess not only an unearthly degree of skill but the qualities of courage and resolution noted in the generation that fought in the air and on land and sea. Their youth had been stolen; his was new and unspoiled. The Boy explains how and why he came to occupy such a unique place in the esteem and the affections of the nation. Why him, rather than some of his contemporaries, such as Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins, who shared a role in the rise of Britain as a power in international motor racing? Moss may never have been world champion, but he created a remarkable and enduring legacy, and Williams brilliantly shows just how he did it.
The Story of Mini is a pocket-sized and beautifully illustrated celebration of the iconic car. For more than 60 years, the Mini has been one of the most beloved and instantly recognisable cars on the road. From its humble beginnings with the British Motor Corporation in 1959, to the modern BMW-backed models of today, The Story of Mini tells the story of the car and the unique culture that has built up around it. Exploring the evolution of Mini design from the original two-door model - the most popular British car of all time - through to the diverse range of Minis available today, this book is an exceptionally designed tribute to the marque, and the people who helped create it. Touching on the Mini's impact on pop culture, as well as the racing heritage cultivated by the legendary John Cooper, and filled with stunning imagery and insightful commentary, The Story of Mini charts the history of this beloved brand in a small but perfectly formed package.
Lap of Honour offers a journey back to the golden age of motor racing, through the lens of a revived 60s schoolboy photographer. Tim Hain revisits his favourite haunts and heroes, and hitches a ride with Sir Stirling Moss, whose colourful foreword kick-starts the journey. 'I can't believe Tim has never held a press pass,' Stirling writes. 'His pictures are really great.' Here is a true 'fan's eye view' with evocative pictures and stories spanning 56 years, from 1962 to 2018. At the first Goodwood Revival in 1998, Hain's interest was reawakened after 35 years. All he wanted was a picture of his first hero; but he went on to photograph Moss in 33 cars, with his input on each, creating a unique portrait of 'The Maestro'. Tim encounters and interviews other 60s legends, candidly snaps a host of stars on and off the track, and gathers contributions from the likes of Murray Walker and musician Mark Knopfler. Lap of Honour has an intimacy, a sense of humour and a story behind every picture that makes it unlike any other book on motor racing.
Six victories, two pole positions, eight fastest laps and 13 podium places - statistics that are anything but striking. In Formula 1 today, there are drivers who have won a great deal more, but Gilles Villeneuve cannot be evaluated by numbers alone - simply because there is no way of measuring the level of excitement that he brought to racing. Even though he has been dead for over 30 years, the legend of the Canadian, who was killed on 8 May 1982, is still imbued with strong emotion - Gilles the "Aviator" as Enzo Ferrari nick-named him, the driver for whom the expression "Villeneuve Fever" was coined. From his "crazy flight" at Fuji in 1977, his first GP win at home in Canada in 1978, the unforgettable 1979 season followed by a year of purgatory, his epic success at Monaco in 1981 and the in-house duel with Didier Pironi at Imola in 1982, to that last "crazy flight" at Zolder. "Gilles Villeneuve: Immagini di una vita/A life in pictures" relives the legend, with previously unpublished pictures and authoritative text by Mario Donnini.
This acclaimed book tells the story of each of the 529 races in which the great Stirling Moss took part, from the start of his racing life in 1947 to his career-ending crash at Goodwood in 1962. Told in Sir Stirling's own words, the book is packed with detail and anecdote, supported by a wealth of photographs - many previously unpublished - that show all the greatest moments and the extraordinary variety of cars he drove. This is a book to treasure as well as a unique reference source.
The Ford GT 40, Alpine, Ferraris, BRM, Lotus, Mini Cooper and more, apotheoses of design and mechanical thunder, outdared each other continuously in pursuit of the top spot, in rallies and endurance races such as Le Mans. Indeed, it was in 1966 that one of the authors of this work, Johnny Rives, got to drive the n° 53 car down the Hunaudières straight. The drivers, whether at Le Mans, in hill-climbs or on the first circuits of what had not yet become the full circus that is Formula 1, were universally accessible and welcoming, smiling at amateurs and the media, who were not yet clustered in droves around the route or track. Amazing memories! Text in English and French.
Officially licensed with the ACO, the organisers of the annual Le Mans 24 Hours race, this sumptuous book is the seventh title in this decade-by-decade series and completes coverage of the endurance classic from its very beginning to the end of the 20th century. This title covers the nine races of the 1930s (no race was held in 1936) in which honours were divided between Italian, French and British manufacturers. Each race is exhaustively covered in vivid photographs, an insightful commentary providing more detailed information than has ever been published about the period, and full statistics. Compiled by an acknowledged authority of this legendary race, this series of books is treasured by all enthusiasts of sports car racing. In the 1930 race Bentley achieved its fourth consecutive success, Woolf Barnato and Glen Kidston the winning drivers in the very same 'Speed Six' with which they had won in 1929. Two of Britain's greats of the era, Earl Howe and Henry Birkin, won for Alfa Romeo in 1931, beginning a four-race victory streak for the Italian manufacturer. Tazio Nuvolari, the outstanding Grand Prix ace of the pre-war decade, secured an intensely dramatic last-lap victory in 1933 in the closest Le Mans finish to date. Lagonda (1935) and Delahaye (1938) secured a win each, while Bugatti took two with the great Jean-Pierre Wimille driving its innovative Type 57 'Tank' cars, with all-enclosing bodywork. Highly detailed year-by-year treatment of the decade's nine races, giving unprecedented depth of information and photographic coverage for each year. Official status provides a number of unique features, including the reproduction of photographs and full-colour race poster artwork from the ACO's archives.Complete data for each year includes technical regulations, entry list, circuit changes (with diagram), full results and category awards. The whole work is beautifully designed and presented.
"The legacy and mythology of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL-aka the "Sports Car of the Century"-is beheld through the genius lens of top automotive photographer Rene Staud ..." - Maxim "What a stroke of fate: 70 years of the SL, 70 years of Staud and 10 years of The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Book. You might even say: The star is reborn." - Maxim Australia This iconic sports car, from the first Mercedes 300 SL to its latest successors, proves that technology can indeed evolve into art. And who better to showcase this procession of pioneering automobiles than Rene Staud, whose striking photographs will captivate any enthusiast. This book, based on Staud's successful calendars, is an ode to an extraordinary vehicle whose spell stars such as Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Alfred Hitchcock have all fallen under. The elaborately orchestrated pictures show sleek curves and precision in every detail, conveying the passion for this breathtaking automobile. A photographic tribute to the "sports car of the century", covering the 70-year history of the 300 SL racing car models from 1952 to the latest SL generation. Text in English, German and French.
As Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc battle it out head-to-head in the most hotly contested championship in years, this in-depth book, with a foreword from Haas team principal Guenther Steiner, tells the story of how the sport evolved into the exhilarating high octane spectacle it is today. The new rules introduced in 2022 signal the greatest change to F1 in a generation, cracking the field wide open and seeing some of the most compelling and competitive races in the last 25 years. Technical changes aimed at levelling the playing field for the teams combined with the sport's tightening budget cap have made the races closer than ever. There will be more sprint races - trialled in 2021 - and greater fan interest driven by Netflix's hugely successful 'Drive to Survive' series. So, how did we get here? How did F1 become the acknowledged 'Pinnacle of Motorsport'? Simon Arron and Tony Dodgins have identified the 100 most significant changes to the series since its inception in 1950. Formula One is unrecognizable from its debut season, where drivers raced around on old bomber training aerodrome in Northamptonshire with oil drums to mark the corners and straw bales the only concession to safety. New fans will welcome a complete and highly illustrated guide to the history of F1, while older fans will be able to compare their own views of what were the pivotal moments of change, in a book written by experienced motoring writers with two lifetimes worth of knowledge of the sport. The book will link technical progress with the personalities involved, indeed many of the swiftest changes have come about as a result of accidents or tragedies - the death of Roland Ratzenberger at Imola in 1994, the same weekend as Ayrton Senna, could have been avoided by the HANS safety device. The introduction of the halo saved Romain Grosjean's life in Bahrain last year, but only came about because of the tragic accident that claimed Jules Bianchi in Japan. Along with changes to circuits and the technology of the cars, this book highlights the commercial changes and the controversies that threatened to split the sport apart - such as the threat of breakaway series proposed at various times by teams. A must-read for completists or for those new to the sport, F1: The Pinnacle is a fascinating insight into one of the most exciting and dangerous sports in the world.
"Tales from the Toolbox" is a unique collection of behind-the-scenes stories and anecdotes as told, in their own words, by former Grand Prix mechanics who have worked at the top level of the sport during the past 50 years. On the front line of the sport, mixing with drivers and team bosses, they saw a side of it that nobody else got to see and rarely gets to hear about - and this book tells their story. Chapters are themed around a particular aspect of a mechanic's life, ranging from what they consider the highs and lows of their career, to their opinions of drivers and team bosses, the all-nighters, letting off steam, the 'Mechanic's Gallon', nightmare journeys and customs capers. It also reveals a tale of camaraderie between teams and individual mechanics which is hard to imagine in today's highly competitive Formula One environment. The stories are supplemented by photographs from the archives and photo albums of the mechanics themselves, many of which are previously unseen.
An access-all-areas look inside the thrilling world of Formula One. Formula One is one of the most intense, complex and secretive sports on the planet. Recent documentaries such as Netflix’s Drive to Survive series have given a glimpse of life inside the paddock, but there are so many more stories from this high-stakes, globe-trotting world that remain untold. In F1 Confidential, Guardian journalist Giles Richards speaks to the men and women inside Formula One to reveal the inner workings of the world’s most glamorous motorsport. Featuring exclusive interviews with experts at every level – from drivers and team principals to engineers and pit mechanics – and from teams including Mercedes, Red Bull, McLaren and more, this is an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look inside a modern Formula One team. With a foreword by former F1 world champion Damon Hill and contributions from dozens of insiders – including Lando Norris, Christian Horner and Toto Wolff – each with their own fascinating stories, insights and revelations, F1 Confidential takes you inside Formula One like never before.
'That evening in the bars in Buckingham and adjacent towns there was only one topic of conversation - the Grand Prix .... motor-racing had 'arrived' in England.' - Motor Sport, 13 May 1950. The British Grand Prix is the oldest race on the Formula 1 calendar, having entertained race fans for over seventy years - and from Kent to Liverpool, the Mirrorpix photographers have been there every step of the way. The F1 World Championship at the British Grand Prix is a race through the highest and lowest moments of a sport that has given us Stirling Moss, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton.
Cars are one of the most significant human creations. They changed our cities. They changed our lives. They changed everything. But in the next thirty years, this technology will itself change enormously. If Google get their way, are we all going to be ferried around in tiny electric bubble-cars? Or will we watch robots race a bionic Lewis Hamilton? And what about the future of classic cars? In Autopia, presenter of The Gadget Show and former executive producer of Top Gear Jon Bentley celebrates motoring's rich heritage and meets the engineers (and coders) who are transforming cars forever. From mobile hotel rooms to electric battery technology; from hydrogen-powered cars to jetpacks, Autopia is the essential guide to the future of our greatest invention. Fully designed with illustrations and photographs, this will be the perfect Christmas gift for car and technology enthusiasts everywhere.
10 September 1961: at the boomerang-shaped racetrack at Monza half a dozen teams are preparing for the Italian Grand Prix. It is the biggest race anyone can remember. Phil Hill - the first American to break into the top ranks of European racing - and his Ferrari teammate, Count Wolfgang von Trips - a German nobleman with a movie-star manner - face one another in a race that will decide the winner of the Formula One drivers' championship. By the day's end, one man will clinch that prize. The other will perish face down on the track. Seeped in danger, seductive glamour and burning rivalry, this is the story of two young men living in the shadow of oblivion and dicing with death.
NASCAR held its first Strictly Stock race in Charlotte on June 19, 1949, and, in the following decades, dozens of large and small tracks throughout the Carolinas were home to a major NASCAR event. Called Grand National from 1950-1970, NASCAR's top circuit became the Winston Cup in 1971, and most of the dirt and small tracks were subsequently gutted from the schedule. Although a handful of those speedways tenuously held on through exploding popularity, and an influx of big corporate dollars, the transition to metropolitan markets and super speedways was inevitable. Some of the original tracks, like the North Wilkesboro Motor Speedway, still stand testament to the sport's not-too-distant past. Others, like the Charlotte Speedway, are long gone, leaving only memories and photographs. This is the story of every racetrack in North and South Carolina that held at least one big time race through 1971, but is no longer used for auto racing. Seven are one-race wonders, while others are as much racing legends as the sport's past champions. Chapters cover each track's big time history, from early background through its racing years to its current status. Included are the thrilling tales of the personalities and machines that shaped NASCAR's early days. Statistics chart every track's past winners, records, and wins by make. Nearly 150 photographs give the reader a virtual tour of speedways that are often inaccessible or nonexistent.
Max Verstappen is Formula 1's sensational new superstar. Born into motorsport, Max started karting aged four and in 2015 became the youngest driver ever to race in F1, less than six months after his 17th birthday. Following his first Grand Prix victory in 2016, he quickly established himself as a future World Champion and by 2021 his goal was in sight. Like a true Dutch Master, he has brought fresh artistry into F1 and made this most glamorous of sports even more exciting. This unauthorised biography, written by a leading Dutch F1 journalist, examines Max's remarkable rise to worldwide fame, covering every step of his career in detail as well providing insights into his spirited character and supreme talent.
This sumptuous book, a feast of nostalgia, celebrates the wonderful era of the European Formula 2 Championship, 1967-84, on the 50th anniversary of its beginnings. Formula 2 pitted emerging heroes against the greats of the day and virtually all the top Formula 1 drivers - names like Jackie Stewart, Jack Brabham, Graham Hill, Jochen Rindt and Bruce McLaren in 1967 - battled with young chargers in races that thrilled huge crowds at the best European circuits, from the Nurburgring to Brands Hatch. In bringing the glory days of Formula 2 back to life in this book, passionate author Chris Witty has interviewed many of the surviving protagonists to present a colourful and evocative retrospective, supported by the work of Jutta Fausel, who photographed Formula 2 races throughout this period. Birth of the European Formula 2 Championship in 1967, when Jacky Ickx (the writer of the book's foreword) became the first champion, driving a Tyrrell-entered Matra. French Matra cars propelled the next two champions, Jean-Pierre Beltoise (1968) and Johnny Servoz-Gavin (1969), both Frenchmen. Of all the manufacturers of Formula 2 cars, March achieved the most success, Ronnie Peterson (1971) becoming the first of six champions to win in these British-built cars. A fine all-British year, 1972, saw ex-motorcycle 'great' Mike Hailwood win the championship in a Surtees car. French champions in five consecutive years: Jean-Pierre Jarier (1973), Patrick Depailler (1974), Jacques Laffite (1975), Jean-Pierre Jabouille (1976) and Rene Arnoux (1977) dominated their era and all but Jarier went on to become Grand Prix winners. Toleman and Ralt cars - also made in Britain - emerged in the final years of the championship, which saw three more British champions: Brian Henton (1980), Geoff Lees (1981) and Jonathan Palmer (1983). The other champions were Clay Regazzoni (1970), Bruno Giacomelli (1978), Marc Surer (1979), Corrado Fabi (1980) and Mike Thackwell (1984). "
The subject of this book is Ferrari's racing history from 1960 to 1965, a period that was one of the most successful in the marque's history so far. In this era, which began with completion of the transition from front-engined to rear-engined configuration, Scuderia Ferrari won just about everything with a variety of iconic machinery that included the 'shark-nose' 156 and the fabled 250 GTO. Driving Formula 1 Ferraris, Phil Hill and John Surtees delivered two World Championship titles in the space of four years. Ferrari sports cars racked up a string of six consecutive victories in the Le Mans 24 Hours, a feat subsequently surpassed only by Porsche. This book covers this period in detail for the first time and exclusively features the work of one of the greatest racing photographers ever.
Jacky Ickx is one of the true greats of motor racing. In a career spanning nearly 40 years, he was both highly successful and hugely versatile, racing at the highest level in a wide variety of categories - including Formula 1, sports cars, touring cars and rally raids - and winning throughout. Among many accolades, he won the Le Mans 24 Hours an unprecedented six times and twice finished runner-up in the Formula 1 World Championship. This exhaustively researched book has been written with his full co-operation and outlines every one of the 565 races that he contested in cars and on motorcycles, forming a detailed and insightful record of his racing life supported by over 850 photographs, many of which have never been published before. This is a racing driver's biography of exceptional depth that all motorsport enthusiasts will treasure. Key content * Starting in motorcycle trials, Ickx was twice crowned Belgian champion before switching to four wheels; he immediately proved himself a winner in touring cars and single-seaters, becoming European Formula 2 Champion in 1967. * From 1967, he established himself as a star in sports cars, driving blue-and-orange Gulf Mirages and Ford GT40s to numerous successes, culminating in his first Le Mans victory in 1969 with its famously close finish. * Snapped up by Ferrari for 1968, he achieved a heroic first Formula 1 victory in that year's rain-soaked French Grand Prix, confirming his career-long reputation for peerless driving in wet weather. * Other than one season with Brabham, Ickx spent his best Formula 1 years with Ferrari, achieving eight wins in the period 1968-72, and twice finishing second in the World Championship standings, with Brabham (1969) and Ferrari (1970). * Post-Ferrari, his Formula 1 fortunes waned but he thrived in sports cars, claiming three successive Le Mans victories, with Mirage in 1975, then with Porsche. * After his fifth Le Mans win in 1981, the rebirth of sports car racing in the Group C era from 1982 saw Ickx as anchorman in the all-conquering works Porsche team, a four-year period that brought his record sixth Le Mans victory, 12 wins in total, and two World Champion titles. * After retirement from circuit racing, his later career took him into entirely different motorsport adventures in rally raids, where his Paris-Dakar record includes victory in 1983 (driving a Mercedes-Benz) and second places in 1986 (Porsche) and 1989 (Peugeot).
Raoul 'Sonny' Balcaen grew up in Los Angeles at a time when it became the epicentre of American motor racing, nurturing a vast talent pool of people whose influence has echoed through to today. As a teenager, he successfully competed with his home-built Top Fuel dragster during the formative years of the sport. With Lance Reventlow, he worked on the famous Scarab sports cars and was standing in the dyno room when the team's all-American Formula 1 engine was fired up for the first time. A period as Jim Hall's crew chief and a close association with Carroll Shelby added to the know-how that guided him towards becoming a successful entrepreneur and led to all that followed. This engaging memoir is the very personal history of a momentous time and place in which we meet a who's who of West Coast road-racing heroes. * Aged 17, Balcaen built his own Top Fuel drag racer, the 'Bantamweight Bomb', which he developed relentlessly and drove to many successes. * His role in the fabulous Scarab sports cars - the landmark all-American racers - and insights into life with their creator, the incomparable Lance Reventlow. * Working as crew chief to the brilliant Jim Hall, preparing and running his Lotus Eleven and Lister-Chevrolet long before the famous Chaparrals emerged. * A second spell with Scarab, this time with the Formula 1 project - the first American Grand Prix car - plus a special job for Reventlow converting a Scarab sports racer into a street car. * Onwards into setting up his own successful business, IECO (Induction Engineering Co), to create and sell high-grade performance and appearance accessories, with Chevrolets - especially Corvair and Vega - featuring strongly. * His many-faceted dealings with Carroll Shelby, leading to consultancy and even assignments as occasional Shelby American company pilot. * Along the way we meet many other big names of the era, including Chuck Daigh, Bruce Kessler, Warren Olson, Dick Troutman, Tom Barnes, Phil Remington, Ken Miles, Leo Goossen, Jim Travers, Frank Coon and Pete Brock. |
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