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Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Motor sports > Car racing > General
Presenting the ultimate souvenir for the legions of Formula 1 fans.
They will devour this extremely visual and authorized biography of
one of the great all-time racing teams, featuring many
never-before-seen images. Ex-driver Frank Williams and engineer
Patrick Head established the team in 1977, and since its inception
they have created an exclusive, hand-selected archive of the best
photographs of their team and its successes: here they are,
released for the first time. Devotees can relive the sweet taste of
first victory, the team's move into the big time, the partnership
with Renault, the incredible period when Williams won 4
championships in 6 seasons, and many other unforgettable
moments.
One of NASCAR's greatest stories is brought to life in this
meticulous, highly entertaining replay of the day that changed
everything for the sport. ""Joe Menzer has done an excellent job in telling the story of
one ofNASCAR's most important races, a tale that includes the
vibrant storiesof the cast of characters who participated."" ""A magnificent book, one that should be in the library of every
diehard race fan."" It could so easilyhave been a disaster . . . Everyone knew it, from CBS executives and owners of local CBS affiliates to NASCAR founder Big Bill French to driver and NASCAR booster Darrell Waltrip. If anything went wrong with the first-ever live, start-to-finishbroadcast of America's premier stock car race, a lot of people were going to lose a lot of money. It would also be the last-ever live broadcast of a NASCAR event. The Great American Gamble tells the gripping tale of the event that instead made NASCAR the multibillion dollar powerhouse it is today: the 1979 Daytona 500. Based on new interviews with all the major drivers in the race andothers involved, including Richard Petty, crew chief Dale Inman andKyle Petty, Bobby Allison and Donnie Allison, Cale Yarborough, BennyParsons, Junior Johnson, Buddy Baker, Darrell Waltrip, A. J. Foyt, Ned Jarrett, Humpy Wheeler, Ken Squier, Richard Childress, Jim Hunter, David Pearson, Doug Rice, Ricky Rudd, Geoffrey Bodine, Sterling Marlin, Marvin Panch, Leonard Wood, Eddie Wood, Larry McClure, and Michael Waltrip, this is the ultimate, high-octane account of the most important race inNASCAR history.
The voice of motor racing and much loved public figure - and the man responsible for introducing millions of viewers to the previously inaccessible world of Formula 1 - tells the story of his incident-packed life, with a brand new chapter on his globetrotting adventures since retirement. Murray Walker is a national treasure. When the man who made famous the catch phrase 'Unless I'm very much mistaken... I AM very much mistaken!!!' announced that he was retiring as ITV's Grand Prix commentator, the media reacted as if the sport itself was losing one of its biggest stars. His reputation for mistakes was the making of Walker. He was the fan who happened to be given the keys to the commentary box - and never wanted to give them back. His high-octane delivery kept viewers on the edge of their seats, while his passion for talking about the sport he loved was matched by an all-encompassing knowledge gained through hours of painstaking research before every race. In his book he writes about his childhood and the influence that his father, British motorcycle champion Graham Walker, had on his career. Failing to match his father's achievements on the track after active service in World War II, he made a successful career for himself in advertising which catapulted him to the top of his profession. An offer from the BBC to take over the commentary seat for their F1 broadcasts was too good to turn down, and it wasn't long before the infamous 'Murrayisms' enlivened a sport which until then had been shrouded in a cloak of unfathomable technical jargon and mind-numbing statistics. He also talks about the biggest changes in the sport over the last 50 years, in particular the safety issues which came to the fore after the tragic death of Ayrton Senna, which he witnessed first hand. His partnership with James Hunt behind the microphone is the subject of some hilarious anecdotes, while his views on drivers past and present such as Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart, Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher make for fascinating reading.
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.
Prior to World War I, auto racing featured expensive machines and teams financed by auto factories. The teams toured the country, and most of the races were held in large cities, so the vast majority of Americans never saw a race. All this changed after World War I, though, and in the 1920s and 1930s there were approximately 1,000 dirt tracks in the United States and Canada. The dirt tracks offered small-time racing--little prize money and minimal publicity--but people loved it. This pictorial history documents dirt track racing, with what are today called sprint cars, around the United States from 1919 to 1941. Information on dirt track racing in Canada during this time is also provided. Regionally divided chapters detail the drivers, tracks, and specific races of each area of the country. Some of the drivers went on to win fame and fortune while others faded into obscurity. Tracks included well known facilities as well as out-of-the-way sites few people had ever heard of. The cars ranged from state of the art machines to the more common home built specials based on Model T or Model A Ford parts. Taken together, the drivers, tracks, and races of this era were instrumental in making auto racing the popular sport it is today.
"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
The first authorised biography of one of Britain's best-loved sportsmen. Sir Stirling Craufurd Moss raced professionally over 500 times until his near fatal crash in 1962. At the end of his racing career, he was the most famous Briton - no footballer, jockey, boxer or pop star has approached the national adulation Moss received. In this book Robert Edwards recounts the life of this extraordinary man, whose tally of wins was proportionately higher than that of any other driver, ever, by a wide margin. During his colourful racing career, Stirling Moss was incredibly gifted and competitive, and he has talked in detail to Robert Edwards about his eventful life, from the bullying at school which helped forge his competitive spirit to the crash that almost ended his life.
THE BUGATTI QUEEN is the beautifully illustrated story of an indomitable and fascinating woman, a pioneer of motorsport who revelled in danger. Born in 1900 in a tiny French village, Helene Delangle, aka Helle Nice, became a dancer and a stripper before catching the eye of Ettore Bugatti. Seduced by the combination of machines and speed, Helle Nice went on to have an unprecedented career, competing in numerous Grands Prix and becoming the only woman to drive on the treacherous American speedbowls in the 1930s. She set new land-speed records before a notorious accident which almost ended her racing days. Re-creating her rollercoaster career with authority and panache from many previously unpublished sources, Miranda Seymour reveals the story of an unforgettable life and sheds new light on the extraordinary and reckless world of motor-racing between the wars.
The first quarter of the 20th century was a time of dramatic change in auto racing, marked by the move from the horseless carriage to the supercharged Grand Prix racer, from the gentleman driver to the well-publicized professional, and from the dusty road course to the autodrome. This history of the evolution of European and American auto racing from 1900 to 1925 examines transatlantic influences, early dirt track racing, and the birth of the twin-cam engine and the straight-eight. It also explores the origins of the Bennett and Vanderbilt races, the early career of "America's Speed King" Barney Oldfield, the rise of the speedway specials from Marmon, Mercer, Stutz and Duesenberg, and developments from Peugeot, Delage, Ballot, Fiat, and Bugatti. This informative work provides welcome insight into a defining period in motorsports.
Gifted with a rare blend of superior ability and unshakeable nerves, Michael Schumacher is the outstanding Formula One driver of his generation. Over the past 15 seasons he has won an unprecedented seven world drivers' championships and in the process has captured the imagination of fans all over the world. For all his success, Schumacher is also a controversial figure, feared for his ruthless tactics and despised for using extreme methods in pursuit of success. From his first Grand Prix with Jordan to his Benetton world championships and his attempt to win back Ferrari's crown, this is a thorough and engaging look at Schumacher's entire racing career. The story behind Schumacher's record five consecutive world titles is uncovered, and his impact on the racing world as a whole following his retirement is examined. Frank, honest, and adroit, this is an in-depth look at the life and career of a champion.
Christopher Hilton documents the race that caused the worst crash in motor racing history in this new and full study of the fateful day. Through a host of interviews - with drivers, team members, journalists and spectators - and original research at Le Mans, Hilton examines the aftermath of the crash that has affected what we see of motorsport on our television screens today. The worst crash in motor racing history - killing more than 80 people - was produced by a ferocious and haunting combination of circumstances: nationalism, raw speed, the nature of a 24-hour race, and chance. The crash drew in Mike Hawthorn, the blond playboy from Farnham, in a Jaguar, and Juan-Manuel Fangio, one of the greatest drivers of all, in a Mercedes. A crowd of 250,000 watched hypnotised as Hawthorn set out to break Fangio, the two cars going faster and faster...and faster. Another English playboy, Lance Macklin, was caught up in the crash in his Austin-Healey, along with a 50-year-old Frenchman driving under the assumed name of Pierre Levegh. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It cost him his life, even as his car was torn to pieces that scythed into the dense crowd. After 6.2 7pm on 11 June 1955 nothing would ever be the same again and the consequences of the momentous crash are still being felt. In this new and full study of the fateful day, Christopher Hilton sets the race itself in the context of the 1950s. Through a host of interviews - with drivers, team members, journalists and spectators - and original research at Le Mans and in the Mercedes archive in Stuttgart, he recreates every aspect of the race and the crash. Much of the material has never been seen before. He examines the aftermath - the bitter blame game, the conflicting testimonies, the direct threat to motorsport in Europe - and chronicles the beginning of the culture of safety that has affected what we see of motorsport on our television screens today.
The story of Ford's original, home-grown small cars, the Mustang II and Pinto. Follow their progress through a difficult decade when Henry took on the imports, battled bureaucracy and gave America the economy and sports luxury subcompacts they wanted. This book details the successful design, building and sale of these small American Fords that faced domestic and foreign rivals. Mustang II and Pinto went through many permutations, appearance and performance packages - options that have helped the cars become collectible classics, and are prime examples of the decade the pony car survived. Going beyond stock standard were the customizers and racers that pushed the cars and their designs to the limit. Mustang II and Pinto graced enthusiast car magazine covers, and became stars in TV and films. They were small cars that made a big impact, and kept the Mustang galloping. Marc Cranswick draws on his lifelong passion for iconic American cars and this book delivers another unique insight into these models. His other books include Ford Midsize Muscle - Fairlane, Torino & Ranchero; MOPAR Muscle - Barracuda, Dart & Valiant; and Pontiac Firebird - The Auto-Biography.
Today, one cannot escape the fact that the words 'Porsche' and 'racing' go hand in hand. This book follows Porsche's year-by-year progress in top flight racing, and looks in detail at the pure competition cars that brought the German marque such immense success on the tracks and worldwide acclaim. This particular volume starts with the story of the giant-killing 550 Spyders of 1953 vintage, and takes the reader through a series of racing models, including the glorious 917, up to 1975 via contemporary photography and words from an acknowledged Porsche authority. A second volume covers the years 1976 onwards. The book includes detailed year by year coverage of Porsche's top class racing exploits, accompanied by over 600 excellent photos.
This complete racer's reference is the perfect resource for all drivers from novice to expert. The fundamentals of fast driving are revealed in this definitive how-to book for racers. You will find the competition-proven methods of instructors and of professional drivers that will give you the know-how to work up the track and stay at the front. Interested in the world of racing? Just think, you can have all of the lessons and insights from Skip Barber instructors and from professional racers compiled in one handbook. This racing reference reveals the secrets of mastering car control, reducing lap times, as it takes the reader inside the world of racing. Going Faster! is the definitive book for the active race driver, the racer-to-be, and the auto-racing fan who wants to know what driving a racecar is really about.
The fifth volume in the Car Racing series charts 1969, the year of avoiding unnecessary risk. Le Mans circuit, 14 June 1969. Silence reigns. In a matter of seconds, the din will rise from the engines of 45 cars roaring to life. Into this sonic gap, a man strides towards his destiny. Unlike his neighbours, he does not run. He walks to forestall superfluous danger. At the risk of ruining the race for his crew - and for Ford. Jacky Ickx has just said no to unnecessary risk, no to herringbone starts at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with drivers leaping into their cars without taking the time to properly strap themselves in before launching full throttle into the race. Three years earlier, stuck upside down with a back injury and trapped in the cockpit of his BRM he had just spun around on the first lap of the Belgian Grand Prix, Jackie Stewart felt gasoline gushing over him. A mere spark would have spelled tragedy. From this nightmare moment onwards, the Scottish driver campaigned against dangerous circuits and imposed the first safety standards. In 1969, Jacky Ickx - the 'GT40 walker' - won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, even as Jacky Stewart was crowned victor of the Formula 1 World Championship in his Matra MS80. Text in English and French. Also available: Car Racing 1965, 9782702210963 Car Racing 1966, 9782702211014 Car Racing 1967, 9782702211113 Car Racing 1968, 9782702211236
The 24th and final edition of the Mille Miglia, held on the 11th and 12th of May 1957, has passed into history above all due to the tragic circumstances of the accident involving de Portago and Nelson's Ferrari 335S, which crashed in the latter stages of the race near Mantua. It was however, also a race characterised by a bitter struggle amongst the Maranello marque's drivers, a duel that never happened with Moss and Jenkinson's Maserati 450S and the last career win for Piero Taruffi. Behind all this, there was also another story, one equally as fascinating and rich in incident, that of the crews racing in the minor classes: from the Tuned Touring and the 750 classes to the Gran Turismo and Sport 750 and 1000 categories. This previously neglected story of "little" cars and almost unknown drivers is recounted by Carlo Dolcini, a painstaking and accurate historian, who has reconstructed in engrossing detail the "minor" episodes of those days, drawing on a wealth of photographic documentation.
The third volume in the 'Car Racing' collection, 1967 bears witness to the gradual appearance of colour. Photographers henceforth juggled rolls of both black & white and colour film as they ventured as close as possible to the drivers and throngs entranced with speed and competition. Industries and automobile marques understood the full import of the tremendous platform motorsport offered them, and became ever more enthusiastic to share their stories and victories with the public. Many are mentioned in these pages, including Ford's extraordinary epic with the Cosworth engine and triumph at Le Mans. This volume also showcases portraits of drivers from Francois Cevert to Bruce McLaren, and touches on the careers of legendary designers such as Jean Redele, Colin Chapman and Jim Hall... In their lively commentary, Johnny Rives and Manou Zurini take evident pleasure in recalling old acquaintances from the pitched fever of the track, joyfully sharing their knowledge through anecdotes and memories. Text in English and French.
Occasionally a spark of inspiration can become the catalyst for transition. Just such an occasion took place with the construction of Thompson Speedway in 1940, a five-eighth-mile banked oval track, dubbed "The Indianapolis of the East." A road course joined to the oval in 1952 enlarged the track to form the first privately-owned complex where sports car drivers could race safely. It transformed the face of sports car racing in America, and hastened the demise of the dangerous open-road events together with the majority of flat and boring airfield race venues. These two volumes tell the story of the ground-breaking racetrack and, as far as possible, detail the drivers and cars that participated in the races. They are profusely illustrated with contemporary photographs showing well-known drivers such as Briggs Cunningham, Bill Lloyd, Bill Spear, Lance Reventlow, Walt Hansgen, George Constantine and Denise McCluggage in action driving Maseratis, Jaguars, Porsches, Coopers, Ferraris and other makes that they imported from Europe and that are now in such popular demand. Today, the Raceway has been regenerated and runs as a successful venture under the control of Jonathan Hoenig, great-grandson of the original owner. Volume One, The Formative Years: 1945-1959, covers the years 1938-1960 and describes the development of sports car racing at Thompson as early as 1945. It explains the politics involved between land-owner, John Hoenig, and Raceway manager George Weaver, and their unsuccessful attempts to establish a working relationship. Their disagreements led to the development of the Raceway's second layout by Weaver as it separated from the Speedway Oval in 1958. Volume Two, Changing Fortunes: 1960-1977, sees Hoenig and Thompson Raceway in Windham County Court in 1961, the culmination of a long-standing dispute over share holdings. SCCA policy changes in the first half of the 1960s involving the conflict between professional and amateur status also contributed to the eventual demise of the Raceway under Weaver's control in 1967. Subsequently, the venue was revived by the Hoenig family, with a new track that incorporated the original Speedway oval, but the fuel crisis, a lack of investment and a general decline in spectator interest led to its closure again in 1977.
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.
Officially licensed with the ACO, the organisers of the annual Le Mans 24 Hours race, this sumptuous book is the sixth title in a decade-by-decade series that is building up into a multi-volume set covering every race. This title covers the seven 24 Hours races of the 1920s, plus, as a prologue, all the events held at the Le Mans circuit during the period 1906-23. Each running of the 24 Hours 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.
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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