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Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Motor sports
Gran Turismo races have played a key role in the history of the
Monza Autodrome. In the 1970s, the Coppa Intereuropa was one of the
most popular events at the circuit. Interest in GT racing then
waned over the years and it was only in 1992 that an Italian GT
Championship was created, marking the rebirth of the category. From
that moment growth has been exponential, with a series of
international championships being introduced, featuring cars and
drivers of the highest order. This book traces, year by year, the
complex story of these championships from 1970 through to the
present day, explaining the evolution of the regulations and the
cars, but also recording the results of the most important races.
Space is also devoted to the single-marque series - Porsche,
Ferrari, Lamborghini - with the story being told through a vast
array of photographs, in the main previously unpublished, and
painstakingly researched historical texts.
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.
Motorcycle racing in Great Britain began in 1907 with the opening
of Brooklands near Weybridge in Surrey, the first purpose-built
circuit in Europe and the inaugural staging of the Isle of Man TT.
Then, during the interwar period came venues such as Cadwell Park,
Crystal Palace, Syston and Donington Park. However, it was after
the end of World War Two in 1945 that circuit racing really
established itself. There was an influx of former wartime airfields
including Boreham, Haddonham, Ibsley, Thruxton, Silverstone, and
Snetterton but also Brands Hatch, Alton Towers, Scarborough, and
Outton Park to name but a few. North of the border came Beveridge
Park, Errol and Charterholl, while across the Irish Sea, the Ulster
Grand Prix and the North West 200 were bolstered by a myriad of new
road courses.
The Hero's Body is a memoir of what it means to be a man in modern
America. At just forty-seven years old, William Giraldi's father
was killed in a horrific motorcycle accident. Writing here with
searing honesty about grief, obsession, shame and identity, he
looks back on three generations of men from the blue-collar town of
Manville, New Jersey, and tells their stories in tandem: the
speed-crazed cult of his father's 'superbikes', each Sunday spent
racing fate along the winding back roads of Pennsylvania; the
trauma of a son's ultimate loss, and William's attempts to rebuild
a self in the manliest costume he knew. For a teen consumed by
hardcore bodybuilding, pumping iron was so much more than a
sport-it was a hallowed lifeline for a bookish tenth-grader, a way
to forge himself a spot amongst his family's imperious patriarchs.
A work of lasting literary beauty, lauded by the New Yorker for its
'unrelenting, perfectly paced prose', The Hero's Body is a tale of
the working-class male, the codes of machismo and the unspoken bond
between father and son.
Covering Formula 1, rallying and sportscar racing, Bryan Apps
celebrates the drivers, cars and unique events which defined
motorsport in the 1960s.
Mick Hill’s colourful book is packed with his signature artwork, and
skilfully showcases the cars, drivers and designers that contributed to
the history of Formula 1. Beginning with the flags for hosting
countries, it goes on to show every winning car, with details of its
designers, drivers and races won. The book also considers drivers’
helmets, from historic leather caps to modern carbon fibre, as well as
the world championship stickers from teams and sponsors, a memento for
fans of the race meetings they attended. A complete reference of the
first 70 years of the F1 championship, this book will appeal to motor
racing fans young and old.
For fans all over the world the thrilling partnership of
Silverstone and Formula 1 has long represented one of the pinnacles
of motor sport. Here the broad sweep of Silverstone's Formula 1
history, a kaleidoscopic pageant of great cars and drivers, is
explored in a new and highly accessible way through nine specific
eras, each one delightfully and freshly illustrated: * The First
Grand Prix and International Trophy (1948-49) * Forza, Alfa! Forza,
Ferrari! (1950-51) * The Front-Engined Finale (1952-59) * Clark's
Dark Golden Age (1960-68) * The Stewart Dominance (1969-73) * The
Hunt-Lauda Epoch (1973-79) * Three Titans: Prost, Mansell and Senna
(1981-93) * The Schumacher Era (1994-2006) * New Heights: Hamilton
and The Wing (2007 onwards) This photographic history of
Silverstone and Formula 1 should appeal to motor racing fans
everywhere, as it neatly captures the essence of what the highest
level of a most demanding sport has meant to this very special
venue.
When Don Devendorf and John Knepp got together to form
Electramotive Engineering of El Segundo, California, little did
they realise that they were setting in motion a train of events
which would sooner, rather than later, bring to them and the mighty
Nissan GTP cars that they promoted, developed and raced, no less
than four IMSA Camel GT Championships. Here, for the first time, is
the story of Nissan in racing from 1984 to 1993, the GTP era. The
full story of Electramotive and NPTI is told, with interviews with
Don Devendorf, John Knepp, Geoff Brabham, Trevor Harris, Kas
Kastner, Ashley Page, and many other members of the crew that won
the IMSA Camel GT Championship from 1988 to 1991. The story of the
European Group C Nissans, using chassis from March and Lola, from
1985 to 1992 is also told, along with interviews from many of the
drivers and technicians involved, such as Mark Blundell, Julian
Bailey, Dave Price and Bob Bell.
'The story of Brawn GP is legendary... Exciting and magical.' Damon
Hill Foreword by Bernie Ecclestone ____________________________ The
full story of F1's incredible 2009 championship battle has never
been told. Until now. At the end of 2008, Nick Fry, then head of
Honda's F1 team, was told by his Japanese bosses that the motor
company was pulling out of F1. In response, Nick and chief engineer
Ross Brawn persuaded Honda to sell them the company for GBP1 - a
gamble that would take the team all the way to winning the 2009
Driver's and the Constructor's Championship with a borrowed engine,
a heavily adapted chassis and, at least initially, no sponsors.
Giving the inside track on the drivers, the rivalries, on
negotiating with Bernie Ecclestone and on hiring and working with
global superstars Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton, Survive.
Drive. Win. is a gripping memoir of how one man found himself in
the driving seat for one of the most incredible journeys in the
history of motor sport. 'Nick Fry and Ed Gorman take us behind the
mysterious and tightly closed doors of F1 to tell the remarkable
story of the 2009 season.' Martin Brundle
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.
The original rally Quattro debuted in 1980, and was based on the
road car, but with a highly tuned 300bhp engine. In 1981, Audi
Quattro works driver Michele Mouton became the first woman to win a
World Championship rally. The Quattro took the Manufacturers'
Championship in 1982 and 1984, and the Drivers' Championship in
1983 and 1984 with Hannu Mikkola and Stig Blomqvist respectively.
Audi implemented a continuous development programme for the
Quattro, and the A1 and A2 were produced to meet the Group B
regulations introduced in 1983, while the fearsome Sport Quattro S1
was introduced in 1984. The ultimate development - the S1 E2 - was
introduced at the end of 1985, producing over 500bhp, and winning
the 1985 San Remo rally in the hands of Walter Roehrl and the
famous Pikes Peak hillclimb with Michele Mouton. This Manual looks
at the design, evolution, anatomy and operation of the Quattro.
This is the story of Graham Warner and his plucky London-based
dealership/race team, the Chequered Flag, which bested all-comers
in most major motorsport disciplines. A former RAF man, Warner
competed at international level as a sports car driver, created the
Gemini brand of Formula Juniors as a manufacturer, fielded cars on
behalf of Lotus, Brabham and McLaren as an entrant, and as a talent
spotter, he gave Jim Clark his maiden start in a single-seater,
later running drivers such as Jackie Stewart, Jackie Ickx, Piers
Courage and many more on motorsport's nursery slope. Having reached
the pinnacle of Formula One with a privateer Brabham, Warner
changed tack and fielded the fearsome Lancia Stratos with memorable
success in rallying, before returning to his first love of
aviation. Here for the first time is the full history of one of the
unsung heroes of motorsport.
When world rallying introduced a new formula for "World Rally
Cars," Ford seized the opportunity. Malcolm Wilson's M-Sport
organization was contracted to do the job, completed the design in
less than a year, and spent the next 12 years campaigning this
turbocharged, four-wheel-drive car all round the world.Working from
state-of-the-art facilities, M-Sport built 97 Focus WRCs, all of
which proved to be worthy of World level action when they won 44
World Championship events.Stellar drivers like Colin McRae, Carlos
Sainz, Markko Martin, Marcus Gronholm and Mikko Hirvonen all added
to the mystique of an ultra-professional organization, along with
substantial support and sponsorship from the likes of Martini, BP,
and the state of Abu Dhabi.By building its in-house technical
expertise, M-Sport not only engineered and developed the entire car
on behalf of Ford, but gradually took over development of the
300bhp, 2.0-litre, turbocharged engine, and led the design of the
complex four-wheel-drive transmissions provided by Xtrac.M-Sport's
reputation exploded to the point that when regulations changed, the
company immediately produced a new-generation Fiesta WRC, and kept
the winning days rolling.
"Ultimate Speed Secrets" is the drivers' guide to going faster!
Professional race instructor Ross Bentley has raced everything from
Indy cars to world sports cars and has the experience to make any
racer a more complete driver. With detailed drills and
comprehensive instructions, Bentley covers everything you need to
know: choosing lines; adapting to different cars, tracks, and
racing conditions; setting up controls; and understanding car
adjustments and mental preparation. Whether you are racing an Indy
car or simply interested in becoming a more complete driver on the
street, "Ultimate Speed Secrets" will give you the information you
need to succeed!
'The maddest 12 months of my life. The journey starts with an
oddball race up an American mountain and ends with me checking
myself out of hospital with a broken back. Again ...' As Guy's
Latvian grandfather frequently reminded him, 'When you dead, you
dead'. So before it's all over, Guy Martin is making the most of
the time he's got. In this past year alone, Guy has raced the Isle
of Man TT and finished on the podium; bike trekked through India;
competed in solo 24-hour bicycles races; flown a stunt plane;
broken a go-kart speed record down a French mountain and attempted
to break the motorcycle land-speed record at Bonneville Salt Flats.
And he's done all this around his day job as a truck mechanic. But
let Guy tell you about it himself: 'This book starts in a Transit,
ends in a Transit, and in between I've raced a few pushbikes, raced
a few motorbikes and got a fair few stories to tell you.' Spot on.
One Man’s Mountain’ is a powerful and energetic memoir
describing how what seem to be distant and unachievable dreams can
become real and develop into a life’s experience that is way
beyond what was thought possible. The book depicts life’s
experiences leading from war-time to normal peacetime living. An
ordinary suburban lifestyle enables the writer to explore and
adventure on two wheels and brings to life a competitive spirit,
which causes the writer to see and develop an ambition. The goal to
be achieved centres upon an island in the Irish Sea, yet seems
beyond reach. The difficulty is that it combined the need to ride
and earn a living! Yet strangely, work and play relate.
Barry Sheene is arguably the greatest British motorcycle racing
rider of all time. A chancer, lovable rogue and the leading sports
star of his era, adored by the public and press alike, he won two
world motorcycle championships - in 1976 and 1977. He achieved
iconic status by being involved in some horrifc crashes and was
dubbed 'the bionic man' on account of the amount of metal used to
reconstruct his legs after a particularly bad accident. He
emigrated to Australia in 1987 where he became a celebrated
motorsport commentator. His premature passing in 2003 robbed
motorsport of one of its greatest characters. For the first time,
Barry's family have agreed to open up their personal archive to
give an unprecedented insight into the two- time 500cc world
champion. Through more than 120 previously unpublished personal
photographs, Times journalist and award-winning author Rick
Broadbent tells the story of a remarkable sports star. Published to
mark the 40th anniversary of his second world championship win,
this is a unique pictorial account of a life lived at full throttle
and is an intensely personal look at a racer, legend, husband and
father.
LONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2018 This
is my life, not the stuff you've seen, but the things you haven't.
This is my childhood growing up in the West Country, my struggles,
my doubts and my hopes. It's the people I've met in my seventeen
years in Formula One, many of whom I've loved, some of whom I
definitely haven't. It's the laughs I've shared, the battles I've
fought, some on the track with rivals and friends like Fernando
Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel. It's the pressure I
struggled with as I closed in on my World Championship in 2009,
it's the calm I felt every time I settled into the cockpit. It's my
dad - the many times he saved me, the one moment he doubted me, the
hole in my life he left me. It's everything in one go, the good
days as well as the bad. A life lived not just as a racing driver
but, ultimately, as a human being.
The Le Mans 24 Hours is the ultimate endurance race, a true test of
man and machine. It is a classic feature of the motorsport
calendar, attracting more than 230,000 people to the track every
year to see one of the greatest spectacles in racing. Shot over two
years, this book's specialist panoramic photography gives a real
sense of the many aspects that make up the Le Mans experience: the
sun setting on night time qualifying, brake discs glowing in the
dark, sprawling fan camp sites, and the elation as battered cars
complete the epic race. The photos in the book were taken at the
height of the battle between Audi and Peugeot for dominance of the
track. Featuring the R15, 908 and R18, as well as the other great
marques of Le Mans, including Aston Martin, Corvette, Ferrari, and
Porsche, this book is a timeless tribute to the Le Mans 24 Hours.
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