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Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Motor sports
The Indian has been the iconic image for American big V-Twins down
the years, due in no small measure to the motorcycles designed by
Charles B Franklin - the Indian Scout and the Indian Chief. Charles
Franklin was born and raised in Ireland where he quickly became
involved in motorcycle racing during the pioneer years. He rapidly
established himself as Ireland's first big star of racing and was
the first to represent Ireland in international motorcycle
competition. In the Isle of Man TT he consistently finished in the
top eight, and in 1911 claimed second place, a remarkable
achievement in itself. But it was when he moved to Indian in the
USA, where he became the Chief Design Engineer, that his genius
really flowed. His designs catapulted Indian back into the
forefront of motorcycle design in the 1920s and '30s and his racing
engines and motorcycles won much glory for Indian against stiff
opposition. Franklin introduced remarkable improvements in
sidevalve combustion chamber design that pre-dated the work of
Ricardo. He championed an holistic approach that popularised new
features such as the semi unit-construction `powerplant',
helical-gear primary drive, double-loop full-cradle frames and a
host of other improvements to the early motorcycles. This book not
only chronicles his life but also sheds much new light on the
history of Indian motorcycles and the often turbulent times of the
Indian Motorcycle Company itself. A much needed book for all Indian
fans and all who love the history of the classic American V-Twins.
From nowhere to the winner's podium: the story of Jenson Button's
astonishing domination of the F1 world championship. On 4 December
2008, just a few months before the new season was due to start, the
Honda Racing F1 team, which Jenson Button had been driving for
since 2006, pulled the plug on their involvement in Formula One.
The media at the time reported that it was likely that the factory
would be forced to shut, and it was unlikely that Jenson would be
able to secure a drive at a top team at this late stage. Yet
incredibly, in October 2009, Jenson Button was crowned World
Champion, and the new team that had risen from the ashes of the
Honda Racing F1 team - Brawn GP - secured the constructors'
championship in their first season, a feat never before achieved.
If this were a movie script you wouldn't believe it possible, so
how did it happen? A CHAMPIONSHIP YEAR tells Jenson's incredible
story of the 2009 season, from being written off pre-season to
winning six of the first seven races, and finally securing the
championship in brilliant style at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Jenson's personal commentary on the races is combined with notes on
strategy, on-board radio exchanges, quotes from the team and even
text messages to recreate the atmosphere of each race weekend. With
a foreword by Ross Brawn, it is a fascinating account of an
extraordinary grand prix year, and shows just what it takes to
become world champion.
The number of athletes who have died competing in the sport of
motor racing, including amateurs and professionals around the
world, stretches into the thousands. Despite the danger, drivers
continue to compete day in and day out for the thrill and joy of
the race. In Taken by Speed: Fallen Heroes of Motor Sport and Their
Legacies, Connie Ann Kirk pays tribute to professional racing
drivers who died while competing in the sport they loved. Covering
tragedies from 1955 to the present, Kirk carefully reflects on the
legacies of the racers and the impact of the tragic events,
including on safety regulations, innovations, and on society as a
whole. Drivers and incidents covered in this book include the 24
Heures du Mans race of 1955 where over 80 people died; the 1964
crash at the Indianapolis 500 that stopped the race for the first
time in history; and the tragic losses of racers Ayrton Senna, Dale
Earnhardt, Alberto Ascari, Jim Clark, Bruce McLaren, Gilles
Villeneuve, Francois Cevert, Dan Wheldon, Justin Wilson, and Jules
Bianchi. Taken by Speed features exclusive interviews with legends
of motor sport-Mario Andretti, Derek Bell, Sir Stirling Moss, Bobby
Rahal, Brian Redman, and Sir Jackie Stewart-who raced in the
sport's most dangerous era. It also includes timelines of safety
improvements in the sport and key moments in motor sport history.
Using motor sports as its lens, this book explores moving stories
of what it means to pursue a life's passion with unwavering drive,
commitment, and courage.
Experience the full career of racing legend Mario Andretti as
recounted by the champion himself. The core of this biography is
presented via interviews Andretti has given over the decades and
expertly brought together by author Mario Donnini. Anecdotes,
testimonials, quips, and jokes come together to give new light on
motor racing history. Mario Andretti is a legend in two worlds:
Europe and the United States. Some of his accolades and
championships include: -1978 Formula 1 World Champion, -1969
Indianapolis 500 Victor -1965, 1966, 1984 IndyCar Champion -1967,
1970, 1972 12 Hours of Sebring Victor -24 Hours of Daytona Victor,
and many other endurance classics What counts most is that Mario is
the last F1 world champion whose mother tongue is Italian, even if
he did win the title when he was an American citizen. The volume
contains hundreds of pictures--many of them previously
unpublished--which illustrate the long and unrepeatable career of
an all-time authentic icon of motor sport.
This book is based on articles published by Walter Kern while he
was the Motorcycles Guide on About.com and also during his current
assignment as Editor of Motorcycle Views, which he founded.
It provides introductory motorcycling information for new riders
to help push them into being safer riders. It's also intended for
returning riders who have been away from motorcycling for many
years. Hey guys and gals, motorcycling isn't what it used to
be.
The reader will learn how to get into motorcycling using all the
proper steps to ensure that he or she will be well trained and be
acquainted with the technical aspects of motorcycles.
Walter is trying to reach out to riders and present them with a
core set of motorcycling information that may help them to survive
on the road. Perhaps some readers may even decide to take this book
along with them on motorcycle trips for reference --whatever it
takes to decrease the likelihood of accidents by untrained
riders.
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