The 2004 FIM Motocross World Championships marked a positive new direction for off-road racing. The most physically demanding and visually magnificent motorsport on the planet moved forward, with comprehensive TV coverage, high attendances and a slick and professional image. This book takes a race-by-race retrospective look at the season; offering insight and opinion on not only some very memorable track action but also the dealings within the paddock and behind-the-scenes activity. A full listing of results, an essay on the changing face of motocross and profiles of the top ten riders of the season, rounds off a comprehensive package. With a foreword by MX2 World Champion Townley and illustrated by the sport's leading photographer, Ray Archer, this compilation is a must-have memento of the 2004 Motocross Grand Prix campaign.

MotoGP is enjoying a period of unprecedented popularity and Ring of Fire details the acclaim, the heroism and the pressures of riding motorbikes at speeds of more than 200mph. This is a world where manufacturers invest millions and the world champion celebrates by staging mock jail breaks and giving pillion rides to a blow-up doll. One rider warms up for major races by singing Hank Marvin songs on his karaoke machine and a rising Italian star sees the world in terms of black and white energy tubes. Another sees nothing strange in racing with two broken ankles. Ring of Fire covers the recent history of MotoGP, from American Nicky Hayden spectacularly overturning established champion Valentino Rossi in 2006, through the emergence of wild young Australian Casey Stoner as the new champion in 2007, to the fierce rivalry between them and Spaniards Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo in what would prove to be one of the most closely-contested years of racing in 2008. It gives a behind the scenes look at World Superbike Champion James Toseland's attempts to break into this elite, and looks back at the tradition of reprobates, romance and debauchery in the paddock dating back to the 60s and stars like Mike Hailwood and Giacomo Agostino. Rick Broadbent introduces us not just to the stars and the multi-million pound contracts, but also to the officals, mechanics, doctors, team owners and fans who make up this white-knuckle ride of a sport. By turns funny, sad, shocking and uplifting, Ring of Fire brings us face to face with those who battle to emerge unscathed, or who just ignore the pain and ride to win against all odds.

"Ivan Mauger "is the first book to detail the complete career of one of Speedway's greatest legends. With wide appeal in both Europe and worldwide, this book contains a wealth of images of his magnificent career. John Chaplin reveals the complex personality that is Ivan Mauger, the dedicated and often ruthlessly efficient ambition that made him a virtual sporting automaton. His achievements in motorcycle track racing (nine individual world titles on long track and speedway) are legendary, but here Chaplin exposes the magic behind the myth, the soft center concealed by the steely resolve that enabled Mauger to emerge from the obscurity of his small-town New Zealand origins to earn a worldwide acclaim which he continues to enjoy. He elevated a minority sport to a new dimension with a unique professionalism that made him at once feared, hated, envied and admired. In the words of opponents, friends, enemies, business associates, employers and colleagues, this is uniquely Ivan Mauger, the man behind the myth.

The illustrated biography of the former Speedway World Champion Bruce Penhall, who not only won everything individually in a career that established him as one of the all-time great riders, but also turned Cradley Heath into League Champions. Speedway is resurgent at present with high attendances and television coverage. Cradley Heath have a large fan base and previous Heathens titles have sold extremely well.

This book is part of the 50 Greats series, which collects short biographies and statistics of the 50 greatest players on various sporting teams or clubs throughout their histories.

The Southampton Speedway team was one of the founder members of the first speedway league in 1929. Indeed, it was the Southampton promoter at the time, George 'Jimmy' Baxter, who had the idea that dirt-track racing - as it was then called - needed competitive league racing, consisting of teams with which fans could identify, to remain popular. This collection of team groups, action photographs, portraits and other memorabilia compiled by Paul Eustace, charts the history of speedway at Banister Court Stadium from the pioneer days of 1928 to its sad demise in 1963. Special mention is made of Charlie Knott, the 'Guv'nor' as he was fondly known, who was the man behind Southampton Speedway. With his fellow directors and loyal workforce, he brought the best of speedway entertainment to the Hampshire Public. Many of speedway's biggest names wore the Saints' race jacket and are included in the book. Rider such as 'Sprouts' Elder, Jack and Norman Parker, Phil Bishop, Alec Stratham, Cordy Milne, Gus Kuhn, Dicky Smythe, Les Wotton, Dick Bradley, Brian Crutcher, 'Split' Waterman, Geoff Mardon, Bjorn Knutsson, Olle Nygren, Cyril Roger and Barry Briggs brought the thrills to thousands at Banister Court, as did many local favourites who are also featured. This book, with over two hundred illustrations and accompanying text, is sure to revive memories for Saints fans and will also be of great interest to all speedway enthusiasts.

This is the definitive portrait of a small-town man who became an American icon. Evel Knievel may have jumped the Snake River Canyon and posed on every kid's lunchbox in the 70s, but few know the story of this kid from a small, lawless mining town who invented a persona that would captivate, and embody, the 1970s and beyond.

Sam Ermolenko has been at the forefront of speedway for the last two decades. He has won four world team gold medals with the USA side and has Best Pairs champion and British League Riders champion. A biography.

A history of speedway in the North West

The Wembley Lions enjoyed early success, and then became even stronger after the Second World War to win seven out of eight league titles between 1946 and 1953. This book tells the story of the pre-war years when the foundations for this success was laid and when tens of thousands of supporters would turn out for meetings.

The story of speedway's premier event. This annual competition pits the biggest riding stars against each other to decide who is the best. The most widely anticipated competition in the sport, it is this event that confirms reputations and showcases the greatest riders. The book covers from the early World Championships in the 1930s to the modern Grand Prix of the twenty-first century.

Jamie Dobb is this country's most successful Motocross racer of recent times after becoming Britain's first ever 125cc World Champion at the age of twenty-nine. This action-packed book recounts the twists and turns of his 2002 250cc World Championship campaign as a factory rider with KTM. The story includes flashbacks to his season of glory in 2001 and the rest of his sixteen-year career, working and often fighting to reach the pinnacle of the sport. Offering a fascinating glimpse into the life of a Motocross World Champion with all that it entails - fear, crashes, broken bones, excitement, training and gritty determination - this book also explores what it is like to be a professional athlete and experience the spectrum of emotions that only the thrilling world of motorsport can deliver.

Tom Farndon, a shy young man from Coventry, set out on the road to speedway stardom in 1929. Within five years he had reached celebrity status matched only by today's sporting idols. His skill, daring and remarkable ability had seen him achieve a fame and fortune unsurpassed on the speedway track. His good looks and sheer charisma brought him a huge fan following, particularly among young women, and his incredible talent for speedway racing brought him not only the admiration of his peers but the solid achievement of winning every dirt-track championship there was to be won. In 1935, just as he had reached the height of his fame, tragedy struck; he was killed in a track accident at the age of just twenty-four. To this day, Farndon is still revered throughout the speedway world as arguably the greatest rider of all time. Written by respected speedway historians Norman Jacobs and John Chaplin, and with the support and aid of his family, this is the story of Tom Farndon's remarkable life and his unquenchable spirit of adventurous youth; a must-have for any fan of speedway and its heroes.