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Motor Racing at Nassau focuses on the vision of one man, Captain
Sherman 'Red' Crise, and his quest to bring motor racing to the
Bahamas. From its stuttering start in 1954, his event rapidly
developed in stature to become the most important and prestigious
sports car event on the race calendar other than World Championship
events. The races started in the mid-1950s and continued for
thirteen years, and are described by many commentators as the
'Golden Age' of motor racing, where internationally acclaimed
drivers attended Nassau to mix with the many amateur racers from
America and enjoy the sun, parties and racing. For many drivers,
the social scene was as important as the racing, and in later years
prize money was an extra incentive to turn up - in 1960, it was
claimed to be the highest paying event on the race calendar. Words
alone cannot begin to describe the atmosphere generated at the
races, so the wealth of previously unpublished photographs together
with a complete collection of program covers, and other material
accumulated during six years of research, bring real vibrancy to
these fascinating race accounts.
Runways and Racers concentrates on the short transitional period,
1952-1954, for sports car racing in America following the ban on
public road racing in many of the States. The ban left the rapidly
expanding Sports Car Club of America with a problem: where to hold
races. At precisely the same time, Curtis LeMay, head of Strategic
Air Command, was having problems obtaining funds from Congress to
improve conditions on the many air bases located around the
country. The solution was a marriage of convenience, whereby the
SCCA was allowed access to active SAC air bases to hold its race
programmes. In return, the SAC base would receive the net profits
from the event, which would be put into the Airmen's Living
Improvement Fund. As a result of some initial financial success for
the SAC bases, the scheme was also adopted by non-SAC bases
together with regional clubs, with the same agreement in place.
Complaints from airmen alerted Congressman Errett Scrivner to
potential irregularities, and he ordered an audit to be conducted
to ascertain precisely what it was costing the air bases to host
the races. His findings led to the cessation of the races, ordered
by Congress. The product of a long period of extensive research by
the author, this book gives a fascinating insight into this
two-year period, complemented by over 150 period pictures, many
previously unpublished.
The growth of sports car racing in Northeast America was not
painless. Tragedy, mystery, subterfuge, intrigue, and an adherence
to a particular club philosophy all featured in its story during
the 1950s, when professionalism in the sport was always bubbling
under the surface. The northeast area of America has long been
considered the cradle of post World War II sports car racing; the
Sports Car Club of America was founded there, and it was the entry
point to America for a host of European sports cars. Early in the
1950s, road races had been permitted by some State authorities, but
due to fatal accidents a ban on such racing came into effect.
Forced to find alternative venues, the motor clubs were attracted
to civil airports and a few military bases. But the drivers craved
more challenging venues on which to hone their skills. This
resulted in a few individuals chancing their reputation - and a
great deal of money - and opening purpose-built circuits. This book
gives a unique insight into this intriguing journey through the
decade. Extensively researched, the compelling story and stunning
contemporary photos, many previously unpublished, paint a
fascinating portrait of a nascent sport coming into its own.
Lime Rock Park, the oldest continuously operated road course in
America came about more by accident than design. Construction of
the course began in 1955 at a time when open road racing had been
banned in many states, and the use of military and civil airport
runways for racing was losing favor with the paying spectators.
Dubbed ‘The Road Racing Center of the East’ the park has a
turbulent history bedevilled by financial crises, discord with the
SCCA New England Region and expensive court cases involving the
Lime Rock Protective Association. Despite the struggle to keep the
circuit afloat, it prevailed against all odds. This book narrates
this history of mixed fortunes during the first twenty years of the
park’s existence when it was under the ownership of four
different people and contains material unseen before including over
900 images.
In this richly illustrated book, Terry O'Neil details the origins
of a remarkable racecar, the Ferrari 333 SP. This vehicle heralded
the famed automaker's return to professional sports car
competitions after an absence of more than twenty years. Introduced
on the American racing circuit in 1994, it found instant success
and continued to be a major player in numerous races in the US and
Europe. Of the 126 races the 333 SP entered, it emerged victorious
in nearly fifty, making it one of the most successful sport
prototype cars in Ferrari's history. Containing over eight hundred
images--many of them never published before--O'Neil's book is a
vivid look at this inimitable automobile.
The vision of one man, Captain Sherman 'Red' Crise, resulted in the
Bahamas Speed Weeks, a series of motor races held on the island of
New Providence in the Bahamas. They started in the mid-1950s and
continued for thirteen years, before ending due to a mix of
political decisions, ill fortune and a shift in the direction motor
racing had taken. These years have been described by many
commentators as the golden age of motor racing, where
internationally-acclaimed drivers attended the Speed Weeks to mix
with the many amateur racers from America who came to enjoy the
scenario of sun, parties and racing. For many drivers the social
scene was as important as the racing, and in latter years prize
money was an extra incentive to turn up. This well-researched
account tracks the history of the Speed Weeks with its
roller-coaster ride throughout its initial thirteen years'
existence. This revised edition includes 300 additional photos,
greatly expanded indices, updated information and new chapters
highlighting the 2011 and 2012 Revival Meetings.
The history of sports car racing in the states of Delaware,
Maryland, West Virginia and Washington DC in the 1950s and 1960s
has long been talked of but never thoroughly documented until now.
This is a story of a period when sports car drivers such as Jim
Kimberly, Charlie Hayes, and Dick Thompson competed mainly for tin
cups and glory on civil airport runways and private tracks before
the age of professionalism took hold. They drove mainly European
cars, Alfa Romeos, Allards, Austin-Healeys, Coopers, Elvas,
Ferraris, Jaguars, Listers, Lotus, Maseratis, Porsches, and the
American Scarabs, now highly valued by avid collectors. The
histories of these cars are of great interest, and many are
mentioned in this book by chassis number which will aid research by
interested owners. A chapter begins with a synopsis of the activity
in each year and is followed by detailed descriptions of the races.
There is a comprehensive index, and the book is profusely
illustrated with period photographs.
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