Covering the period from the first Grand Prix win in 1906, to Michael Schumacher’s 2006 retirement, this book is one man’s idea of the 20th century’s motor racing heroes. The sport has attracted many men and women whose determination, raw courage, and skill at the wheel has driven them into that special, rarified atmosphere of heroism – this book tells the stories of 100 of these heroes.
Featuring such legends of motor racing as Mario Andretti, Stirling Moss and Jackie Stewart, this book, by the 1964 Formula One Champion, looks at their exploits on the race track. Through interviews with families and friends, it also studies their personal lives and family backgrounds.
Covering almost 100 years of motor racing history, humanity, not simple statistics, is revealed here as the true source of the subjects' heroism. Take André Boillot; so tired at the end of the 1919 Targa Florio, he made a silly mistake, spinning his car backwards across the finish line – yet he still won. Or Grand Prix winners Robert Benoist, William Grover Williams and Jean-Pierre Wimille, all of whom became French resistance fighters during WWII. There's David Purley's valiant attempt at rescuing a trapped Roger Williamson by overturning Willamson's blazing march with his bare hands during the 1973 Grand Prix of Holland. And Alessandro Zanardi, who lost both his legs in a CART accident, yet still came back to win races. The lighter side of motor sport is also here, with Giannino Marzotto, who won the 1950 Mille Miglia wearing an immaculate double-breasted suit. Or Giovanni Bracco, who won the 1952 Mille Miglia as he swigged from a bottle of red wine! There are so many heroes and heroines in this sport. This book is about 100 of them.
A thrilling visual history of Formula One racing This fully illustrated history takes a journey across 70 years of the most spectacular images from the archives of the great champions who have made the history of Formula One and the Grand Prix. It follows the storied history of this widely popular sport from the first championship, won by the daring Nino Farina with his Alfa Romeo and his famous cigar between his lips, to British driver Lewis Hamilton's heroic exploits, taking in all the legends of Formula One en route, among them Alberto Ascari, Juan Manuel Fangio, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost and Michael Schumacher. The 200-plus images in this volume do not neglect the incredible feats of engineering that made the drivers' stories possible: F1 Heroesalso traces the history of Formula One cars from the tube chassis warhorses that dominated the early races, such as those built by Alfa Romeo, Ferrari and Maserati, to the modern high-tech automobiles that speed around the track today. A spectacular account of the winners and their extraordinary cars and their duels, but also a story of big defeats and great heroes who, while they did not win the championship, still became legends, such as Gilles Villeneuve.
Stock car racing is not only the most popular sport in the country, but it's also among the most dangerous, as well. Traveling at speeds of over 200 miles per hour, drivers risk their lives every time they take the wheel. To be competitive, drivers must feel invincible. The best of them did, and lived life -- on the racetrack -- to the fullest. Their zest for life and for racing is celebrated in this powerful book. In The Last Lap, updated edition, best-selling author Peter Golenbock talks to racers past and present, crewmembers, and families of the legendary drivers who have passed on give us behind-the-scenes stories of NASCAR's unique heroes. Among those sharing their stories are racing legends David Pearson, Buddy Baker, Tim Flock, Marvin Panch, the families of the late Curtis Turner, the Myers brothers, Tiny Lund, Bobby Isaac, Alan Kulwicki, and Davey and Clifford Allison.
Drivers on Drivers features some of the greatest names in motor racing speaking candidly about their biggest rivals as well as their heroes, teammates and friends. It is a unique concept, with those interviewed ranging from legends of the 1950s such as Tony Brooks and 1960s rally icon Paddy Hopkirk, to Derek Bell, Mika Häkkinen, and current superstars such as Sir Lewis Hamilton .Each driver is in conversation with a leading motorsport writer or broadcaster, and the book is illustrated with stunning photography throughout. Thirty-one revealing interviews, featuring motorsport legends opening up about their fellow drivers and offering unique insights into what separated the great from the good, who they looked up to and learnt from, and who to avoid on-track. Interviews include Tony Brooks on Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart on Jim Clark, Gerhard Berger on Ayrton Senna, Mark Webber on Sebastian Vettel, and many more...Interviewees include eight Formula One World Champions, nine winners of the Le Mans 24 Hours, and 13 Grand Prix winners. Interviews conducted by Philip Porter along with a team of leading motorsport writers and broadcasters – Mark Cole, Ben Edwards, Louise Goodman, Simon Taylor, David Tremayne, Peter Windsor and Ian Wagstaff. Contains stories of tragedy and humour, triumph and disaster, as these great names give personal insights into motor racing’s deepest friendships and fiercest rivalries. More than 100 superb photographs illustrating pivotal career moments, on-track battles, and candid shots of their interactions with fellow drivers.
My Greatest Defeat is a collection of honest and revealing insights into 20 of the greatest living racing drivers, legends of the worlds of Formula 1, Indycar, NASCAR, Le Mans and Rally. Interviews conducted specially for this book are with (in alphabetical order) Mario Andretti, Derek Bell, Emerson Fittipaldi, Dario Franchitti, Jeff Gordon, Mika Häkkinen, Damon Hill, Jimmie Johnson, Tom Kristensen, Niki Lauda, Sebastien Loeb, Felipe Massa, Rick Mears, Emanuele Pirro, Alain Prost, Carlos Sainz, Jackie Stewart, Bobby Unser, Ari Vatanen and Alex Zanardi. Here are five highlights… Dario Franchitti — The Indycar champion talks of the deaths of the friends that book-ended his career in racing, the heartbreak that each caused and the aftermath of accidents that affected the physical functioning of his brain. Jeff Gordon — One of the all-time NASCAR greats, he looks back on his many championships, admitting that today he cannot view a single one with anything but regret as family relationships were soured and stretched to breaking point. Jimmie Johnson — One of the greatest stock car drivers in history, Johnson was at one time considered a reckless outcast. He reflects on the little-known crash that almost killed him and changed his mindset forever. Niki Lauda — A racer who needs no introduction, Niki Lauda discusses the loss of one of his aircraft over Thailand in which all on board were killed; for eight months he fought to clear the name of his pilots and change aircraft safety forever. Alex Zanardi — In a deep and revealing conversation, the Paralympic gold medalist, who lost both legs in an Indycar accident, discusses how we decipher between our passion and our ambition and how childhood dreams affect our adult decisions. Striking portrait artworks come from a revered artist in modern comic book design, Giuseppe ‘Cammo’ Camuncoli, who is renowned for the dark, brooding style that has seen him become a staple in the Vertigo, DC and Marvel stables.
Murray Walker combines and enclyclopaedic knowlege of Grand Prix racing with an unbridled fanaticism that remains undimmed after more than half a century of race commentaries. In his personal tribute to the sport, he celebrates the most talented drivers of all time, the rivalries that have set his pulse racing and the circuits he finds the most inspiring. This updated edition of Murray Walker's Formula One Heroes gives an 'in a nutshell' appraisal of legends old and new from an esteemed hero and geniuine F1 insider who, even now he' retired, cannot keep his all-consuming passion off the page.
In this amazing collection, over 300 legends from the world of motor racing provide their most memorable moments in the sport. Michael Schumacher, Jackie Stewart, Nicki Lauda, Nigel Mansell, Ken Tyrell, John Surtees and Jack Brabham are just some of the legends who relive their great moments in this book. Illustrated throughout with photographs, this is an elegantly produced book that will attract anyone interested in motor sports. Each "great moment" is supported by biographies of the legend and by additional commentary on the events from the editors. This is a wonderfully readable and designed book, which is unlike any other motor sports book, and provides a unique insight into the world of motor racing. The book includes a Foreword by current F1 driver David Coultard.
