Inside Shelby American

Inside Shelby American
Author: John Morton
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group USA
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2013-11-18
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1627880828
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In the late 1950s, a young John Morton was transfixed with sports car racing. His dreams of competition eventually led him to enroll, in 1962, in the Shelby School of High Performance Driving. In a bold moment after the last class, Morton asked Carroll Shelby if he might come to work for the newly formed Shelby American. The answer was “Yes, here's a broom.” Thus ended Morton's college career and began his long racing career. Over the next three years, Morton would be a firsthand witness to the evolution of one of the most iconic sports car builders and racing teams of the 1960s. Inside Shelby American is his personal account of a company overflowing with talent, from designer Pete Brock to fabricator extraordinare Phil Remington to drivers like Dan Gurney, Ken Miles, Bob Bondurant, and Phil Hill. The cars were equally captivating: AC Cobra, Mustang GT350, Ford GT, Daytona Coupe. In this book, Morton’s story is intertwined with the memories of other Shelby staffers of the period, revealing through historic photography and an untold perspective the rousing story of America’s most legendary racer and car builder.

USRRC - United States Road Racing Championship 1963 - 1968

USRRC - United States Road Racing Championship 1963 - 1968
Author: Mike Martin
Publisher:
Total Pages: 344
Release: 2013-12-27
Genre: Automobile racing
ISBN: 9780985730017
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USRRC is the story of the second major professional sports car racing series in America. After years of amateur vs professional racing debate, the SCCA took the plunge in 1963 and sanctioned their first pro racing series - the United States Road Racing Championship, or USRRC as it was commonly known. The USRRC was actually two championships in one. The primary championship was for drivers in the hottest sports racing cars of the day. The second championship was for the manufacturers of cars like: Alfa Romeo TZ, Cobra, Corvette, Ferrari, Jaguar, and Lotus Cortina. This book is a detailed, year by year account of each race in both the Drivers and Manufacturers championships with over 400 color and b/w photos of the cars and drivers. Read about: the emergence and dominance of the then-new Cobra; one of the last pro wins by a front-engine sports racing car; how an under two-liter car driven by George Follmer won the series overall in 1965 against the mighty Chaparral of Jim Hall; and how the USRRC went from being the premier road racing series in the first three years, to being a warm-up for the more lucrative Can-Am series in the final three years.

Ford Total Performance

Ford Total Performance
Author: Martyn L. Schorr
Publisher: Motorbooks
Total Pages: 211
Release: 2015-09-10
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 1627887954
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Follow Ford's leap into the 1960s and the performance era--on the streets and on the track! In the early 1960s, Ford Motor Company underwent a dramatic change in corporate philosophy. Previously, under Ford's young chairman, Henry Ford II ("the Deuce") safety, not performance, was the goal. But by 1962, even the chairman realized his philosophy needed to change. Ford was nearly invisible to car-crazy baby boomers. Lee Iacocca convinced Ford that he needed to act decisively or risk losing the emerging youth market to the competition. Thus began Ford's "Total Performance" program. Ford Total Performance is all about Ford's prime racing era from 1961 through 1971. In addition to purpose-built race cars, it also covers production performance cars, specialty models, and unique concepts such as lightweight drag race cars. The book explores the 427 Fairlane Thunderbolt; Mercury Comet; unique V-8 Falcons that competed in the 1963 and 1964 Monte Carlo Rallies; Dick Brannan's 427 A/FX drag car; Ford Indy 500 winning race cars; 427 Overhead Cam SOHC 427 engines as used in A/FX and fuel race cars; Boss 302 and 429 Mustangs for street, drag racing, and Trans-Am; and many more. The Ford-Ferrari war that led to the creation of the legendary GT40 Le Mans race cars isn't forgotten. Featuring unpublished period photographs, plus photos and artwork from Ford designers, Ford Total Performance covers all of Ford's classic race and street cars, including Cobras and Shelby Mustangs. It's a must-have book for any fan of classic American performance cars!

Corvette Racing

Corvette Racing
Author: David Kimble
Publisher: Motorbooks International
Total Pages: 258
Release: 2013-01-27
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 0760343438
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Chevy’s Corvette is without question one of the most recognized sports cars in the world. Since its introduction at GM’s Motorama, Corvettes have been favorites for fans and drivers in a wide variety of racing venues, including endurance events, hillclimbs, Trans-Am, drag racing, and GT Racing. For six decades, Corvettes have battled and defeated some of the the biggest names in the sports car world—Ferrari, Porsche, Cobra, Jaguar—at storied road courses like Le Mans, Daytona, the Nürburgring, Sebring, and Laguna Seca. Beginning with the Real McCoy, a Zora Arkus-Duntov special raced at Sebring in 1956, this book draws on the history of factory-sponsored and private racing efforts, chronicling the history of the various Vettes that have been put to the test as racing machines. Noted automotive writer and renowned artist David Kimble delves deep into Vette’s on-track history to provide the most thorough Corvette racing history ever published. Corvette Racing is illustrated with rare images from GM’s media and design archives and complemented by Kimble’s own stunning cutaway artwork. For Corvette and racing fans, this book is the definitive word on Corvette’s nearly 60 years of competition.

American Auto Racing

American Auto Racing
Author: J.A. Martin
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 236
Release: 2014-07-15
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 9780786483891
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As soon as there were automobiles, there was racing. The first recorded race, an over road event from Paris to Rouen, France, was organized by the French newspaper Le Petit Journal in 1894. Seeing an opportunity for a similar event, Hermann H. Kohlsaat--publisher of the Chicago Times-Herald--sponsored what was hailed as the "Race of the Century," a 54-mile race from Chicago's Jackson Park to Evanston, Illinois, and back. Frank Duryea won in a time of 10 hours and 23 minutes, of which 7 hours and 53 minutes were actually spent on the road. Race cars and competition have progressed continuously since that time, and today's 200 mph races bear little resemblance to the event Duryea won. This work traces American auto racing through the 20th century, covering its significant milestones, developments and personalities. Subjects included are: Bill Elliott, dirt track racing, board track racing, Henry Ford, Grand Prix races, Dale Earnhardt, the Vanderbilt Cup, Bill France, Gordon Bennett, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Mercer, the Stutz, Duesenberg, Frank Lockhart, drag racing, the Trans Am, Paul Newman, vintage racing, land speed records, Al Unser, Wilbur Shaw, the Corvette, the Cobra, Richard Petty, NASCAR, Can Am, Mickey Thompson, Roger Penske, Mario Andretti, Jeff Gordon, and Formula One. Through interviews with participants and track records, this text shows where, when and how racing changed. It describes the growth of each different form of auto racing as well as the people and technologies that made it ever faster.

Lost Road Courses

Lost Road Courses
Author: Martin Rudow
Publisher: CarTech Inc
Total Pages: 178
Release: 2016-07-15
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 1613252226
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Road racing has long-storied roots in North America that reach from coast to coast and to Canada. Some of the greatest drivers to ever compete raced wickedly fast machines, staged epic duels on winding strips of asphalt, and created history. This history left an enduring legacy that is revealed and celebrated in Lost Road Courses. Road racer and road racing expert Martin Rudow retraces road racing's glorious past and visits the defunct classic road courses across the United States and Canada. Many road courses were built in the 1950s and 1960s, the golden age of American road racing. These classic road courses built and hosted famous races for Trans-Am, Can-Am, IndyCar, Formula 1, and sports car racing, but did not survive the times. They fell victim to changing times, poor business decisions, urban sprawl, safety standards, and increasing real estate prices. Rudow recounts the breathtaking races and fascinating history of more than 16 tracks from around North America. Riverside International Raceway, Bridgehampton Race Circuit, Ontario Motor Speedway, Continental Divide Raceway, and many others were once major race venues that have since closed. The great race teams, legendary drivers, classic race series that visited the tracks, and cars that turned laps are brought into full focus. The exploits of Chaparral, McLaren, Bud Moore, Lotus, Penske, and other race teams as well as racing greats Mario Andretti, Parnelli Jones, Jim Hall, A. J. Foyt, Al Unser, Jim Clark, and Dan Gurney are covered. Rudow also digs beneath the surface to reveal the story behind the story. The visionaries and businessmen who saw potential and risked capital to build these palaces of speed come back to life. He also recognizes the unsung heroes and regional racers who competed, staffed, and took on various roles at these tracks. In the pages of this book, a nostalgic tour of these famous races at these vintage road circuits unfolds. Many period photos illustrate the racing action and the tracks themselves in their former glory, and modern color shows the tracks as they currently stand. If you're a fan of classic sports car, Can-Am, Trans-Am, IndyCar, Formula 1, as well as classic and unique tracks of yesteryear, this book is a must-have.

Road America

Road America
Author: Steve Zautke
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Total Pages: 128
Release: 2013
Genre: History
ISBN: 1467111457
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Located one hour north of Milwaukee in Wisconsin's scenic Kettle Moraine, Elkhart Lake's Road America race course is one of the world's most famous permanent road racing tracks. Dating back to 1955, the scenic race course has seen the finest in motorsports, such as NASCAR, open wheel, and sports cars, and the best in amateur racing. The track also hosts year-round activities for corporate outings, go-karting, motorcycle/driving schools, and even paintball.

Mustang Boss 302

Mustang Boss 302
Author: Donald Farr
Publisher: Motorbooks International
Total Pages: 162
Release: 2011-08-29
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 0760341419
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Of the legendary names in the history of the Ford Mustang, one stands apart: Boss. Originally created to homologate the new Boss 302 engine for SCCA Trans-Am racing, the Boss 302 Mustang was built in limited numbers for the street. Designed by legend Larry Shinoda, the Boss cars were easily distinguished from their less potent stable mates by their unique front and rear spoilers, rear window slats, and the omission of the standard Mustang's (fake) rear fender brake ducts. Also standard was a shaker hood scoop and bold graphics. Though Mustang performance faded to all-time lows as the 1970s rolled on, there was good news on the way. The pairing of the venerable 302 Windsor engine with the new Fox-body platform for the 1979 Mustang might not have seemed significant at the time, but it was the first edition of what would become a performance institution in the late 20th century: the 5-liter Mustang was an overwhelming force on the streets and tracks through the end of its production in 1995. With no small amount of fanfare, Ford is paying homage to its performance past with the re-introduction of the 5.0 liter powerplant in the Mustang GT for 2011.

Virginia International Raceway

Virginia International Raceway
Author: Chris Holaday
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Total Pages: 132
Release: 2003-04
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780738515168
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From the August 1957 VIR race program: "The rolling Virginia hills have been painstakingly clad with an ultra-smooth skin of macadam to provide a course of great natural beauty. The superb spectator visibility is nicely equated to a road layout that will test the best in racing machines and men." In the late 1950s, a group of sports car enthusiasts dreamed of creating a first-class racing facility. The result was Virginia International Raceway, a challenging 3.2-mile course with 12 turns, 2 straightaways, and over 100 feet of elevation change. Located in southern Virginia, east of Danville and just across the North Carolina border, the track opened in 1957. During VIR's first 18 years of existence, races featured some of the top names in American motorsports including Carroll Shelby, Roger Penske, Walt Hansgen, and Richard Petty. The track also hosted numerous important events including SCCA Nationals, the President's Cup, a Trans-Am race in the first season of that circuit, as well as IMSA races in the early 1970s. Facing financial difficulties, the track shut down in 1974, and for the next 25 years VIR was a cow pasture. It was reopened in 2000 and the outstanding new facility is again one of the top racing venues in the country.