The Golden Age of the American Racing Car


Book Description

A best seller and winner of the Antique Automobile Club of America's prestigious Thomas McKean Award.The Golden Age of the American Racing Car emphasizes the human side of racing history, offering insight into the men who shaped the golden age. Covering a period of time from the 1910s through the 1930s, the book describes the historical development of race car technology and presents fascinating information on race courses, designers, builders, drivers, and events. Racing pioneers covered include: Fred Duesenberg, Louis Chevrolet, Harry Miller, Leo Goossen, and Fred Offenhauser.




Rodger Ward


Book Description

Kansas-born Rodger Ward was a P-38 fighter pilot in World War II, then made his name in racing by starring on the budding Southern California sprint car scene. He raced from 1948 - 1966 and he was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1992. This work embodies the post-war era of open wheel racing in the US.




Mid-Atlantic American Sports Car Races 1953-1962, 1


Book Description

In 1977, precisely 20 years after the last unforgettable high speed Mille Miglia in 1957, the great race came back to relive its history all over again with the commemorative Mille Miglia, attracting once more to Brescia?s Piazza della Vittoria the cars of the greatest, most prestigious race in the world that took place between the end of the?20s and the second half of the?50s. Since then, the Mille Miglia has gone back to being an event not to be missed, first every two years and then yearly for all motoring and motor racing enthusiasts. A book tells the story of this great sporting and cultural event, the 2014 edition of which opens with a historical section that recalls the 1934 race, won by Achille Varzi, and the 1954, with the magnificent victory of Alberto Ascari. After that, the book concentrates on the race that took place last May and its protagonists? competitors, crew after crew, car after car, in a long and fully-illustrated section. 2014 Mille Miglia starting grid was full of exceptional protagonists too: actors Luke Evans, Adrien Brody and Jeremy Irons, American Tv personality Jay Leno, French stylist Paloma Picasso and industrial designer Mark Newson. Many musicians were also there: Brian Johnson, AC/DC frontman, British rapper Example, Scottish singer Amy Macdonald and Belgian singer Milow. Many racing drivers took the start, first and foremost Eros Crivellari, the only one with an original Mille Miglia to his credit, Andy Wallace, Jochen Mass, Teo Fabi, Bernd Schneider, Jacky Ickx, Martin Brundle e Bruno Senna, with the very evocative helmet of his late uncle Ayrton. This is indispensible publication for all those who were there, and for all vintage car enthusiasts.




A Companion to American Sport History


Book Description

A Companion to American Sport History presents a collection of original essays that represent the first comprehensive analysis of scholarship relating to the growing field of American sport history. Presents the first complete analysis of the scholarship relating to the academic history of American sport Features contributions from many of the finest scholars working in the field of American sport history Includes coverage of the chronology of sports from colonial times to the present day, including major sports such as baseball, football, basketball, boxing, golf, motor racing, tennis, and track and field Addresses the relationship of sports to urbanization, technology, gender, race, social class, and genres such as sports biography Awarded 2015 Best Anthology from the North American Society for Sport History (NASSH)




The Automobile in American History and Culture


Book Description

This comprehensive reference guide reviews the literature concerning the impact of the automobile on American social, economic, and political history. Covering the complete history of the automobile to date, twelve chapters of bibliographic essays describe the important works in a series of related topics and provide broad thematic contexts. This work includes general histories of the automobile, the industry it spawned and labor-management relations, as well as biographies of famous automotive personalities. Focusing on books concerned with various social aspects, chapters discuss such issues as the car's influence on family life, youth, women, the elderly, minorities, literature, and leisure and recreation. Berger has also included works that investigate the government's role in aiding and regulating the automobile, with sections on roads and highways, safety, and pollution. The guide concludes with an overview of reference works and periodicals in the field and a description of selected research collections. The Automobile in American History and Culture provides a resource with which to examine the entire field and its structure. Popular culture scholars and enthusiasts involved in automotive research will appreciate the extensive scope of this reference. Cross-referenced throughout, it will serve as a valuable research tool.




American History through American Sports


Book Description

Filled with insightful analysis and compelling arguments, this book considers the influence of sports on popular culture and spotlights the fascinating ways in which sports culture and American culture intersect. This collection blends historical and popular culture perspectives in its analysis of the development of sports and sports figures throughout American history. American History through American Sports: From Colonial Lacrosse to Extreme Sports is unique in that it focuses on how each sport has transformed and influenced society at large, demonstrating how sports and popular culture are intrinsically entwined and the ways they both reflect larger societal transformations. The essays in the book are wide-ranging, covering topics of interest for sports fans who enjoy the NFL and NASCAR as well as those who like tennis and watching the Olympics. Many topics feature information about specific sports icons and favorite heroes. Additionally, many of the topics' treatments prompt engagement by purposely challenging the reader to either agree or disagree with the author's analysis.




The Last Great Miller


Book Description

Utilizing an extraordinary historical archive, this book contains more than one hundred photos, as well as the text of over one hundred original letters (many written by Miller himself) about the car's development. The Last Great Miller brings to life the history of this unique model of race car.




Car Racing


Book Description

This striking volume examines not only the physical aspects needed to be a race car driver, but also how the driver and the car work together. Author Barbara Sheen talks about not only the physical and mental demands a driver endures while racing, but also the mechanics of the car and what types of science are used to evaluate both the car and the driver.




Fast on the Sand


Book Description

The 1928 quest for the Land Speed Record on the sands of Daytona Beach was a first for America, a singular mix of technology, thrills and tragedy. Tens of thousands lined the dunes along the beach, a crowd larger than any yet seen at Indianapolis 500. Three contenders, two Americans and a Briton, raced for the ultimate distance-averaged top speed, in magnificent machines built by different schools of design. This book chronicles the high-speed drama. The top American driver, Frank Lockhart, 25, survived a spectacular accident and rebuilt his Stutz Black Hawk, only to meet his fate in the new runs. The facts and myths behind the competition are examined in depth for the first time, along with the innovations and fatal mistakes of vehicle design.




Mad for Speed


Book Description

This book covers Joan Newton Cuneo's life, and her roles (from 1905 to 1915) as the premier female racer in the United States and spokeswoman for women drivers and good roads. Beginning with her family history and marriage to Andrew Cuneo, it traces her life in New York society, the birth of her children, and Joan's growing interest in automobile touring and racing and partnership with Louis Disbrow, her racing mechanic. The book covers Joan's experiences in three Glidden Tours, including her notes on the 1907 tour, her first races, and her rivals. It also looks at the growth and change of automobile culture and the battles for control of racing among the American Automobile Association, the Automobile Club of America, and the American Automobile Manufacturers Association--which ended in banishing women racers shortly after Joan's greatest racing victories at New Orleans (in 1909). The book then follows Joan's attempts to continue racing, the end of her marriage, her move to the Upper Peninsula, and her remarriage and death. The book also includes a chapter on her female rivals in racing and touring.