This book focuses on the different aspects that contributed to the development of Northeast American sports car racing during the 1950s. The evolution from amateur drivers racing on public roads in 1950, to both professional and amateur drivers racing at private, purpose-built tracks in 1959, demanded huge leaps of faith, trust and understanding. The transition was neither easy nor uneventful for drivers, clubs or track owners, and the tragedy, politics and intrigue that came to characterize the period are covered here in fascinating detail.

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book gives a fascinating insight into this two-year period, complemented by over 150 period pictures, many previously unpublished.

Traces the history of stock car racing and looks at major drivers, teams, and racetracks.

Charts the progress of sports car races, year-by-year from 1976, through the era of the Group C cars, up to the end of the eighties, with accounts and photographs of each event. This book includes maps of the circuit, showing changes over the years and results from each of the races.

The British at Indianapolis recounts the history of the Indianapolis 500 race through the eyes and actions of those British born or British citizens who have driven in it, or been involved in any other way – be it as a designer, mechanic, or official. It also examines the British built cars that have won the Indy 500 and the significance of the rear engined revolution brought to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway by Cooper in 1961, and elevated to success by Lotus and Lola. It includes such names as Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Nigel Mansell and 2010 Indy 500 champion, and two times winner, Dario Franchitti.

From a five-year-old girl racing 60mph micro-midgets in South Africa, to a Formula One driver in the British Championship during her first full year of racing in the UK, and on to becoming the first and only woman ever to win a Formula One race, Desire Wilson was a winner bested by very few of her male rivals. But single-seater racing was just the start of Desire's ascent in motorsport. She won two FIA World Championship Sports Car Endurance races in 1980, and went on to compete in well over 120 types of race car at more than 100 race tracks around the world. Always competitive, she earned a reputation for an intense, no-nonsense approach to racing, shrugging off the media glamour to focus on the hard grind of staying competitive in one of the world's toughest sporting arenas. Moving to the male-dominated world of North American racing, Desire became a pioneer for women racing in the harsh world of Indy Cars, facing discrimination, financial problems, and other obstacles ranging from tragedy to farce. Her career is unique in the world of racing, encompassing everything from club racing to Formula One and World Championship sports cars, to the evil monsters of the IndyCar World Series - the world's fastest race cars. Hers is a story of hardships, fun, tragedy, perseverance, injury, and the amazing behind-the-scenes world masked by the public face and glamour of racing. It tells, too, of the consequences of politics and discrimination in the male world of professional auto racing.