Race Shop

Exotic, hand-built Ferraris of the 1950s and Chevrolet’s family sedan produced by the thousands would seem to have little in common. But it’s a twist of automotive history that quite a few Ferraris might no longer exist were it not for the Chevy V8 engine. Randy Cook’s Bowtie Ferraris documents how a surprisingly large number of multi-million dollar Ferraris owe their survival to an engine from one of the least expensive sedans produced in America. His book is an important addition to the body of Ferrari history, as he explores a topic never before examined in any detail. – David Seibert, Ferrari Club Historian andmanager of the Ferrari Historic Challenge race series in North America. Published by RAC Motorsports Publishing in 2015. 192 pages. 276 images, featuring photography by Hugues Vanhoolandt.

The award-winning “Formula One at Watkins Glen” by the late Michael Argetsinger presents a vivid and often intimate account of the 20-year period that the United States Grand Prix was held at the classic upstate New York track. Argetsinger was a young man when his parents, Cameron and Jean, first brought Formula One to Watkins Glen, and he grew up working with racing as the family business. The story goes beyond the race winners and star entries to include the lesser-known drivers and teams that didn’t enjoy great success but added tremendously to the character of the event. The racing action and portraits of drivers, team principals, and fans evoke a strong sense of nostalgia for this era at Watkins Glen that will never be repeated. Spectacular photographs combine with Argetsinger’s detailed commentary to capture the distinctive character of each year’s event. The story begins with rare images of the Formula Libre races from 1958 through 1960 that featured a sprinkling of top European drivers, Formula One cars, and sports cars, and set the stage for Watkins Glen’s first World Championship Grand Prix. Stirling Moss, Phil Hill, Dan Gurney, Jack Brabham, Joakim Bonnier, Roy Salvadori, and Olivier Gendebien were the drivers who made early impressions and ultimately helped champion Watkins Glen as the site of the United States Grand Prix. Published in partnership with David Bull Publishing in 2011, all proceeds from the book – 100 percent of the purchase price – go to the International Motor Racing Research Center.160 pages. 91 black-and-white and 150 color photographs.

Perhaps the most photographed personality in automotive and motorsports history, Linda Vaughn has entertained fans and has been a premier marketer of automotive goods for more than 55 years. From her first days as Miss Atlanta Raceway, coming of age while representing Hurst, through her annual appearances at America’s top automotive and racing events, Linda continues to engage fans, drawing long lines whenever she makes an appearance. At her peak, Linda attended more than 100 events annually, year after year, and she still attends more than 25 events each year. The only entity that’s probably seen as many events as Linda is Goodyear! For the first time ever, Linda Vaughn allows her fans a behind-the-scenes look at her career in motorsports and promotion through her personal photographic archive and other photos. Through captions, Linda tells the story of individual images recounting countless stories from her amazing memory, with no detail left unshared. She recounts events with racing personalities and automotive icons from George Hurst to Richard Petty to Mario Andretti to Don Garlits. Nobody is left out as Linda tells stories about the photos chronicling her career in Motorsports. Published in 2016 by Car Tech Books. Hard cover. 223 pages.

Traces the story of the first use of this internationally known symbol in competition. Published by the International Motor Racing Research Center in 2006. 36 pages, soft-bound with illustrations.

In 1948, in a home alongside a two-lane country road that turned out to be part of the first road race in the United States after World War II, an adventure started. Interestingly, speed and art were crudely mixed into a wild blend, which led an Upstate New York sign painter on a series of incredible journeys. From lettering Formula 1 cars in the early 1970s to applying the art of sign painting at NASCAR race tracks, from Watkins Glen to Daytona, the “Tales” tell of behind-the-scene adventures that the average person has never seen or could imagine. The “Tales” take place at Watkins Glen, Talladega Superspeedway, Daytona Speedway and Chicagoland Speedway and others. In these surroundings, the art of sign painting is performed at a new level. Working in an intense atmosphere of fast-approaching “Race Day” required skill, ingenuity, dedication and luck! Intertwined in the sign painting adventures is a 15-year stint in auto racing, from dirt track ovals to NASCAR Modifieds, which leads to even more interesting tales. Speed, art, comedy, frustration, joy and danger combine to make “Tales” interesting reading as seen and lived through the eyes of Tony Vickio. Published in 2014 by Preston Woods Publishing Company. 372 pages.

This book is a three-decade time capsule that photographically records highlights of the races attended; candid portraits of the “stars” and prominent personalities in the sport; and 1950’s and 1960’s sports racing cars returning decades later in vintage races. As the book’s content is primarily photos with minimal text, it will transport the reader on a photographic journey through this very exciting era of motorsport. While it is primarily focused (no pun intended) on Canadian activities, it also includes photos taken from the late 1950’s to the mid-1980’s at many events in the U.S. and Europe as well. Race series covered include Formula One, Indy, Can-Am, drag racing, Formula Atlantic, Formula 5000, Trans-Am, NASCAR and endurance racing. Published in 2014 by Lionel Birnbom. 240 pages and more than 2,000 black and white and color photographs. NEW book. 

The history of the British race team that was created by Lord Alexander Hesketh during the 1970s and considered one of the strangest cult sponsorships in motorsports history. The team competed in Formula 1, F2 and F3. Includes information on the Hesketh race team, Le Patron (Alexander Hesketh) and racing drivers, including the man who became the 1976 F1 World Drivers’ Champion, James Hunt. Edited by Anna O’Brien. Published in 1974 by GBM Editorial Associates. 46 pages.

Speed has always been the Milwaukee Mile’s hallmark, and the one-mile oval track has given race fans and drivers thrills, chills, and memories for 130 years. “The Mile,” once a proving ground for the latest in mechanical engineering, has seen it all: from harness racing to endurance races, NASCAR, midgets, sprints, and Indy open wheel. The checkered flag has waved at the Mile for greats such as Barney Oldfield, Rex Mays, Al Unser, and Mario Andretti, as well as a new generation of drivers, including Dale Jarrett, Kurt Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick, and Will Power. The infield saw its share of action, too, including circus acts under the big top and Green Bay Packers games. Published by Arcadia Publishing in 2015. 128 pages. 180 black and white photographs.

 

In 1948, Watkins Glen became the site of the first postwar road race in America on a 6.6-mile course through the village and surrounding highways; the present-day road course was built in 1956 and held its first race the same year. The circuit presented its first professional race in 1957 when NASCAR made its first appearance. NASCAR returned to the Glen in 1964 and 1965 and found a permanent spot on the Watkins Glen calendar beginning in 1986. Today, the annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in August ranks as the largest spectator event in the state of New York. In addition to NASCAR and Formula One, Watkins Glen race fans have enjoyed America’s greatest race series, including Indy car, Can-Am, Trans-Am, six-hour endurance for prototypes, and amateur sports car racing. Published by Arcadia Publishing in 2013. 128 pages. 209 black and white photographs.

The war was won, the Depression was over, and Americans were back on the road. From all across the nation, sports car drivers converged on Watkins Glen to race through the gorges, hills, and village streets of western New York. Over the years, the course has evolved from its humble beginnings on streets lined with hay bales to the modern closed track that plays host to NASCAR today. Through vintage photographs, primarily from the International Motor Racing Research Center, Watkins Glen Racing chronicles the history of the track with early drivers such as Cameron Argetsinger, Phil Walters and Dave Garroway, vintage cars, hairpin turns and death-defying races. Published by Arcadia Publishing in 2008. 128 pages. 200 black and white photographs.