Download or read book Inside Shelby American written by John Morton and published by Quarto Publishing Group USA. This book was released on 2013-11-18 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book Stardust International Raceway written by Randall Cannon and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2018-09-24 with total page 430 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Professional motorsports came to Las Vegas in the mid-1950s at a bankrupt horse track swarmed by gamblers--and soon became enmeshed with the government and organized crime. By 1965, the Vegas racing game moved from makeshift facilities to Stardust International Raceway, constructed with real grandstands, sanitary facilities and air-conditioned timing towers. Stardust would host the biggest racing names of the era--Mario Andretti, Parnelli Jones, John Surtees, Mark Donohue, Bobby Unser, Dan Gurney and Don Garlits among them. Established by a notorious racketeer, the track stood at the confluence of shadowy elements--wiretaps, casino skimming, Howard Hughes, and the beginnings of Watergate. The author traces the Stardust's colorful history through the auto racing monthlies, national newspapers, extensive interviews and the files of the FBI.

Download or read book Vintage American Road Racing Cars 1950 1969 written by Harold Pace Mark R. Brinker and published by . This book was released on with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Shelby Cobra written by and published by MotorBooks International. This book was released on 1994 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of more than 270 photographs, brochures, race programs, posters and Shelby memorabilia that tells the inside story of how the Shelby team built its production cars and went racing.

Download or read book Lost Road Courses written by Martin Rudow and published by CarTech Inc. This book was released on 2016-07-15 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book Ford Total Performance written by Martyn L. Schorr and published by Motorbooks. This book was released on 2015-09-10 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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!

Download or read book USRRC United States Road Racing Championship 1963 1968 written by Mike Martin and published by . This book was released on 2013-12-27 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book Road Track written by and published by . This book was released on 1974 with total page 928 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book American Auto Racing written by J.A. Martin and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2014-07-15 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book Shelby American Up Close and Behind the Scenes written by Dave Friedman and published by Motorbooks. This book was released on 2017-08-01 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shelby American Up Close and Behind the Scenes brings you closer to the action than ever before with Shelby himself as he creates his iconic speed machines. Prepare for a ride like none other. In 1962 retired racing great Carroll Shelby was looking for his next big move. He'd started a racing school at Riverside Raceway in California, but he really wanted to build his own sports and racing car. He found a promising platform in the British AC Ace, and set about stuffing an American V-8 between the AC's dainty fenders. Thus was born the Shelby Cobra. Shelby set up shop in Venice, California, later in 1962, marking the beginning of the classic Cobra era. It was a near supernatural combination of brilliant designers and wrenches, ever-faster cars, championship-winning teams and drivers, and sheer chutzpah. The Venice shop spawned the 289 Cobra, Daytona Coupe, 427 Cobra, Mustang GT350, Sunbeam Tiger, and more. Eventually the Venice facility could not handle the work, especially when Ford tapped Shelby to create a high-performance version of its new and wildly successful Mustang. Moving to a larger facility and the closer relationship with Ford seemed to diminish the fast and loose nature of the original enterprise. Some of the mojo was lost. Shelby American Up Close and Behind the Scenes takes the reader inside the Venice shop in the critical 1962-1965 period. Author/photographer Dave Friedman was Shelby's official shooter, and he documented everything from Cobra construction to paddock wrenching to race wins. Shelby American Up Close and Behind the Scenes is an insider's look via Friedman's documentary photography and first-person stories from Shelby's key players. It's a must-have review of this critical period in both Shelby's history and the history of American racing.

Download or read book The Complete Book of Shelby Automobiles written by Colin Comer and published by . This book was released on with total page 259 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Carroll Shelby written by Rinsey Mills and published by Motorbooks. This book was released on 2020-06-02 with total page 555 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written with Carroll Shelby's full collaboration and with a foreword by Edsel B. Ford II, the great-grandson of Henry Ford, this is the definitive record of America's preeminent twentieth century sports car builder and racer—now available as an ebook. It was motoring author Rinsey Mills' passion for AC cars and motorsports history that led to his first meeting with Carroll Shelby. His suggestion that they should collaborate in order to create an accurate record of Shelby's life and achievements at first was rebuffed but later taken up with enthusiasm. This authorized biography is the result. Carroll Shelby: The Authorized Biography was a long time in the making, as Mills left no stone unturned in his quest to produce the complete study of Shelby's remarkable life. He carried out extensive research and conducted numerous interviews, fully capturing the narrative of Carroll Shelby within and outside of the automotive racing world, including his: Childhood in Texas Wartime service with the Army Air Force Postwar entrepreneurship Earliest race wins in 1952 Legendary 1959 victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans Monumental release of the first Cobra and the formation of Shelby American in 1962 Historical partnership with Ford that would last for decades Personal interests and travels Present-day legacy Fascinating photographs from Shelby's personal collection complete a book whose original hardcover edition was published mere weeks before his passing, making Carroll Shelby: The Authorized Biographya magnificent and lasting tribute to one of the greatest automotive figures of the twentieth century.

Download or read book Cobra written by Trevor Legate and published by Motorbooks. This book was released on 2006 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book tells the complex saga of a sports car that was created in the early 1960s as a result of an unlikely collaboration between a plain-talking ex-racing driver from Texas and a conservative British automobile manufacturer, funded by one of the giants of the industry, the Ford Motor Company. Carroll Shelby, AC Cars, and Ford came together to create a car called the Cobra, based on the AC Ace roadster that had been in production since 1954. When the Shelby Cobra was created, it was far from state-of-the-art, but the use of a new series of Ford V8 engines saw the lightweight car annihilate the Chevrolet Corvette in American sports car racing. By adding aerodynamic bodywork, the Daytona Cobra Coupe arrived in Europe to contest the FIA World Championship and took victory in the GT category in 1965, making Shelby American the first (and only) USA-based manufacturer to achieve this feat. In order to capitalize on this success, even greater power was required and the car was developed to take a huge 7-liter engine that proved to be a triumph of horsepower over handling - thus the 427 Cobra became an overnight legend, establishing new performance records and creating a reputation for being more than a little tricky to drive. The era of the Cobra was brief - production ended at Shelby American during 1966 and at AC Cars in 1968 where they built their own final version, the AC289 Sports. Just over 1000 Cobras were built during that time but the final cars proved difficult to sell, their vintage qualities deterring potential owners. Carroll Shelby closed his company and went to Africa while AC developed other models, but the Cobra was not quite finished yet. Within a matter of a few years, a new market for the car was created as the demand for affordable kit cars grew. The most popular model by far was the Cobra and many thousands were built, with the result that both AC Cars and Carroll Shelby put their own versions back into production. And then the arguments really started... If it was an improbable car over forty years ago, it is even more implausible today, but the remarkable Cobra, in one form or another, is still with us. It may be dead, but it just won't lie down!

Download or read book Sports Car Club of America written by Pete Hylton and published by Turner Publishing Company. This book was released on 2004 with total page 142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This commemorative SCCA history book features a large collection of never before published photographs and memorabilia highlighting the first 60 years of the Sports Car Club of America, written by SCCA archivist & historian, Pete Hylton. This unique book tells the story of SCCA from its meager beginnings of seven men with a hobby to its escalation into the nation-wide phenomenon it is today!

Download or read book Can Am 50th Anniversary written by George Levy and published by Motorbooks. This book was released on 2016-09-30 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Forget the rule book and relive one of the most exciting race series ever with Can-Am 50th Anniversary! The first rule of Can-Am: There are no rules. Or at least damn few rules. The bodywork had to enclose the wheels and there had to be something that loosely resembled a passenger seat--if your passenger was a badly misshapen human or perhaps a lab monkey. Otherwise, set your racing mind free. No limits to engine options or output, no restrictions on aerodynamic aids or body shape. It was as close to unrestricted road racing as racing had ever gotten or would ever get again. And it was fantastic. From its introduction in 1966 to the end of its classic period in 1974, North America's Can-Am series was the most exciting, technologically advanced, and star-studded racing series of the day. Its essentially rules-free formula attracted everyone from crazed backyard engineers to specialists like McLaren, Chaparral, Shadow, and Lola to manufacturers like Ford, Ferrari, Chevrolet, and Porsche. Top drivers including Mario Andretti, Jackie Stewart, Parnelli Jones, Bruce McLaren, Denis Hulme, Dan Gurney, Phil Hill, Mark Donohue, Peter Revson, Jim Hall, Jody Scheckter, Chris Amon, George Follmer and John Surtees competed on tracks across the US and Canada taking time off from Formula One schedules and other duties to drive in Can-Am because the racing and the cars were so exciting. Can-Am 50th Anniversary offers a heavily illustrated look back at what is arguably the greatest race series ever to grace the roadracing circuits of North America. Photographer Pete Biro was Goodyear Tire’s official photographer and followed the series throughout the entire run from 1966-'74. The vast majority of the book’s images are unpublished or long out of circulation. Biro brings his unique perspective and his close relationship with the drivers, team owners, and constructors to bear on the captions while former AutoWeek editor George Levy provides an exciting text reflecting the thrill of Can-Am racing.

Download or read book Shelby American 60 Years of High Performance written by Colin Comer and published by Motorbooks. This book was released on 2023-01-03 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Six Decades of Shelby performance—from the first Shelby AC Cobra to today’s Mustang Shelby GT500! A bad heart forced Carroll Shelby, one of the top racing drivers of all time, to retire in 1960. But that didn’t stop the lanky Texan from continuing to make history. He launched Shelby American in 1962 with the creation of the brilliant Ford-powered AC Cobra, soon to dominate both U.S. and international sports car racing. Shelby’s winning ways soon led to Ford seeking Shelby’s team of “hot rodders” help to make the Ford GT program a success. It worked. Shelby and Ford soon stunned the motorsports world by winning Le Mans and dominating other venues from 1966 to 1969 with the GT40. Fifty-three years later the legendary first Le Mans win of 1966 would form the basis for the acclaimed filmFord Versus Ferrari. As if the Cobra, Daytona Coupe, and GT40 were not enough, this small team of hot rodders, fabricators, and race mechanics also created the Shelby Mustang GT350 in 1965, and the GT500 two years later. Shelby American was nothing short of lightning in a bottle from 1962-1970. Shelby American 60 Years of High Performance covers all of these early triumphs, following the proceedings from a small shop in Venice, California, to sprawling digs at LAX all the while developing new road cars, running a top race team, and giving privateer racers the cars they needed to win. Get to know Shelby, as well as the innovators who surrounded him, including designer Peter Brock, genius engineer Phil Remington, “Mr. GT350” Chuck Cantwell, and a roster of top drivers that included Ken Miles, Bob Bondurant, Dan Gurney, Bruce McLaren, Denny Hulme, A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, and more. Authors Colin Comer and Rick Kopec, leading Shelby historians, follow the Shelby story through Carroll’s post-Ford relationship with Dodge, including his roles in the giant-killing, pocket-rocket Shelby Charger, GLH (“Goes Like Hell”), and GLH-S cars along with a slew of other Shelby-ized machines including his role in the birth and development of the menacing Dodge Viper. The story of the late Carroll Shelby and the company he founded is a classic tale of ingenuity, grit, and perseverance. Illustrated throughout with rare period imagery and modern color photography, Shelby American 60 Years of High Performance is the ultimate tribute to Shelby American and the team that made it all happen.

Download or read book McLaren Sports Racing Cars written by Dave Friedman and published by Motorbooks. This book was released on 2000 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bruce McLaren's performances as a F1, endurance, and Can-Am driver were almost always impressive. But it was the New Zealander's career as an innovative carbuilder which forever etched the McLaren name in the annals of motorsport. This photohistory examines McLaren's legendary endurance and Can-Am racers beginning with the formation of Bruce McLaren Racing Limited in 1963, continuing through his death at Goodwood in 1970, and finishing with the completion of the Can-Am series in 1974. Splendid photography gives readers views of the cars under construction and in action, and candid glimpses of Bruce McLaren and other personalities associated with the organization, including long-time teammate Denis Hulme. Dave Friedman is a prolific motorsport photographer and historian. His recent MBI titles include Lola: Can-Am & Endurance Race Cars and Pro Sports Car Racing in America 1958-1974. He lives in Newport Beach, California.