BOOKSHELF

     Read any good auto racing books lately?  Do you have a favorite that you would like to share?  Interested in becoming FODS-world famous by penning a review?  Anything that you would like to add to our DSL! Bookshelf would be very much appreciated!  Contact me here.

     Mickey

     January 29, 2009

********** 

     I'm pleased to report that Rand Thompson (caprirand@comcast.net) has agreed to take over responsibility for our Bookshelf as the DSL! BookMaster.  Here's Rand!

     I wanted to introduce myself to all the FODS as the resident racing book "guru". I have been collecting racing books for many years now establishing a pretty nice collection in my personal library and wanted to share some of my enthusiasm with the group.

     If anyone has any questions or comments regarding books such as "Where can I find this one?", "I heard about a book concerning ....,but don't know the title?", "Is this book really worth buying ?", or even "I found a really cool book that you may not be aware of." ,please e-mail me at caprirand@comcast.net, and I will do my best to answer your question.

     The vast majority of my collection covers American open-wheel and stock car racing from 1905-present, but I also have some books on automotive history as well as some European cars and racing.  I will be writing a weekly book review for the DSL site, but the questions or discussion need not be limited to those books by any means.

     The first thing I wanted to mention were some of my favorite places to purchase racing books. One thing to keep in mind is the publishing industry has made it much easier for enthusiasts to write and publish their own works. Many of these self-published works are a labor of love, are published in relatively small quantities, and are not available from the major book vendors, but sold directly by the author. If you find one of these titles that appeals to you, I suggest buying it asap since once the first press run is sold out, they may not be available ever again. I once heard an author describe these as "ballroom" books since the number of people interested in buying one could all fit into a single ballroom!

     My favorite site for racing books is www.coastal181.com. Coastal 181 carries a wide variety of both mainstream and specialty titles that can be hard to find anywhere else with a big emphasis on short track racing. Another great site is the www.sprintcarhof.com site which is the Sprint Car Hall of Fame and they have a great collection of specialty open wheel books at their online store. The sites listed above often have books that are simply unavailable anywhere else.

     If you are looking for auto and racing books that are a little more mainstream I can recommend the ones below. These vendors will also list new books yet to be released, so you can get an idea of what is upcoming. A very good source is www.motorbooks.com for automotive or racing books. Lastly, I wanted to mention the 800 lb. gorilla of online book sellers, www.amazon.com.   Amazon usually cannot be beat price wise on any racing or automotive book that they carry, so I always look there first. They however do not carry many specialty and obscure books, and even those they do have often sell for list price with no discounts. One of the great features of Amazon is their huge database of used book sellers that sell used copies of current and out of print books often at great prices. Several times I have looked at Amazon for a new book and found a used one for sale instead at great savings. Used and out of print books can also be found at www.abebooks.com.

     Rand Thompson

Anthony, Mel.  Smoke, Sand and Rubber.  Washington:  Sylvester Publishing, date unknown.

     Mel Anthony put together a collection of his remembrances from his career as a racing driver and, since Mel is 85-years-young and started driving a very long time ago, his book stands as a mini-history of the sports earliest days in the Northwestern United States.

     Our Rick Patterson (elvis334@att.net) bought the book and here's what he had to say about it:

     "It is easy to read because it is a collection of short stories (with lots of old midget and sprint photo's) and results from drivers on the west coast that only take a couple pages each. A lot of the drivers were new to me but the stories about the men were always entertaining and needed to be told.  

     "When I was done I wanted to know more about drivers like Heath Allen, Shorty Templeton and Chick Barbo.

     "Mel "accidentally" bumped Allen one night and crashed him.  Heath was so pissed he jumped into a Push Truck and started to chase down Mel.

     "Shorty won Washington Midget Racing Association championships in 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, and 1953. He moved east and became USAC champ in 1956, 1957, and 1958.

     Rick"

     Mel originally had 1,000 copies printed in 2006 but the last time we checked he was down to around 300.  if you are interested in owning a copy, you'd better act quickly.  As far as we know, the book is only available from Mel.  Write your check for $33.95 (the $4 shipping is included in that amount) to Sylvester Publishing and mail it directly to Mel at 5604 5th St. N. E., Shoreline, Washington, 98155.

     And tell him that you read about his book here at DSL!

ARCA  50 Years of Racing .1953-2002

Written and Published by ARCA

     This is a great hardcover book covering the entire history of the ARCA series from the formation as MARC in 1953 up through the 2002 season. John and Mildred Marcum were early associates of Bill France and played a large role in the early years of NASCAR serving as officials. John thought there was a need for a Midwestern stock car series and founded the Midwest Assoc. for Race Cars (MARC) in Toledo, Ohio in 1953. The name was changed to Auto Racing Club of America (ARCA) with Bill France's recommendation when they appeared at Daytona for the first time in 1964.

     This very complete book covers a history of the series era by era from the beginning including LOTS of pictures and then goes into several chapters covering some of the legendary tracks including Dayton, Canfield, Salem, Mt. Clemens, Daytona, Talladega and the popular dirt tracks that, unlike NASCAR, have still remained on the schedule to this day.

     Many people are not aware that besides the national touring series, ARCA is also in the business of sanctioning weekly events, and owns/operates Flat Rock and Toledo Speedway and those tracks are covered as well. The five top drivers who competed in ARCA for their entire careers each have their own chapter including Iggy Katona, Jack Bowsher, Tim Steele, Frank Kimmel, and my personal favorite, Joy Fair (who I am proud to call a friend). 

     Many other great drivers also raced in ARCA including most notably the great Benny Parsons, Davey Allison, Joe Ruttman, Bob Keselowski, Bob James, Lee Raymond, Fred Lorenzen, Bill Venturini, and many others, and wait until you see the great photo on the back of the dust jacket of Iggy Katona saluting the fans after winning at Dayton.

     Get this one, you won't be disappointed and at $20 it is a bargain.  It can only be found at www.arcafangear.com in the book section.

     Rand Thompson

     caprirand@comcast.net

Argabright, Dave. American Scene. Witness Publications, 2001.

     American Scene is a great hardbound book that is a collection of nearly 100 of Dave Argabright's best columns and features from the 90's as originally printed in National Speed Sport News. I enjoyed every one of these short stories when I first read them, but being able to relive them together in this one volume is a real treat. Many times I don't want to start a lengthy book, but am looking for something I can pick up and read for a short period of time, and this one is perfect for those situations.

      Argabright doesn't generally write much about tracks or race cars, but is at his best when he writes about the fascinating people and characters of our sport. His particular interest is the short track racers competing in Indiana and Ohio, and he has a remarkable talent for letting the reader get a real insight into their personalities. His stories illustrate the entire range of personal emotions that are present in racing including triumph, courage, perseverance, frustration and even despair. The racers whose stories are told range from the well known superstars down to the the weekly warrior including names like Steve & Karl Kinser, Dick Gaines, Mike Eddy, Roger McCluskey, Gary B., Rich Vogler, Jack Hewitt, Rick Ferkel, and way too many others to mention.

     Dave is my favorite racing writer, and I have never been disappointed with any of his works, but this one ranks right up there as one of his very best. I have just started writing a weekly column for a racing newspaper, and Dave Argabright is the one author that has inspired me the most.

     American Scene is available as a 356 pg. hardbound direct from Books by Argabright for $29.

http://www.daveargabright.com/da-bio.htm

Rand Thompson

caprirand@comcast.net

Baltes, Earl and Argabright, Dave.  Earl!  The Life and Times of One of the Nation's Best Racing Promoters.  Books by Dave Argabright, Publisher. 2005.

     Earl! is a great autobiography by the legendary founder and long time owner of Eldora Speedway who also owned Dayton Speedway as well as New Bremen in the late 60's.  Earl Baltes was the builder, owner, promoter, and operator of Eldora which has been renowned as one of the most outstanding short tracks in the county for many decades. 

     He started out as a musician and originally decided to open a dance hall on the site of the speedway before he became fascinated with racing and decided to build a track after an unplanned visit to New Bremen one fateful afternoon.

     The book is folksy and down-to-earth including stories about some of the great drivers in Sprints and Late Models that competed like Don & Jack Hewitt, Johnny Rutherford, Larry Moore, Steve Kinser and many others. The majority of the book concerns Eldora as you might expect, but there are a lot of fascinating stories about Dayton Speedway covering such diverse topics  as; John Marcum and the repaving, a Bill France visit, wreaking havoc in downtown Dayton with a gorilla suit and some ostriches, and a wacky track promotion gone wrong involving Earl, Blaire Ratliff, Omar Williams, and a live tiger.

Highly recommended!

     Rand Thompson

     caprirand@comcast.net

Bourcier, Bones. Bugsy!, The Life and Times of Bugs Stevens, Coastal 181, 2002

            This book is the story of Carl Berghman, better known as "Bugs" Stevens, who is one of the all time greats of NASCAR modified racing.

            I first developed an interest in racing in the early 70's, however it was nearly impossible to learn much about the sport. TV coverage was limited to brief segments on Wide World of Sports, and the only magazine that really covered short tracks and stock car racing was "Stock Car Racing" magazine.  I soon started reading SCR every month, and since it was New England based, they covered the short tracks in that region quite extensively. Unfortunately, I never got to see the Modifieds first hand, but reading about those great drivers like Richie Evans, Fred DeSarro, Maynard Troyer, Ray Hendrick, and a driver named Bugs Stevens was the next best thing. Those Modifieds with the cool old coupe bodies and the fuel injected big blocks were pretty awesome as well. Although I have seen the Modifieds race in Florida a few times in recent years, I have still never been to New England, but those names from the 70's still hold a special fascination for me.

            Although I never got to see him race, when I first saw this book about Bugsy Stevens, I was intrigued enough to add it to my collection. Well, after reading it, I must say it is one of my favorite books I own. The author did a great job getting Bugs to tell his story in a very entertaining way and the book is very well written. Bugs tells an outstanding story in his own words, and not only was he a great driver and a real "character", he also seems like one of the most straight up, and right to the point people in racing.  Stevens does a great job discussing his life and career, about racing with contemporaries like Ron Bouchard, Richie Evans, and Geoff Bodine, his disdain for the loss of racing etiquette among drivers, and a whole lot more. Bugsy took his racing very seriously, but he knew how to treat the fans, and also how to have a LOT of fun at the same time!

            I knew little about him before reading the book, but after I finished it he seemed like one of the most likable and respected drivers around. Even if you never paid much attention  to New England Modifieds before, I cannot over emphasize what a great book this is and how Bugs comes across as one of the coolest racing personalities of all time.

232 pages with 150 photos.

The book is available from Lew Boyd at Coastal 181 as item # S-179 for $19.95

www.coastal181.com

Rand Thompson

caprirand@comcast.net

Brown, Allan. History of America's Speedways, Past & Present. America's Speedways, 2003.

          I always like to ask people if they know when they had the very first auto race? When they sold the 2nd car!

          This is a fascinating reference book listing every known speeday in the US and Canada since the very first auto race. There are several chapters at the beginning that summarize the history of American racing including the board tracks, midgets, modifieds ,championship cars, Indy 500, stock cars, road racing, drag racing etc.

          The vast majority of the book however is alphabetical listings ,state by state, of the over 8000 race tracks that have been in operation at some point since 1900. The author has done a tremendous amount of research to list the most obscure and remote tracks that one could ever have imagined including Canada as well as the US. The information includes track names, nearest towns, track size, type of surface, and dates of operation. The author also lists notable historic events or famous drivers that may have started or ended their careers there. There are even listings for temporary circuits that may have only ran one time. There are several pictures for each state showing aerial views of some of the tracks or photos of well known drivers that raced there.

           I find that it is a book I am constantly getting out again and again to look up something. I found several tracks in my area that I was never aware of. I also like to look what tracks might have been around when traveling in other states when visiting relatives etc. I think the best part is reviewing some of the hilarious names of some of the tracks as some of the track owners were very creative. A few of them are names like Suicide Circle in Georgia, Ted's Torture Track in NY, Hell's Half Acre in TX., and my personal favorite Satan's Bowl-o-Death in NY. Do you see a common theme here? Then you have names that seem to have no connection or theme at all like Boss Hogg Intl. Speedway in Florida (I wonder what TV show was popular then?) Not sure how many drivers would want to race at Flippin Speedway in Arkansas until you see it really was located in the town of Flippin.

          The book is normally $35, but is now on sale for $20 at the link below. The author also publishes an annual National Speedway Directory that lists all the active tracks in the US along with nights of operation, phone numbers, and very complete directions.

          Both books are on sale at Coastal 181.

http://tinyurl.com/qf6fke

Rand Thompson

caprirand@comcast.net

Buss, Ted, Lloyd Ruby, The Greatest Driver Never to Win the Indy 500, Persidea Publishing, 2001

     It is with a certain amount of sadness that I write this book review ,since I just heard the news earlier today that one of my heroes, Lloyd Ruby ,has passed away at the age of 81. Lloyd was the very first driver I chose as my favorite when I first discovered the world of racing in 1971.          

     Although I have had several other favorite drivers in a variety of series since he retired, you never forget your first. I finally had the pleasure of getting to meet him a few years ago in Indianapolis and he was as gracious and down to earth as I imagined he would be.

     Lloyd's public persona was, by nature, very reserved, and quiet, so race fans were generally not able to get much of a grasp of his personality, other than his hard charging reputation behind the wheel, as he seldom wanted any part of talking about himself. As a result, there has been very little written about him other than his propensity for bad luck in the Indy 500 as "Hard Luck Lloyd". Ted Buss has written a very good book that gives the reader some good insights into the personality of one of racing's most outstanding and versatile drivers of the 60's & 70's who was very liked and respected by his peers.  

     Not only did he have a great career in the Indy Championship cars, he was also a very accomplished sports car driver winning both the Daytona and Sebring endurance races for the Ford GT40 factory backed team. Although I knew he got his start racing motorcycles and graduated to midgets in the 50's around Texas and Oklahoma, I really knew very little about his life away from the track and what made him tick. After reading the book, I found out how loyal and unpretentious he was with his old friends in Wichita Falls,Texas, and his love of practical jokes with his hilarious potato gun.

     Lloyd was well known for his integrity and honesty and one anecdote more than any other illustrates this. In 1974, he had not found a ride for the 500, so his old friend and crew chief, Mike Devin, pulled his 1973 Eagle out of storage, got it ready and took it to the track in May as an unsponsored low budget entry. In the meantime, Lloyd had been offered a third car with the well financed Vels Parnelli Jones super team, but had no qualms at all in turning it down. When one of his long time friends was amazed that he didn't take the better ride, Lloyd very emphatically stated, "Damn it Stan, I can't drive that car. I already told Mike to bring the other one in." He then said "Tell you what I'm going to do Stan, I'm going to take this car and outrun the other one."  Not only did he outrun it, he was running 4th towards the end of the race before running out of fuel and eventually finished 9th.

     A fine hardback book that gives some insights into the personality of a great man and very reasonably priced at less than $25. It is available from the Sprint car Hall of Fame at http://tinyurl.com/cjgle4

     It is also available from Amazon at http://tinyurl.com/d6v7ch

     You can read his obituary at the link here. http://tinyurl.com/dlp9tl

Rand Thompson

caprirand@comcast.net

Catlin, Russ.  Life of Ted Horn.  Floyd Clymer, 1949.

Catlin, Russ.  The Life of Ted Horn; American Racing Champion.  Kessinger Publishing, LLC, 2007.

Economaki, Chris and Argabright, Dave.  Let 'Em All Go!  Books by Dave Argabright, 2006.

Engel, Lyle Kenyon.  The Incredible A.J.Foyt.  ARCO Publishing Co., 1971.

Gasper, Len and Sampaio, Phil.  My Hero, My Friend, Jimmy Bryan. Ralph Tanner Assoc., 1992.

     This is a fantastic book that I believe is out of print, but the author still has some copies left for sale.

      Len Gasper was a youngster living in Arizona and his father developed a business relationship and friendship with local driver Jimmy Bryan and mechanic Clint Brawner during the 50's. Len was lucky enough to have Jimmy as a frequent visitor at their house for several years when he was growing up, and this book is a fantastic story of how Jimmy made a huge impression on a young race fan and nurtured a friendship with him. The book is less about Jimmy's racing exploits, and much more about what his personality was really like away from the track and how he interacted with a young man. Len does a splendid job showing his strong admiration for his hero and how Jimmy made such a positive influence on his life during the trials & tribulations of being an adolescent. Definitely not your typical racing biography, but very entertaining and well written.

     Jimmy Bryan was considered to be one of the most successful race drivers in the 50's winning multiple USAC Championships including the coveted  Indy 500 in 1958 and was especially known for his exploits on the dirt tracks. Unfortunately, he lost his life at Langhorne in 1960, and while Len briefly describes the despair over his death, the book is otherwise very uplifting in letting the reader get a good glimpse of Jimmy's fun loving and kind personality. One of my favorite stories was when Jimmy gave Len a fast ride around town in his 1958 Bonneville Indy Pace Car.

      The book has lots of great pictures of Jimmy Bryan, and was once named as the "Best Book of the Year" by the Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Assoc. . It is available as a Deluxe Hardcover for $25 +$5 shipping, and also as a gold foil embossed Collectors Edition with case for $35+$5 shipping. The author will personalize and autograph upon request.

      Available from the author at the address below;

Len Gasper

6116

Libby, Bill.  Parnelli.  New York; E.P.Dutton & Co., 1971

Bill Vukovich is considered by historians to be one of the greatest drivers to ever turn at lap at Indianapolis.  Bill’s record at the famed 2 ½ mile oval may never be matched, as he dominated in 1952 until his car failed, won back to back in 1953-4, and was leading the 1955 event until getting caught up in a crash and losing his life. 

Fortunately for race fans, Bob Gates has done an outstanding job in writing a biography of the legend from Fresno, California.  Not only does Bob cover the life and times of “Vuky” Sr., he also has chapters about son Billy Jr., and third generation driver Billy III, who tragically lost his life in 1990 in a sprint car.  Billy Jr. was very successful in Indy cars and Billy III was just starting to make a big name for himself as well.

Vukovich first developed his racing prowess in the rough and tumble world of Northern California midget racing in the years before WWII. Gates does a good job discussing his early career in his Drake powered midget and his early successes. His fellow competitors were awed by his ability to psyche out the other drivers; Bill would walk over to their cars, study them carefully, and shake his head while never saying a word. His talent quickly rose to the top, and he was able to move up to the hallowed grounds of Indianapolis. 

It all came together starting in 1952. Bill teamed up with owner Howard Keck and ace mechanics Jim Travers and Frank Coon in one of the very first sleek Kurtis Kraft roadsters.  “Vuky” dominated that race, but his steering broke just 8 laps from the end.  In spite of his huge popularity, Bill was little known to the fans as he tended to keep to himself and not say too much. The press gave him the name, “The Mad Russian”, which he actually despised, as his temperament was neither mad nor was he of Russian background.  Bill was tough as nails as he proved winning the 1953 race and leading 195 laps in 93 degrees with no relief help.

It looked like he was on his way to his third straight Indy win in 1955 when he was tragically caught up in a fiery accident and lost his life. Gates painstakingly dissects that fateful lap by devoting an entire chapter with extensive research and eye witness accounts.   In many ways that incident was one of the major reasons that AAA decided to withdraw from racing.

This 320 pg. book is an outstanding piece or work, and is an extremely well written and researched volume about one of the greatest drivers in history.  It is available in both hardbound and softbound versions and includes 260 photos with 72 of them in color! Like so many others I have reviewed, it is available from my favorite source, Coastal 181. 

            www.coastal181.com

Hardbound is $35 and is item # S 600; Softbound is $27.50 and is item # S 605.

Rand Thompson

Leslie-Pelecky, Diandra, The Physics of NASCAR How to make Steel+Gas+Rubber=Speed, Dutton, 2008.

            I thought I would review a book that is a little different than the racing history books I usually do.

            This is an excellent book about how NASCAR race cars are engineered to perform like they do. The author is a college Physics professor and the book is written to explain with basic scientific terms and knowledge that the average reader can understand. The author did a great job in making these topics very interesting and informative.

            The areas discussed include aerodynamics, metallurgy, materials,engines, fuels, tires, shocks, drivetrain and others.The author spent time with Elliott Sadler and the 19 team both at the shop and the track to help the NASCAR fan understand how things work and how engineering principles are used in racing. I am a long time fan (and also an engineer) and there was a lot of info that I can use when I give the fans my pit road and garage tours at Michigan International Speedway. This book will help me explain things to people in a easy way.

            This would also be an outstanding book for a high school aged race car enthusiast/budding engineer to help them understand how school subjects like Physics can have exciting real world applications. I was a big racing fan when I was taking physics in high school and engineering courses in college and the textbook problems we had did not seem very relevant or interesting. A book like this would have made those subjects a lot more fun. Highly recommended!

            The book is available on Amazon in both hardbound and softbound versions for $10-$12, so it is very affordable as well.  The hardbound is available as a bargain book while supplies last. The Amazon links are pasted below.

http://tiny.cc/h0rz1

http://tiny.cc/yDH2t

Rand Thompson

caprirand@comcast.net

Miller, Denny.  Eddie Sachs, The Clown Prince; the Life and Times of the World’s Greatest Race Driver.  Authorhouse Publisher, 2005.

     It's Sachsational!

     The book "Eddie Sachs, The Clown Prince, The life and times of the world's greatest race driver,,," is a very entertaining book about one of racing's most colorful figures and a real favorite with the fans. Eddie Sachs always considered himself the world's greatest race driver, all you had to do was ask him about it and he was more than happy to oblige.

     I don't think there was a driver anywhere who wanted to be an Indy 500 driver more than Eddie, and although he started out with relatively meager talent and a lot of self promotion, he ultimately managed to succeed at the highest levels of the sport until his untimely death in 1964. Eddie was a multiple winner at Dayton Speedway, and lived in Dayton for awhile after marrying Gordon Reid's widow, Betty. He was also employed in the off season in Dayton driving a dump truck for his car owner, Bill Cowgill.

     The author did a great job capturing Eddie's personality by writing short passages describing key moments year by year throughout his career and then allowing Eddie's friends and associates to elaborate in their own words, so the reader gets a good understanding for what he was really like from people that knew him. Naturally, considering Eddie's reputation as a  jokester, the book is fairly lighthearted at times with his antics, but also covers his considerable success as a driver at Indianapolis and the other tracks on the Championship trail. The author also sells an audio CD of a lengthy presentation that Eddie gave to a business group and it is so entertaining and captivating that I finally was able to understand first hand why the fans loved him so much.  Both the book and audio CD are highly recommended and are still available from the author.

     Rand Thompson

Nolan, William. Barney Oldfield, The Life and Times of America's Legendary Speed King. Brown Fox Books, 2002

     William Nolan originally wrote this fine biography in 1961, and it unfortunately went out of print in the 60's and became very hard to find. Now, much to the pleasure of race fans, it was finally reprinted in a revised, expanded 2nd edition in 2002. This high quality hardbound book is very well written and contains many great  photos of America's most famous master driver and is a must read for anyone who wants to appreciate the origins of our sport. The cover illustration on the dust jacket is a great full color painting by the renowned artist Peter Helck.

     Barney Oldfield was born in Waseon, Ohio, near Toledo, and when the bicycle craze hit the US in the late 19th century, Barney soon became a top bicycle racer competing in many big events throughout Ohio. He was very intrigued by the new fangled automobile and after a meeting with Henry Ford in 1903, Barney signed on to race the famous Ford "999" becoming the first driver to break the famed mile a minute speed record on an oval track.He also set the land speed record in 1910 at Daytona Beach driving the famed "Blitzen Benz" at 131 mph and was one of the real pioneers in the early days of racing, driving cars that were extremely dangerous, and very difficult to drive. His famed brutish Christie front drive racer was lettered with his sponsor's slogan, "My Only Life Insurance is Firestone Tires" and he greeted his many admirers with his salutation "You Know Me!".

     Oldfield had developed a reputation as one of the fastest drivers in the country and although he raced in many sanctioned races over his career with AAA including the Indy 500, he determined there was a lot more money to be made by  barnstorming across the country with his own cars performing in match races at the fairs against other drivers and even airplanes. As a result, he was suspended multiple times for driving in unsanctioned "outlaw" races, therefore his official win totals were not necessarily all that impressive compared to other top drivers of that era. He was however, an unprecedented showman, crowd pleaser and self promoter, who always raced with a big stogie clenched in his mouth, and soon became THE most famous driver in America. At his peak, he was able to garner appearance fees of several thousand dollars, which was quite enormous in the teens, while exposing many Americans to their first auto race. For many years, anyone who was stopped by the police for speeding was lectured with "Who do you think you are, Barney Oldfield?"

     It is available from the Sprint Car Hall of Fame at http://tinyurl.com/ckwq57 ,                     
Coastal 181 http://tinyurl.com/czd2n2  , & at Amazon http://tinyurl.com/cr32h9

Rand Thompson

caprirand@comcast.net

Radbruch, Don. Roaring Roadsters.  Tex Smith, 1994.

Radbruch, Don. Roaring Roadsters #2. Hot Rod Library, 2000.

      Here are a great pair of softcover books covering the little known history of track roadster racing. Track roadsters were an important part of American racing during the era starting in the 30's until the mid 50's, and evolved during that time from very rudimentary "jalopies" to full bore Sprint cars with T bucket bodies. Track roadsters were generally home built, wildly modified, stripped down stock cars of the 20's-30's with full bore souped up engines, and although some of them were admittedly crude, the amount of variety and creativity has to be seen to be believed.

     Author Don Radbruch did a fine job covering this relatively unknown period of racing history with these two volumes, evidently spending a great deal of time researching and collecting photos of these forgotten cars, tracks, and drivers. The cars were particularly prevalent in the Great Lakes States and the West Coast,and many famous drivers well known to FODS got their start in them such as a 14 year old Troy Ruttman, Jim Rathmann, Bob Sweikert, Bill Vukovich, Len Sutton,Tom Cherry, Iggy Katona, Bob James, and others including most of the Indy 500 field in the 50's. There is some very good information in both volumes about racing at Dayton as well as other Ohio venues with quite a few photos. The famed Little 500 at Anderson Speedway was initially created as a track roadster event for the first several years and most of the Indiana drivers also competed at Dayton Speedway.

     The two books are very similar with a few pages,covering state by state, with stories and lots of photos covering the history of track roadsters in the entire country. Volume 2 is neither a continuation or an update of volume 1, but it appears that the interest by readers after the first volume was published unearthed a lot more photos, and information, so the author issued a separate volume 2 to complement the first volume. Both books have stories and photos about Dayton, so if you are a total DSL junkie, you would need both to get the complete story, but at only $20 each, they are very affordable. It is hard for me to recommend one vs. the other, but if you just want to purchase just one volume, I would suggest Vol. 1 and then later buying Vol. 2 if you find you want to explore the subject further.

     Both volumes are available from the Sprint Car Hall of Fame.

https://www.sprintcarstuff.com/ProductDetail.aspx?id=313

https://www.sprintcarstuff.com/ProductDetail.aspx?id=314

Rand Thompson

caprirand@comcast.net

Schneider, Frankie and Keenan, Dennis. The Old Master: the Frankie Schneider Story.  Self-published, 2006.

     No matter where you grew up in auto racing, the name Frankie Schneider rings a bell. Over many years, Schneider has competed in almost every form of auto racing, and been a winner in every one.

     At the time I purchased this volume, Schneider was 80+ years old and still going strong.

     To purchase a copy you will have to write to Frankie Schneider, 490 Sergeantsville Road, Flemington, NJ 08822, or Dennis Keenan, 217 Kensington Avenue, Trenton, NJ 08618.  The book is now in its second edition and second printing.

Shaw, Wilbur. Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!  Coward-McCann, 1955.

Standridge, Joyce. Win It or Wear It, All Time Great Sprint Car Tales, Coastal 181, 2008.

Many of you reading my other reviews probably think I am somehow stuck in the time warp in the 50’s. While that era is undoubtedly one of my favorites, I also enjoy many other eras and types of racing as well.  Not only do Lew Boyd and the rest of the great folks at Coastal 181 sell nearly every racing book I can imagine, they also publish some fine works of their own.  They have recently released a new title by author Joyce Standridge, called Win It or Wear It, concerning the exciting rough and tumble world of Sprint Car racing.

While Joyce does delve into the historical background of sprint car racing, the title perfectly describes the content, as the book primarily includes some great stories and first hand anecdotes by some of the all time legends in their own words.  While racing is a serious business, Standridge has done a nice job in sharing some of the funniest moments that will leave you laughing. Chapters include those on wrecks, creative rule interpretations, the World of Outlaws, the Pennsylvania Posse, tracks like Eldora and Knoxville, car owners, innovations, life on the road,  the fights, racing "down under" and many more.

For those Ohio area fans, there are some great stories about and from “The Ohio Traveler”, Rick Ferkel,  Jac  “Wild Child” Haudenschild, and one of the greatest characters and racers ever, Jack Hewitt. Just a couple examples were; Ferkel deciding to build one of his first cars out of a child’s swing set, and Hewitt flipping out of the park and then re appearing at the top of a billboard to voice his opinion to driver that put him there.  The non winged participants with USAC and the California Racing Assoc. also contribute their share of great stories to the mix as well. Jimmy Sills once raced under the unusual moniker of "Luke Warmwater"!

Standridge has managed to make sprint car racing really come alive with a great collection of some of the best tales of racing I have ever heard and you will be entertained with the great stories just as I was.  Win It or Wear It is recommended for anyone who enjoys both winged and non winged sprint car racing by some of the most colorful characters to ever put on a helmet.  The softbound book has 256 pages and a whopping 375 photos for a very reasonable cost of $24.95

The book can be ordered from Coastal 181 at www.coastal181.com  as item # S 945.

Rand Thompson

Sullivan, Patrick.  Brick by Brick, The Story of Auto Racing Pioneer Joie Ray. American Scene Press,2008 and

Gould, Todd.  For Gold & Glory ,Charlie Wiggins and the African American Racing Car Circuit, Indiana University Press

     Joie Ray was a real pioneer in the racing world, being one of the only African American's to compete in the rough and tumble world of midwestern dirt track racing in the 50's.  The racing business was tough enough for almost any driver in those days with rough tracks, low purses, and little safety considerations, but add in the factors of mediocre equipment and the cruelty of segregation and it became very difficult to maintain a good attitude and not get discouraged. Joie Ray faced all those obstacles with an almost unbelievable amount of class and dignity, considering the circumstances, and made a big contribution to the sport during his career from 1947-1963. He also was a positive influence with young people in his Louisville neighborhood including one Cassius Clay, who of course is better known as Muhammad Ali.

     He got his start in racing when he saw an ad for a old race car for sale for $450 and decided to place a bet with a numbers runner in his home town of Louisville, Ky. on number 450. When his number was pulled as the winner, Joie thought fate had truly spoken and he was now the proud owner of a race car, although he wasn't too sure after his first race if being a driver was really for him. This book does a great job describing Joie's life and career, and is based upon his first hand recollections including stories of his close friends  Bill Cantrell ,Troy Ruttman, and Bobby Grim and others who quickly accepted him as just another driver who loved to race and a good friend. The racial aspects of living on the road and racing during those times are mentioned along with how his friends stood up for him , but the book is primarily focused on his life as a race driver and beyond.

     Joie raced at Dayton Speedway several times and not only lived in Dayton for a period of time, but his daughter Susan was a long time resident of the city as well. Interestingly enough, Joie was scheduled to fill in for Jim Rigsby at Dayton, if Jim was unable to get there from Indianapolis in time, but Jim showed up in the nick of time and Joie was watching from the stands on that fateful day in 1952 when Jim lost his life. I had the great pleasure of meeting Joie several years ago in Ft. Wayne at a racing memorabilia show, and quickly found out why he was so highly regarded and respected by everyone that ever met him, was very impressed and spoke with him for quite a while. While I was speaking to Joie, he sold me a great book called "For Gold & Glory" that I also wanted to discuss.

      For Gold & Glory is the story of a driver named Charlie Wiggins who raced in a  African American racing series from 1924-36. There was no chance that an African American driver would be allowed to race in IMCA and AAA,in those days, so a parallel series was developed similar to the "Negro Leagues" that were common in baseball etc. back then, with very large enthusiastic crowds attending at tracks like the Indiana Fairgrounds.  The book is primarily about one of the star drivers named Charlie Wiggins whose story was used to tell the history of the series and all the hardships these drivers had to endure for the love of racing. This was a real surprise to me, because in all my reading about racing history, I had never seen anything about this series before this book and really enjoyed it.

     Brick by Brick can be obtained from Coastal181.  www.coastal181.com

     For Gold and Glory can be obtained at Amazon at http://tinyurl.com/ao9dfl and from Barnes & Noble at www.bn.com. 

     There was also a PBS documentary produced called "For Gold & Glory" available as well, but I have not seen it yet.

Rand Thompson

Thompson, Neal.  Driving with the Devil, Southern Moonshine, Detroit Wheels, and the Birth of NASCAR.  Crown Publishing, 2006.

According to popular belief, stock car racing was founded in the late 40’s by Bill France, and he has received the lion’s share of the credit for building NASCAR up into the force it is today. The real truth however is a little more complicated than that. Neal Thompson, (neither Neal, Mickey, or myself are related by the way), has written a great book about the influence of Southern culture, the Moonshine Industry, and the Detroit car industry on the early formation of Stock Car Racing. All these factors came into play when the war veterans returned home to the South after the end of WWII with a sense of spirit & adventure, and no real place to channel all that energy. The story of the moonshiners, “revenuers” and stock car racing has been discussed many times before, but I had no idea how ingrained moonshine was throughout the entire sport and indeed throughout the entire southern culture of the times.

There were many other influential figures besides Bill France involved with the formation of stock car racing, and the story is told through the contributions of car owner Raymond Parks, mechanic Red Vogt, and driver Red Byron.  Raymond Parks, with his Parks Novelty Machine Co., was one of the sports first multi car owners and had a background himself as a moonshine runner & ex con.  Ace mechanic Red Vogt started out souping up liquor cars at his Cherokee Garage, and became the sports first superstar crew chief.

Top driver Red Byron returned from the war with one leg due to anti-aircraft fire, and was the winner of the very first NASCAR race in 1948. Those three along with Lloyd Seay, and the Flock Brothers, Bob, Fonty, &Tim, all from Atlanta, were all involved in the moonshine trade at one time, and they arguably played just as important a role as France. The Strictly Stock type of racing was such a novelty because up until that point stock car racing was done with the old modified pre war coupes; the mere idea that someone would race a brand new car out of the showroom was almost unthinkable.

The author has done a fantastic job with this book, and although I have many stock car books, this one is by far the best in my opinion. The stories are fascinating, and the book flows really well. Unlike the other NASCAR books that only discuss the drivers and tracks, this one gives the reader a great understanding of the culture of the South in that era and how it played such an influential and significant role. This cultural aspect is not nearly as well known as it should be because NASCAR seemed to be on a mission to downplay its roots as it started to move mainstream in the 70's & 80's. The author was fortunate enough to be able to get first hand recollections for the book from Raymond Parks, who at the ripe age of 94, still runs his liquor store in Atlanta.

The book is available both as hard bound from Amazon at http://tinyurl.com/ces3wk for $18, and soft bound from Amazon at  http://tinyurl.com/cjn9xe for $12.

Rand Thompson

caprirand@comcast.net

Riggs, L. Spencer.  Langhorne! No Mans Land.  Zionsville: Pitstop Books, 2008.

     This is a keeper. It is 548 pages of absolutely facinating reading about one of the most treacherous tracks that used to be on the circuit. It covers not only open wheel history but anything resembling a racing machine to compete on that track. There is even a small article about Crocky Wright racing motorcycles there. It has over 500 photos that are of first class quality. This is a collector's book that will be a great research tool in the years to come. If you want to know anything about Langhorne, this book has it.

Gene Ingram

(harleygene@comcast.net)

New Castle, IN.

Williams, Tom W., The Ghosts of Jungle Park; History, Myth, Legend - The Story of a Place Like No Other, Woodangett Press, 2007

          Jungle Park was a legendary dirt track in Western Indiana that closed nearly 50 years ago, but has fascinated race fans ever since, and the track has assumed almost mythical status. What was it about this long closed half mile track in a rural part of Indiana that has captivated race fans so much? 

Tom Williams has written a long awaited book covering the fabled Rockville, Indiana speed plant with great detail, and with compelling stories from those who remember it. This hardbound book with many photos,is well written and very interesting in the way the author tells the story with facts about the times to put things in historical context, and also with the frequent use of newspaper clippings to illustrate how it was seen by those that were there.

Jungle Park was built by Earl Padgett in 1925 as a combination resort and race track to provide entertainment to tens of thousands of Hoosier race fans in this rural part of the state until it finally closed in 1960. The property has still not been developed and still holds an annual reunion with vintage race cars and some of the participants on hand to relive those magical days.

During that time frame the track was in operation, many racing organizations raced there, including AAA, CSRA and others, and the promoter for many years was a name well known to FODS, Frank Funk. Almost all of the top drivers of the time raced there including Wilbur Shaw, Duke Nalon, Mauri Rose, Everett Saylor, Tony Bettenhausen, and including one Joie Ray, who considered it as his favorite track; many of those Jungle Park drivers were also frequent competitors at Dayton.

The track was not only known for its oddly shaped track layout and unusual staggered covered grandstands, but also for the resort amenities such as the windmill themed restaurant, cabins, and the hotel located on the property. Besides the stories about the races, year by year,the book is also filled with many great anecdotes from  participants and fans on why the place meant so much to them.

There is also a very complete appendix in table form in the back containing all the race results over the years. I myself never really understood why a small dirt track in rural Indiana became so legendary, and kind of wondered what all the fuss was about, but after reading the book, I developed an appreciation for why it was so highly thought of by so many people.

The first edition was printed in low quantities and sold out, it has now been reprinted, but you better get this one while it lasts at $40.

 Rand Thompson

caprirand@comcast.net

The book is available from Coastal 181

http://www.coastal181.com

Also from the Sprint Car Hall of Fame

https://www.sprintcarstuff.com/ProductDetail.aspx?id=1029