To ease your Holiday shopping needs, here are our top ten selections for books on the history of
racing, listed in alphabetical order by title. Though there are history related books on our
other Top Ten Shopping Lists, this selection consists of books that
either didn't fall into any of those categories or pertain to defining moments in the history of
the sport whether they have to do with drivers, events, series, or technology. If nothing here
grabs your fancy, use the search box at the bottom. When you're done here, see our other
Top Ten Shopping Lists.
1950s Motorsport in Colour by Martyn Wainwright
A unique collection or original color photos of Grand Prix and Sports cars taken between 1954-59 make this
book a MUST for enthusiasts. Color photos transport the reader back to a time when motorsport was much more
accessible, with relatively little regulation. Races and hill climbs, Ulster TT, Brands Hatch, Prescott,
and Shelsley Walsh.
Hardbound, 9-3/4 x 9-3/4 inches, 160 pages, 200 color illustrations.
The American Dirt Track Racer by Joe Scalzo
One of the most evocative eras in the history of American motorsport was the golden age of dirt-track racing, when
hairy-knuckled drivers duked it out in open-wheel racers on half-mile ovals around teh country. This photographic
history spans 1946 to 1970. The technologies of the most successful and unusual cars are detalied, as are specific
races, circuits, and some of the more colorful personalities of the period.
Hardbound, 10 x 10 inches, 180 pages, 125 b&w illustrations, 75 color.
The American Stock Car by Bill Burt
Find out how the American stock car has progressed from street setups in the early period of the '40s and '50s,
through the high-tech chassis of the Grand National years, to today's Winston Cup series. Each decade is
represented.
Hardbound, 10 x 10 inches, 168 pages, 200 b&w illustrations, 100 color.
The Ford Racing Century: A Photographic History of Ford's Factory Race Program by Larry Edsall, Mike Teske
This oversized book is a photo-driven look at Ford's voluminous racing history in America. This rich history
begins with the 1901 race in which Henry Ford defeated Alexander Winton in a 10-lap race on a one-mile oval
at the Detroit Driving Club and covers racing through today. The book includes great Ford racing stories
such as the Miller Ford Indy program, development of the Gurney-Westlake Ford V-8, and the 1962–70 Ford Total
Performance program, the Trans-Am racing program, the NASCAR racing program, the rich Ford drag racing
history, land speed record Fords, the Shelby programs, the GT-40, and even a section on sport compact drag
racing today. Hardbound, 10 x 10 inches, 304 pages, 150 color and 250 b&w illustrations.
The Golden Age of the American Racing Car by Griffith Borgeson
An absolute must have book for anyone interested in the beginning of American race car development
and technology as well as the history of the tracks, designers, builders, drivers, and events of
the period covering the 1910s through the 1930s. Lists winners of major American races from
1915-29, plus engine specs, records set, and more. This reprint contains photos not included in
the original edition.
Hardbound, 8-1/2 x 11 inches, 367 pages, 218 b&w illustrations, 30 color.
Indianapolis Roadsters 1952-1964 by Joe Scalzo
Considered the heyday of champ car racing, this book details the history of the post-war Indy era
with their unique breed of large, front-engined, Offy-powered roadsters that required brute force
and a healthy dose of bravery to control. And the drivers of that time period had those qualities
-- A.J. Foyt, Parnelli Jones, Troy Ruttman, Rodger Ward, Bobby Unser, Eddie Sachs, Tony
Bettenhausen, and many more. This book details the drivers, builders, team owners, the Speedway,
and other tracks of that era.
Hardbound, 10 x 10 inches, 184 pages, 150 b&w illustrations, 42 color.
Indy's Wildest Decade: Innovation and Revolution at the Brickyard by Alex Gabbard
The 1960s -- the decade everyone talks about at Indy with reverence. Covers the history of innovation and
racing experimentation at the Indy 500, from the Miller era through the Junk Formula and the Roadster era,
then gives a year-by-year account of Indy's wildest decade ever, the transition to rear-engine cars, followed
by Ford's stock-block V-8 challengers and more.
Hardbound, 10 x 10 inches, 192 pages, 100 color and 200 b&w illustrations.
Kurtis-Kraft: Masterworks of Speed and Style by Gordon Eliot White
Working out of his shop in Glendale, CA, Frank Kurtis changed the face of American racing, producing a long string
of innovative Midget, Sprint, Champ, and Indy cars from 1935 to 1963. This photo history examines the entire range
of these Kurtis-Kraft racers, with special emphasis on the 60-plus cars taht campaigned during the Indianapolis 500
in the 1950s and early 1960s.
Hardbound, 10 x 10 inches, 216 pages, 237 b&w illustrations, 43 color, 17 charts, maps, and engineering drawings.
Real Road Racing, The Santa Monica Road Races by Harold Osmer and Phil Harms
This book takes you to an era when men were men.
To an adventurous time where race car drivers were looked upon as daring, courageous, death
defying souls similar to the way aviators would soon be viewed, and then astronauts. Harold
Osmer and Phil Harms do a wonderful job of taking you back to that exciting yet dangerous time.
As the authors put it, "Welcome aboard for a race through time when wooden spokes, volatile fuels,
no seat belts, and hair-for-helmets were the order of the day!" Softbound, 11 x 8-1/2 inches,
140 pages, ~125 b&w illustrations.
For a complete book review, click here.
Vanderbilt Cup 1936-1937 Photo Archive by Brock Yates
The great Vanderbilt Cup was briefly revived just prior to WWII on the Roosevelt Race Track. This
event featured some of the top international cars and drivers including Audi, Alfa Romeo,
Duesenberg, Miller, Offenhauser, Mercedes, and Auto Union. Photos from Smith Hempstone Oliver,
former curator of the Smithsonian.
Softbound, 10-1/4 x 8-1/2 inches, 128 pages, 223 b&w illustrations, 63 color.
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