Racing Books

Wayne Rainey is my favorite Road Racer. This book really let's you know what it takes to be a World Champion and the struggle when its taking away. For any race fan this book is a must have!

This is a must for every motorcycle racing fan. I am a GP fan but unfortunately Wayne's career ended a couple of years before I started getting into bike racing. This book is an amazing tale of courage. I could not imagine going through what he had to go through. One of the best biographies I have ever read.

I met wayne as a fan in 1987 at Road Atlanta when he rode for Honda after having read so many magazines about him.I never Heard of Kevin Schwantz until that weekend and Wayne despite being very busy, courteously found time to have Shay take a photo of both of us and give me an autograph.He was so receptive and pleasant.That weekend I watched in awe his amazing battle against Kevin's Suzuki and would never forget that day for the rest of my life.Then I continued to watch him on TV from 1988 to that fateful day.The book brought tears and lumps in my throat.This book tells it all and is a must buy.I am also a racer a know the will and the determination to win at all costs.This book also helps us analyze ourselves and our personal relationship with GOD.A precious collector's item to have.

It's been some time since I last read this biography of Wayne Rainey, but I certainly remember the emotions, and especially the growing pride, I felt with each turned page. The writing was very easy to read, and the content flowed well from Wayne's childhood and foundation of a Champion in the making, through his personal relationships, and to the present (time of writing). I recommend this book to all that loved to watch his battles with Eddie Lawson, Kevin Schwantz, Freddie Spencer, and Mick Doohan, and wish to simply know more about the Champion. And I recommend it to anyone that thinks the world and life aren't fair. Perservere!

Wayne Rainey was certainly one of the greatest GP Racers to hit the scene in the late 80's-early 90's. With 3 consecutive world championships under his belt he had his 4th wrapped up when tragedy struck. Rainey's career was cut short and thus began a new chapter in this champion's life. The book deals with his youth, and his early racing years on the dirt tracks of Southern California and later, the dirt tracks throughouit the US. His entry into GP racing makes for some of the most intriging and blatantly honest reading you will find. With Kenny Roberts as team manager, Wayne Rainey's career began to open up and the more you read the better this book gets. This is simply the best book on the "inside" of a GP racer and the entire lifestyle that goes with it. (Ever wonder how "team-mates" get along when they BOTH want to win? ) Don't pass this one up. It deserves to be read.

I actually bought this book because my late uncle Alfonso "Poncho" Munoz is featured in the book a few different times. My father also raced at Caliente so for obvious reasons I give this book 5 stars.

I heard about the Agua Caliente racetrack From Mr. Alessio when I meet him in 1993 at Ranch Tecate. After that, I saw him on a regular basis and once and a while he would reflect on the old racetrack. He told me about how he came up with the 5-10, the décor for the racetrack and some of the odd things that happened there. He even pointed out furniture at Ranch Tecate that came from the racetrack after the fire. But I never was able to put it all together till this book came out. The author did a excellent job putting this book together. I just wish I could have experienced the Caliente racetrack in its prime.

As a long timed resident of the city of Tijuana, I was excited to see a book on the Agua Caliente racetrack.I have had so many pleasant afternoons at this racetrack and this book brought back many wonderfull memories. I believe that no other racetrack has the the very interesting history that this track in Mexico ever had as researched and written by the author. The photos are great and the story rolls along in an easy to read manner. The author took on an interesting and important chapter in racing history and saved it for posterity. All 75 years of it. It is very sad that it is not in its glory years any more and I look forward that the new and enlightened administration will restore this historical site, one that was once vibrant and so alive.

For both lovers of horse racing and sports history, this is an exciting book, laced with rare illustrations and well-documented by both archival resources and the author's personal memories. Finally, Tijuana gets its due as the track which kept racing alive during its darkest travail in the 1920s and '30s as well as the one where innovations modernized the sport much as it is known today.
Dr. Paul J. Vanderwood, historian emeritus, San Diego State University

Highly readable and exhaustively researched book that thoroughly covers the history of racing in Tijuana. Includes fantastic photos and charts of the track's big races. The place had an even more interesting history than I had imagined, and the author's passion for his subject comes through loud and clear!

evrey thing was right it got me $999,999,999,.99!

This book was exactly what I needed to round out my education on Greyhound racing. The first few chapters cover the basics -- how racing works, what to expect, and how the percentages pay. It is fairly elementary for someone who has been at the track a few times but there were a few lingering questions I had that this book answered.

The crux of the book is McBride's system for long-term profit making at the track. From his numbers, one would guess it would work. In short, his strategy is to take a months' races and categorize them. By doing an analysis on the post position, early leader, class changes, late speed and maneuvering ability, one can see which patterns becoming more distinct. Knowing that early speed racers, for instance, do well at a particular track would be a definite advantage. Each track has its own advantages and disadvantages.

I noted some of the mistakes that I was making and some of the knowledge I had picked up the hard way (by losing). However, McBride's system doesn't really appear to be for the casual gamer. It appears it would take at least an hour before a race to score a guide and just generating the 30 races worth of data could be time consuming (at least an hour or two an evening). The math behind the grading process is very simple and could easily be done by a computer program. Also, McBride's system is not for the "cheap" gambler. He advocates betting a 4 or 5 (around $12 - $24 a race) box trifecta for maximum winnings. His experience and samples indicate this is the highest pay off percentage.

This book is crafty and must be read with a clear head. I recommend it to anyone; gambler or not . I contains a slice of something about living in America. Rarely will we find these types of books in the future. I suggest sportsmen and sports-ladies take a copy and preserve it.

This book covers 98% of all you need to know about the races, handicapping, betting, and scoring dog races. Probably the best value in greyhound racing books.

I read the Book by Mr. McBride and I must tell those out there who have the chance to get a hold of a copy of this fine book to do so. The book pretty much entails all the knowledge you need whether you are a novice, or an expert player or handicapper. If you have played the greyhounds for a long time, it will aid you in polishing up your skills in the racing game. Overall, this is an excellent book and value.

Easily the flagship for any Grand Prix fan's bookcase! I proudly display my fifteen years of Autocourse in a large prominent bookshelf, and refer to them when watching Formula 1 events. Sometimes I catch Bob Varsha or David Hobbs in a mistake when referring to the history of a particular event. My secret? A nice pile of Autocourse books! This edition lives up to the strong reputation that Autocourse delivers to me every year.

Good book. We buy it every year for our 39 year old son for his birthday.

I have been collecting the Autocourse for the last thirty years and the latest one has not dissapointed me, an excelent product

Autocourse is simply the best season review for F1 fans. It includes a brief synopsis of each team, a few articles about various things (this year there is an article on the retirement of Michael Schumacher), and detailed reviews of each race weekend from qualifying to the race. It's a great way to relive the F1 season. The pictures are outstanding and it's almost worth buying for those alone.

This is the best book review for every Formula 1 season. I had purchased the 2003, 2004, 2005 and now 2006, these books are worth collecting. There is just sooooooooo many pictures, so many technical reviews, it makes itself feel like its your dictionary to formula 1 itself. i had also bought the Official Formula 1 reviews which is cheaper and has less pictures. the price difference from $20 to $50 is due to the amount of images you get and how good the images are.

i remember buying the 2005 official review and this autocourse, i was dissapointed with the official book because they dont have pictures of the most important events from the races, like kimi raikkonen's last lap pass on fisichella at suzuka. the offical guide didnt even have a picture of it! while this autocourse book, had a two page picture of raikkonen just inches away from fisichella renault about to take the lead. it blew my mind. if youre a rabid formula 1 fan that just loves a lot of photographs, this is for you. ive been collecting formula 1 articles and i must say this is definitely what i wait for every year.

there is just so much under the thing, its a thick book full of extraordinary photographs.

This BIG book covers the Indy 500 race from the very first one thru to the 90th anniversary race. Incredible pictures, old and new, beautifully capture the dynamic, breathtaking event that is the Indy 500. I gave this as a gift to my father, an auto racing fan of the first order, and he was absolutely stunned and amazed from the first time he opened the book. The quality of the book is exceptional, wonderfully presented. Highly recommended for any Indy or open-wheel racing enthusiast.

My husband and I saw this wonderful book reviewed on SPEED VISION's Wind Tunnel several weeks ago. My husband has been a faithful fan of the Indy 500 for almost seventy years and couldn't wait to get this book into his hands. He has been pouring over it daily, commenting as he goes. He has known many of the racers and crew, mostly from the 1950's, and was sad to realize that so many of them have left us over the years. He has commented about how accurate and interesting the writing is and is amazed at the quality and number of photographs in this large, heavy and beautiful book. It rests in a place of honor on our coffee table but I hesitate to call it a Coffee Table Book. It is more than that, it is truly a piece of living history and we are so glad we found it on Amazon.com. Old fans and new fans will learn so much from this incredibly detailed account of The Biggest Sporting Event In The World, The Indy 500!

Excellent account of this historic race. Much more than a "coffee table" book. Nice yearly overview w/ photographs. However, was disappointed with the lack of overall driver statistics. Other than that, I would highly recommend!

This really is an excellent review of the history and personalities involved in the Indy 500. It's fascinating stuff especially in the early years when there were more places to park spectators horses than there were for their cars. I wish I could have been there in the 30's when the race winner picked up the tabs from the Paddock Diner! This is more than just a race by race account. It is well written and brings alive the state of the nation at the time as well as the larger than life individuals involved in the track and race. I don't think there has been a better illustrated Autocourse book! It's also has more pages - 368 of detailed text, fabulous period photographs and program covers and the full results of each and every race. The authors have got the balance just right so that you can pick this book and absorb yourself in each particular race. I can highly recommend this book and Autocourse should be proud of it.

This is a great book about the history of the Indy 500 from the very 1st 500 mile race in 1911 up to the great finish between Sam Hornish and Marco Andretti from the 2006 race. Co authored by Donald Davidson, the foremost historian of the 500, the book gives a good rundown of how things have evolved since the opening of the track in 1909 and is quite accurate as would be expected. A must for both the casual fan as well as the die hard enthusiast!

I DON"T KNOW WHAT TO WRIGHT FOR THE BOOK.

Probably the best book written about Ayrton so far.It gives us an objective view of Ayrton's life and it is mostly written by Ayrton himself,that is using his own words ,which is very important in understanding his life and actions.

Wonderful. That's the only word I can find to describe this book. Senna's true fans do have to read this book. Read it. It's the best book written about Senna.

Karim was very close to Senna; hence she is able to capture and present Sennas personality, his motivitations, his attitude to life like no other writer. You get a chance to feel what Senna felt ..

The book is written by a close friend of Ayrton and gives a great view at the racing driver Ayrton Senna, but it tells about another side which isn`t known by most people as well. I loved this book because it doesn`t write a lot about his death but about his life, his religion and his thoughts. Iread many books on Ayrton Senna, but this is the best one and everybody who is really interested in him has to read it!!!

Harris Sklar has captured the essence of life on the backstretch. The pictures are gorgeous, and the people and horses come to life through the skillful intermingling of text and photographs. The backstretch really is a small city -- of people who work very, very hard and have dedicated their lives to chasing an elusive dream. They are out every morning, often in the worst kind of weather. Anyone who works with Thoroughbreds risks life and limb every day. This book is a tribute to their dedication. The section on Smarty Jones is compelling. My favorite picture is the one of Smarty galloping, his neck arched, the rider standing straight up in the stirrups. Talk about raw horsepower. Wow!

The track can be the height of glamour and ceremony where the genteel hang out with the touts. This book has haunting images of a whole invisible underworld society that is surprisingly complex. There is pathos and charm in these people's devotion to the horses and the challenges of producing a winner. The inside story on Smarty Jones was a special treat. Highly recommended for anyone who loves horses.

This book is a tour de force. The photographs perfectly capture the magnificence of the horses and the special relationship they have with those who care for them--a relationship that's rarely seen or appreciated by even the most avid racing fans. Sklar shows us a world few of us know (the backstretch), and it's almost uncanny how well he does it. I look forward to more work by this fine photographer. Highly recommended.

This book is about people, not only horses; an insider's view of a self-contained community little known to most of us. This is an informative, enlightening, candid exposure to the bonds between the workers and their families who RESIDE at the racetrack with each other and with the horses to which they dedicate their lives. The photographer evokes empathy from the reader because of his unusual sensitivity and stirring photos. It is a treat to enter and savor this special place.

I found the book to be entertaining as well as informative. It's like watching the making of a movie with spectacular photos of every aspect. The imagery evokes emotions from my childhood when I would go to the track with my father. I would recommend this to anybody who has ever felt a love for the sport of horseracing or just wanted to know more about it. You won't be disappointed.

But this book is really fun, especially for the car obsessed. Four different colors of bears race around a crazy race track, going "over" and "under", "around" and "behind" and playing dirty tricks on each other in rhyme. Not a cloying book like many others in the series. A favorite for ages 3 to 4.

My 23 month old is really into cars. He wants to read this book over and over and over. It is really cute and teaches 5 colors and five car "sounds", along with up, down, around, and through. I think it's hilarious when the "big mean green car" plays a dirty trick and my son says "OH NO!". It also teaches the lesson of persitence and patience. Very fun book!

This is such a cute book, both for toddlers but also for new readers. It rhymes thoughout the book and basically, is the story of the tortoise and the hare but with racecars. It's really, really cute, rhymes well, and makes learning to read quite the fun time. Highly recommend!

Our 23-month-old toddler really loves this book. If you have a child who loves cars, get this book! It's really charming, humorous and fun for the parent, too.

My nephew has this book almost memorized, he enjoys the story so much. The race cars are illustrated in bright colors making learning fun. The excitement builds throughout the book, and the story teaches a message about persistence. I would recommend this book for any public or private library.

From the moment you pick up "Born To Trot" you can't put it down! Your instantly transported back into time and stuck by Gibson White's (stories man charecter) side. It's packed with a ton of horse info, about history's greats: Hambletonian, Rosalind and Greyhound. But this book, you won't be disappointed!

Born To Trot is one of my favorite books! I have read this book twice and it's one of the best books I've ever read! It's based on a true story and I think you'll enjoy this book a lot.

This book is insanely wonderful!I love it!I liked how it was two stories in one.This book is a perfect example on M. Henry's wonderful writing ability.This book,King of the Wind,and Black Gold are my hands-down favorite Marguerite Henry books.

Published in 1950, Born to Trot is another classic horse novel from the pen of Marguerite Henry. If you enjoyed her other novels such as Gone with the Wind, you will enjoy this book. You don't need to be a lover of horses to enjoy the story. It is classic children's literature at its best.

The book is actually comprised of two stories revolving around the history of American trotters and the Hambletonian race. They are true stories and centre on the person of Gibson White, son of "Hambletonian Ben" White, and his horse Rosalind, the fastest trotter in history. The book begins with Gibson being confined to a hospital where he spends the next two years. During that time he reads the story of the first trotting horse, Hambletonian. That story is interspersed with the story of Gib's recovery and return to the horsing world. His horse, Rosalind, is a descendant of Hambletonian and rises to greatness as a racer. Although Born to Trot is named for Rosalind and her great speed, the characterisation of Gib as the hero who recovers from his sickness to rejoin the world he loves makes this story a great read for all.

"Born toTrot" was a great book. With my horsing experience, I learnd quite a bit on training a track horse. If you wanted to race one, this is one of the books to read. My favorite part was when Rosiland, the horse, broke the record as the fastest horse in the country. the time Rosiland did it in was remarkable. Also Rosiland having colts that are almost as fast as their mother was amazing. Just knowing with practice they will be as fast or just as fast as Rosiland. Pony Boy was the young man in the book that was determined to work Rosiland to be a winner. With the work he did, it was no wonder that she was the fastest horse in Kentucky. If I had the determinationwith my horse, I would make sure he would be #1. If you love horses and mostly buggy horses, then this is the book you need to read. If I get the right horse get the right horse, Iwill use this book to remember the determination to make that horse the winner. THE ENDna

This is a beautifully written and well-researched story, and to that extent it is a good book. Chuck and Mary Kastner are friends, and frequent visitors to our Bed & Breakfast, so I won't say any more about the book than "Buy it" you won't be disappointed!

The story on the other hand belongs not only to the book, but to American History. The racers formed a cross-section of American society, with some fascinating foreigners thrown in for good measure. The trials and tribulations of all the runners amazed me and their sheer persistence could not help but become fodder for the story. But more than that the story is of ordinary people whose characters and personalities were forever changed by their phenomenal efforts. When the leaders of the race cross into New York State, there is a gesture by the leading racer which brought tears to my eyes. I leave it to you to buy the book and read the story, and admire these Bunioneers.

Whether you're interested in running, history, or African American studies, you'll find this book fascinating. Well written and surprisingly well researched and referenced, Bunion Derby presents the story of the first footrace across the United States. Among the different elements of the footrace Kastner brings to life, the most intriguing is the story of Ed Gardner, an African American competitor from Seattle.
As ultra distance running becomes increasing popular in contemporary times, Bunion Derby reminds us that such feats of endurance and will have been part of the American fiber since well before the term 'ultramarathon' was heard of.

I found this book to be intriguing and inspirational. It is a book that anyone who is interested in the history of distance running should read. It tells the story of the 1928 footrace across the United States and the stories of the brave men who competed in the race. I couldn't put this book down. It was extremely well researched, and the stories of competitors were inspiring. I strongly recommend this book.

Ostensibly a book about running - it is concerned with the cross country foot race from Los Angeles to New York in 1928 - it is so much more. It is a slice of American history, our pride and our shame. Runners and walkers from all over the globe were competing for a $25,000 prize - a vast sum in those days. Many who entered did so for the money and what it might do for their families. It didn't matter that so many of these men lacked the training, the support people, and the proper attire for such an endeavor. C.C. Pyle, the promoter of the race, and all the attendant side show foolishness that capped most days of competition, promised food and housing along the way. (The eleven-foot tall coffee pot fastened on a truck chassis, a famous curiosity of the day, followed the racers and served the runners and staff 90 gallons of coffee a day).

The reality was this: The food Pyle provided was inadequate to such an arduous venture. Lodging was minimal - tents or boxcars barely serving to keep runners out of the worst of the weather. When one of the front runners persisted in publicly complaining about Pyle's lack of sufficient attention to the men, he received a telegram stating that his wife had died. She had, in fact, died several years earlier; the idea was that he would rush home and forget about the race.

The Black runners fared as well, or as poorly, as the rest of the pack until they ran smack into the Jim Crow South. There they were harassed and threatened. Their treatment was referred to by the international runners as "the most disgraceful thing they ever knew anything about."

Kastner has illuminated what was great and what was wrong with America as it was in 1928. Despite the scorching heat of the Mojave, the sleet, the wind, and the altitude of the mountains, the filthy, sweat-soaked clothing and ill-fitting shoes, and threats and humiliation aimed at the Black athletes, 55 men completed the 3,400-mile trek. These men rose to a challenge and would not be daunted. Why did so many put themselves through such an ordeal? As one racer put it, "Every man who finishes such a race is a winner. He has shown strength of heart and purpose, which should uplift him with pride and uplift his children after him."

The 1920's are famous for grandiose stunts and promotions. One of the most arduous was the great bunion derby of 1928. Brainchild of promoter Charles C. Pyle, this was a foot race from California to New York, spotlighting the newly laid Route 66. This grueling race attracted trained athletes from across the United States and beyond. But most participants were amateurs, ill-suited to the trial before them. They came for the glory, or the thrill, or perhaps the $25,000 prize. Of the 199 starters an ama zing 55 men completed the race.

Kastner's account follows African American, Ed Gardner, through the torturous ordeal. This is history that reads like a novel - absorbing and well-paced. Kastner brings into sharp focus the motivation, the perseverance, the will, the grit that made Gardner a hero of his day.