Racing Books

Having read "A Long way round" and "A Long way down" , this book is facinating to read and just another part of the story. Charley knows what a motorcycle rider wants to hear to makes sure you get it. If you liked either of the "Long Ways" you will love this book. I rate it above long Way Down and as good as Long Way Around. Buy it, you won't be disapointed

I found it to be a good read. A lot of detail about the race and prep of equipment and riders. More motorcycle content than either Long Way Round or Long Way Down. I received the DVD after reading the book and found the DVD even better, except for the additional profanity.

This book was great. I didn't really know too much about the Dakar Rally before reading this book. Reading about all of the preparation before the rally was great. However, reading about the rally itself was the best part. It was amazing to read about all of the adversity that each rider faces, especially the privateers (non-factory teams).

I recommend this book if you are interested in the Dakar Rally or enjoyed "The Long Way Round."

Fans of "Long Way Round" and "Long Way Down" will find this book of interest, but just not the same without Charley's riding mate Ewan.

Race to Dakar

I first found Charley Boorman through his trip Long Way Round. I read that book and devoured the DVD TV series. And found out Charley was going to try the Dakar rally.

I ended up reading Race To Dakar in one day. It was so engaging I could not put it down. I liked everything about it. Its shown me places I'm sure I'll never see.

Then I bought the Race To Dakar DVD through Amazon.Ca. And it was just as amazing as the book.

This book takes me back to 1992, my first year following NASCAR racing.

Amazingly, it was the year in which six drivers had a chance to win the NASCAR Winston Cup title going into the final race. In this book, Poole recaptures all the magic of the 1992 Hooters 500 and the tragedies which followed.

We are introduced to the top three challengers, eventual champion Alan Kulwicki, runner-up Bill Elliott and third place finisher Davey Allison.

The book focused on the race itself, but also how the top three challengers got there and their aftermath. Kulwicki, the independent perfectionist, was seemingly out of the race after a horrible fall Dover race in which he wrecked three cars (two in practice, one in the race). His uncanny determination to do things the way he liked ("My Way" by Frank Sinatra was his theme song) brought him to the fold, 40 points out of first place going into Atlanta.

Bill Elliott and Davey Allison were the dominant players throughout the 1992 season, both winning five races, but also ran into trouble at different points which made the Hooters 500 something special.

Aside from the points race, the 1992 Hooters 500 was the turning point for NASCAR. It featured the Cup debut of Jeff Gordon and the final race for Richard Petty. Both drivers are equally highlighted in this text, but the points race is the main focus.

Finally, the book describes the tragedy that was 1993 when Kulwicki and Allison were taken from the world in separate aviation incidents.

A few hideous mistakes aside, the book was pretty well written. I enjoy books with explicit detail and this was one of them.

What a yarn David Poole spins in this book.The 1992 Hooters 500 is one of the most famous races in NASCAR's rich history.Richard Petty's last race is Jeff Gordon's first, you have three drivers with a chance to win the championship depending on where they finished in this race,within nine months two of the drivers would be tragically killed in unrelated aviation accidents. Hollywood can't make this stuff up.Yet it happened.And David Poole does a masterful job of bringing it all together. Richard Petty, Jeff Gordon,Davey Allison,Alan Kulwicki and Bill Elliott are the main people in this story.David Poole allows us to get to know and care about all of them and those that Alan and Davey left behind.(long may they run) Read this book.You'll be glad you did.

David Poole's Race with Destiny: The Year that Changed NASCAR envisions history from the present, submerging the reader in a multi-layered account of a dramatic year for the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit. The action-filled Hooters 500 race on November 12, 1992 eventually led to the points championship being won by Alan Kulwicki over Davey Allison and Bill Elliott. Poole's crafty and enjoyable read takes his audience not only through a gripping season finale, but also interestingly places the year as a turning point for the sport of stock car racing.

Reading the book not only takes the reader on a season journey-it also compels the reader to think about the difficult project Poole faced as an author. Given the deaths of Allison and Kulwicki in 1992, Poole's primary sources are obviously not accounts from these racing legends, but other first-hand versions constructed through interviews with some of the sport's well-known staples, such as Larry McReynolds, Bill Davis, Ty Norris, Wayne Estes, Michael Kranefuss, Benny Parsons, Jim Hunter, Monte Dutton, and Deb Williams. Poole does an outstanding job recreating the past from the present by situating the reader as an inside spectator-the book allows readers to imaginatively glimpse the personal dramas facing the teams and drivers. By far, the most successful part of Poole's project is the writing itself, as he obviously gave thoughtful consideration to the process of reading-he allows the reader to comfortably envision and imagine what must have been going on in the minds of Kulwicki and Tom Roberts (Kulwicki's PR agent) as the season unfolded. Poole is a gifted storyteller, as he also provides remarkable accounts of several races over the year, and literally allows readers to imagine themselves "being there" listening to drivers' radios, conversations between crew chiefs and drivers, and press conferences throughout the year.

This book is an excellent read-not only for the seasoned NASCAR fan, but those who are just entering the sport in search of historical background. As an anthropologist currently on tour with the NASCAR circuit, I have found this book to be one of my favorite reads this year, and see myself using it not only as a historical reference point, but for understanding how narratives of NASCAR can be successfully inscribed between the covers.

NASCAR's 1992 season was going to be a year of the changing of the guard; it was confirmed the year before when Richard Petty announced his retirement. Few people had any idea how much impact the year would have. It was the year of the alliance of Bill Elliott and Sterling Marlin with Junior Johnson, and a rebirth of Elliott's championship chances; the year that Davey Allison, injuries, crashes and all, because a championship force; and Alan Kulwicki, the engineering graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, running his own team, an afterthought at the beginning of the year except that Junior Johnson had offered him $1,000,000 to drive his car, which he turned down. Poole looks at these competitors, their races, their personalities, and the exciting 1992 season, truly one of the best, most dramatic in the history of NASCAR. It offers a more profound, in depth view of each man than other books I have read about the year, the culmination of the last race and the championship banquet, and the aftermath of the year. It's an excellent book, one worth reading and having in your library.

David Poole's Race with Destiny: The Year that Changed NASCAR envisions history from the present, submerging the reader in a multi-layered account of a dramatic year for the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit. The action-filled Hooters 500 race on November 12, 1992 eventually led to the points championship being won by Alan Kulwicki over Davey Allison and Bill Elliott. Poole's crafty and enjoyable read takes his audience not only through a gripping season finale, but also interestingly places the year as a turning point for the sport of stock car racing.

Reading the book not only takes the reader on a season journey-it also compels the reader to think about the difficult project Poole faced as an author. Given the deaths of Allison and Kulwicki in 1992, Poole's primary sources are obviously not accounts from these racing legends, but other first-hand versions constructed through interviews with some of the sport's well-known staples, such as Larry McReynolds, Bill Davis, Ty Norris, Wayne Estes, Michael Kranefuss, Benny Parsons, Jim Hunter, Monte Dutton, and Deb Williams. Poole does an outstanding job recreating the past from the present by situating the reader as an inside spectator-the book allows readers to imaginatively glimpse the personal dramas facing the teams and drivers. By far, the most successful part of Poole's project is the writing itself, as he obviously gave thoughtful consideration to the process of reading-he allows the reader to comfortably envision and imagine what must have been going on in the minds of Kulwicki and Tom Roberts (Kulwicki's PR agent) as the season unfolded. Poole is a gifted storyteller, as he also provides remarkable accounts of several races over the year, and literally allows readers to imagine themselves "being there" listening to drivers' radios, conversations between crew chiefs and drivers, and press conferences throughout the year.

This book is an excellent read-not only for the seasoned NASCAR fan, but those who are just entering the sport in search of historical background. As an anthropologist currently on tour with the NASCAR circuit, I have found this book to be one of my favorite reads this year, and see myself using it not only as a historical reference point, but for understanding how narratives of NASCAR can be successfully inscribed between the covers.

It is the story of a great race told by a sailor. Any person who knows about ocean racing cannot but enjoy this book. My only observation is about the edition, I would love to have some more pictures (better if in color)

An entire sailing subculture exists whose entire purpose is to see how far and how fast they can push a sailboat and her crew. This book chronicles the ultimate push, called The Race. The object of this race is to be the fastest boat to sail around the world without stopping.

Zimmerman first tells us the fascinating history of fast sailboats and their owner's constant quest for greater speed and longer distances. At first the quest was for commercial reasons. Eventually it became sport. The boats described in this book are its ultimate manifistation.

This is a wonderful book about tough determined people racing extreme boats in extreme seas. A blast from start to finish.

The Race acccurately describes the complex human dynamics, emotional tension, technological achievments, and capricious play of fortune that combined in the world's first non-stop around the world sailboat race. Beginning with a fascinating and sympathetic account of the early pioneers of round the world sailboat racing, Zimmermann then details the technological conundrums and challenges confronting the computer-aided designers of the Race's catamarans and explains the rationale for, and consequences of, the decisions they made. His account of the Race itself is a skillful blend of analysis and story telling that touches on all the factors that shaped the outcome of the contest, technology, tactical decision-making, human dynamics, and most of all, mother nature, in the form of wind and current. Throughout the book, the author provides just the right amount of technical detail and analysis without overwhelming the non sailor (or weatherman). More important, Zimmermann captures, in terms I believe accessible to the non sailing professional, a sense of the excitement, danger, and spiritual satisfaction that draws men to challenge the sea at her most fearsome. Very few of us can circumnavigate the world non stop in a catamaran, but The Race provides the closest substitute for that experience this side of Cape Horn and the roaring forties.

Although I am not a hard core sailor, I picked up this book because I love adventure. I was glad I did because I discovered a world of eccentric and entertaining characters who kept me engaged and amused as I clipped along with this well-written, fast-paced narrative. I loved the concise history of round the world racing and the crazy characters who got it started--like Blondie Hasler who believed sailors should "die like gentelmen" instead of calling for rescue and endangering the lives of the rescuers. The Race itself was run by the world's best sailors, but it was the hi-tech boats, the tactics and the challenge of the Southern Ocean that really hooked me. A great read for anyone who loves the oceans and extreme adventure.

The Race delivers on the promise of an intensely educational and suspenseful read. I learned much more than I expected to about multihull design, sailing history, and the characters involved in circumnavigation adventures, but I was also viscerally "there" during the more stressful parts of the Race itself. Zimmerman provides exceptional context as well as insight into what makes these men and their sailing machines run. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone curious about the quest for speed across the waves.

So although it might not seem appealing to read a book about tires, Paul Hanley has done a SUPERB job at gathering a lot of information, chewing it up and presenting it in a way which is a pleasure to read.
Despite me being an Engineer with some racing knowledge, I learned a great deal about tires and could see this as being great for non-technical people as well thanks to the author's way of presenting the information. Paul presents the reader with interviews, Graphs,diagrams and pictures and takes you from the begins of rubber, through the chemistry of tire compounds up to tuning the chassis to work with the tires.
I highly recommend this book

Paul Haney's book about tyres proves interesting before turning a page. The Racing & High-Performance Tire: Using Tires to Tune for Grip & Balance uses the American tire instead of the English tyre.

I am a michael schumacher fan since 1991 and i have a large collection of books on or based on him,and this one will join that collection,its the bees knees i am hoping one day to meet michael schumacher and hand over my book i have compiled. but i hope it sells well like all the other ferrari/michael schumacher books and if it does i will be happy as can be, its such a pity that this book you cant buy in england and many other books on michael schumacher one thing is certain in case you cant buy anymore books and audio or cd books are to replace books i will certainly start a collection of them.

The tire is the most important part of an automobile, and the least covered by the literature. That's why any information about tires is a treasure. The complexity of the structure and behavior of the tire are such that no complete and satisfactory theory has been propounded. Books on vehicle dynamics are available but they are mostly written by academics who emphasize mathematical rather than clear explanation of how things really work. The tire might be the most useful and complicated device humans make, but the tire manufacturers provide no useful information to their customers. People are forced to buy tires mainly on the basis of price and company reputation. Even race teams get tire data only sporadically, and that data is pretty useless anyway. Tire performance is necessarily highly dynamic, but tire data comes mainly from testing under static conditions.

This book describes basic properties of components of the rubber compound, carbon black reinforcement, and so on. It also shows mechanical model for rubber: "If you apply a cyclic force the rubber will deform mostly like a spring and give back the force applied to it, but also partly like a damper which is sensitive to the speed (frequency ) of the applied force". The book breaks rubber friction into adhesion (molecular bonding) and mechanical keying (deformation friction). Mechanical keying becomes more important when the road surface is lubricated by dust, water or ice; here is where another interesting property of rubber, viscoelasticiity comes into play. "Press your thumbnail into a street tire and the rubber rebounds. Press it into a racing tire and the mark stays there, recovering only slowly. This is a simple but crude test of hysteresis, or energy loss, in rubber". The book analyzes surface texture effects on rubber friction - how the slope of the asperities affect friction, and "the myth of off-line in the rain". Tire behavior is another major issue of the book.

The last 75 pages of the book (chapter 11) are not directly about tires, and devoted to "Basic Vehicle Dynamics", in case if you don't have an appropriate book on that topic, e.g. "Race Car Vehicle Dynamics" by Milliken Bill and Doug.

I also recommend "Mechanics of Pneumatic Tires". It is a PDF that you can freely download from the publisher's website using an internet search engine. This PDF is an excerpt from "Theory of Ground Vehicles, 3rd Edition" by J. Y. Wong.

The Racing & high-performance Tire "using the tires to tune for grip & Balance" by Paul Haney.

As an autocross racer I know that tires are the second most important factor in quick laps; (the driver being the first) and this book told me everything I wanted to know about racing tires.

Graphs abound showing grip (as lateral force) verses slip angle, and camber curves showing, grip verses tire camber. The graphs and drawings are interspersed with text explanations and stories from the tire and racing industries.

This is a "near engineering textbook." Concepts of force, pitch, Center of Gravity, spring rate and contact patch are well covered, but the mathematics coverage is very light. One can read the book and work any equations presented with simple algebra (no calculus required.) For me, as a technically minded racer, but not a tire engineer, the level of detail was superb; in depth without being mind numbing.

While many of the concepts in the book I have seen before; frequently they are presented in a confusing, incomplete or contradictory way in more shallow treatments (say for instance in car magazines, or on forums on the `net). I learned some things that I hadn't seen before as well. For instance there is a graph on page 197 showing "self aligning torque vs. slip angle... (for) 3 cambers" It shows that Self Alignment Torque decreases as slip angles increase, where grip is maximized. Leading to the concept that: "One of the holy grails of racecar setup is to have the steering torque fall off at maximum grip and give the driver a signal that the grip limit has been reached." A new concept for me and something I'll be looking for this racing season, while driving my Mustang Cobra in SCCA SM class racing.

While the majority of the book deals with tires; 3 chapters at the end deal with tuning and vehicle dynamics. Suddenly after reading about tires in great detail, a short explanation about anti-roll-bar tuning made much more sense.

In short if you want to study the engineering of tire construction and calculus of vehicle dynamics look elsewhere; but if you race and you want to know more about tires and how they relate to fast times on the track (and if you're a racer you should); get this book and read it cover to cover.

-Monta Elkins

I sometimes anticipate what's going to happen next, i.e., who's going to get killed and how, but even when I'm fairly close, which is not very often, McEvoy goes way beyond my anticipation. As a bonus, there's a lot about horses, racing, and jockeys that I did not know, but found it was a pleasure to learn.

Here's a fast-paced look at the dark side of racing, written by someone who obviously knows the track inside and out. Peopled with unforgettable characters, the intricate plot moves smoothly towards a truly smashing finish. A wonderful read for mystery fans and/or racing enthusiasts.

In John McEvoy's second novel, also set in the idiosyncratic world of horse racing, you know whodunit and it's still a thriller. The villain, Claude Bledsoe, has to come up with a million dollars in order to inherit his grandmother's money. Since it's too hard to fix horse races the old fashioned way, using his superhuman strength and knowledge of nearly every skill acquirable through literally dozens of undergraduate and master's degree programs, the maniacal Bledsoe starts intimidating, blackmailing and murdering jockeys to throw races. McEvoy limns the life of jockeys and their families, whom he so clearly respects. The percipient protagonist Matt O'Connor (don't we all wish we had a boyfriend like that), a journalist following his hunches, finally catches up with Bledsoe - or the other way around. Think Grace Kelly in Rear Window. For fans of Chicago and Madison, these places are rendered lovingly. Fast paced and funny, Riders Down is satisfying in every way.

John McEvoy's Riders Down is like two books within a single cover---the first full of insights into the world of horse racing which then becomes the backdrop for the second, a fast paced detective drama. McEvoy tells a good story with style, drawing on a closet full of colorful characters reminiscent of a Damon Runyon novel. And by the time the last page is turned, the reader can not help but be infected not only by the author's passion for `the sport of kings' but by his abiding love for the racetrack community that brings it to life.

I have worked at race tracks and the writer makes this world within our world come alive--we learn stuff. The characters, from Glockner the bookmaker to Maggie the trainer, are strong. You're easily drawn into them and their lives. The plot is suspenseful and the ending delivers. If you love Chicago, the world of horseracing or just a strong mystery, you'll go for this book. Hope McEvoy's got another one up his sleave.

Many people start to run because they want to get in a better shape. This book teaches your mind to get in a better shape too. You learn to focus in a new way and you are able to concentrate much better. Your mind learns not to wander so much and stay within the race. I have used the exercises in the book for my preparation of the Boston Marathon which I finished, despite running with an injury, with a new personal best by more than two minutes. I recalled the learned exercises during my preparation in the race and was even able to float up heartbreak hill without considerably more effort. I wonder how I would have raced hadn't I been hindered by a nagging hamstring injury.

New to running, and inspired by a commitment to my first triathlon (Danskin), I borrowed this book from the library. Needless to say, I quickly had to own my own copy. The inspiring words danced in my head and filled my soul with belief of dreams not yet realized. A recommendation to anyone who so much as "cares" about their health and the quality of their life. A part-time instructor of "spinning" classes I found these words of wisdom crossing over into my classes, filling me wtih motivation, which in turn motivates my students. This book raises the ceiling on your limits and reconfirms your potential is ...endless.

I started reading this book 2wks before the Chicago Marathon. The relaxation techniques and the different exercises for distraction during the race really worked. I have read dozens of books on training the body. This was the first I have read on training the mind. I plan to use these techniques with the children I coach. It really explains in basic and interesting format how important mental preparation is for competition. I highly recomend this book for anyone competing on any level.

There are literally hundreds (if not thousands) of books on the market about how to train smarter, better, harder, or what have you. Some of them are quite good, and some of them quite bad. However, these books often neglect one of the key aspects of running and that is its mental component. And that's where Running Within: A Guide to Mastering the Body-Mind-Spirit Connection to the Ultimate Training and Racing comes in.

This book is designed for all runners from the novice runner to the elite athlete, and I think everyone who reads it will benefit tremendously. The book is designed to enable the reader to take his or her running to the next level, not only by giving concrete tips to mentally help one race faster, but also by helping one enjoy his or her running more, by exploring running's spiritual side and understanding the reasons we do run. As the authors state in the introduction, "Running Within uniquely presents the reciprocal relationship among the physiological, mental, and spiritual aspects of running performance, and how you can use specific mental exercises and attitudinal shifts in your daily training and racing to great advantage".

Spiritual Running Although many of us run for physical reasons (i.e. to say fit, to lose wait, to get faster, to win races), those of us who truly enjoy running recognize what it does for us mentally. Not only the ability to clear our minds at the end of a tough day, but the ability to explore and learn about ourselves, as we transform preconceived notions about ourselves.

One intent of the book is to connect runners with the spiritual side of running. It wants to help them explore fully the reasons they run. The book explains that often the concrete goals we have in running (i.e. I want to run a certain time in a certain race, be All-State, finish a marathon) are not what give us joy from running. Rather, it's the steps we take along the way to reach these goals that make running so enjoyable. By better understanding our motivations for running, we can not only get more enjoyment out of running, but can learn how to run faster.

Running faster. And the book definitely can helps us run faster. Those who like to say that running is 99% physical are missing the point. Sure we can not run beyond our bodies' limits, or use mental tricks to make up for not training. But often the limits we set upon ourselves are self-imposed limits. One of the greatest things about running is the self discovery and self-confidence that comes from getting our body to do what once seemed impossible.

Running Within has excellent advice on goal setting and the type of goals we should set. It helps us set goals that push beyond our self-imposed barriers, but at the same time makes sure these goals do not end up discouraging us because they are too unreasonable.

But as all runners know, goal setting is not enough because the toughest part of running is the battle of mind versus body during a race or tough workout. No matter what kind of shape we are in physically, there comes a point in a race when our bodies start to feel that they've had enough. As the race or workout progresses, the urges to back off a bit, slow down, or quit altogether grow. If one is able to recognize these urges and overcome them one can come closer to reaching his or her physical potential.

To overcome these urges to quit, Running Within helps its readers come up with the self-confidence necessary to achieve their goals and not give in to the urges to quit. It provides a mental framework on how to approach races and workouts and has many practical strategies for dealing with fatigue, racing, race strategies, and the like.

But all of these things combined would still leave a lot of our potential untapped. For one of the keys to racing fast is a bit paradoxical, and that is to learn to relax. It seems impossible to do, to relax while the body is using all of its resources to struggle. But Running Within teaches us ways to relax while straining, and shows us the tremendous physiological benefits that come from relaxing.

Summary I recommend this book whole heartedly. Most sports psychology books are full of many tips and tricks to help us perform better, but there is often little foundation to tie the things together. Ultimately, these books fail because they are not much more than a list of things to try. This book is different for while it does list many tips that are useful, it only does so after providing a larger framework to tie them together. The overall theme is the "body-mind-spirit" connection of running. With this framework, the book helps us explore the reasons why we run and what we get from our running. Once we have a better understanding of these things or are at least are aware of them, the books builds upon them and very effectively makes us get more from our running (and become better racers if that's our goal).

On a personal note, I credit this book with as being instrumental to my improvement as a runner (my 10k time went from 29:49 to 28:27 in one year). I am intrigued by the mental side of running and knew there was a lot more I could learn. However, at the same time, I've always been very skeptical of a lot of the "pop-psychology" and sports psychology books on the market. This book pleasantly surprised me and should be on the book shelves of all runners.

I just completed my first marathon and don't think I would have finished had I not purchased and read this book. During training, we had "long runs". The night before each long run (in excess of 17 miles) I would read the sections of this book that addressed issues I was likely to face during the following days long run. That helped me tremendously. The book gave me a sense of calm.

There are virtually thousands of books on the market concerning running. Most of those books however don't spend nearly enough time on the most critical aspect which is mental preparedness and toughness. However, this book gives what most trainig books and groups do not..a way to deal with the mental aspects of running.

This book is wonderful because it gives the reader techniques on how to deal with stress, anxiety, pain, disappointments, setbacks injuries, fatigue etc., all from the MENTAL side. I like how the authors make the connection between mind and body. They focus on the mind first and how the mind can often control the body.

I found MANY useful mental exercises from "breathwatching", visualization, dealing with fatigue and disappointments, learning from mistakes etc., Most importantly, the book focuses on the process of running and self discovery and NOT the result. This book helps novice runners like myself enjoy the process, find our own tools that work for us and realize that it is often mind over matter. This book is a must have for those just starting out "marathoning" or for anyone who just wants to enjoy the mental benefits of running and the pleaseure it gives.

Suffolk Downs has hosted some of the best Thoroughbred races this country has seen since its opening on July 10, 1935, and the high points of the race track's events are captured in nearly 200 images in Suffolk Downs, a visual treat surveying the horse-racing championships which have been featured over the decades. Vivid and vintage black and white shots show both races in progress and before- and after-race scenes, with a range of images capturing both male and female jockeys, sponsors, trainers, and of course, the horses. A fine memoir for horse racing fans.

Teja's photo history of Suffolk Downs not only captures great moments in horse racing but also connects the track's history to interesting cultural and historical events. For New England horse racing fans this book is a must have with tremendous photos that illustrate the colorful history of the East Boston Oval.

"Suffok Downs" by Christian Teja hits the perfect dynamic, intertwining the visual, historical, personal and statistical elements that make sporting so captivating. The photos and captions together tell you not only where the track itself has been and is going, but also where the lives that have touched it have been and are headed. This is true for the human and non-human alike, including the great horses of course, but even other characters ranging from the Beatles to Rin Tin Tin. In one of my favorite depictions, the photo shows the great finish in the 1987 MassCap and Teja adds the perfect spice by telling the reader that track announcer Jim Hannon's voice cracked in excitement at the conclusion of his call. Teja does a fantastic job making the photos come alive, drawing the reader eagerly into this great book.

Even for someone who is not necessarily a horseracing fan, this is an enjoyable book. It gives a great flavor of past times when life was slower and leisure was truly enjoyed. There are wonderful pictures of many non-racing events as well.

"Suffolk Downs ", by Christian Teja, is a compilation of photographs that chronicle the history of the track and the personalities who have graced it. It also covers special events that were held at the track, including the famed Beatles concert and the annual Hot Dog Safari. Special attention is given to famous horses that have raced at Suffolk, including Sea Biscuit, Riva Ridge, and Cigar.

There is no text to speak of, but each photograph has an interesting caption beneath it. Thus, the book is an easy read for time challenged individuals. It's interesting to see how popular horse racing was in the '30s and '40s, and how large the crowds were at Suffolk Downs in comparison to the present.

It's about time that someone recognized the historical as well as the nostalgic value of this wonderful track, and I hope it will entice new fans to attend the races at Suffolk Downs so it doesn't fall into obscurity like many other New England racetracks. This year, Suffolk Downs observes its 70th birthday!

I coach middle school track and found that this book helped me think beyond drills. My students love the games, and I see improvement in their running!

This book has some great ideas to spice up your workouts. It is organized very well and offers different ideas that range from simple to complex.

Training for cross country or distance track events can often become tedious work. Anderson does a great job of providing simple, ready-to-use games and techniques that will help combat this problem. I found many of the ideas useful and easy to use right away. Other ideas were not so adaptable to my team, but I still used the nuggets he have in the book and manipulated them to meet my needs. My athletes responded with enthusiasm. While nothing can take the place of mileage, the mindset an athlete has during the mileage can set the tone for the whole training experience. Although this book may not meet the needs of the reader to a tee, it is broad enough to enable the reader to create his/her own variation on the theme. Solid book for coaches.

"Training Games" is a rather tiny publication compared to others relating to the same topic, but it is loaded with great ideas! It is to the point. Everything relates to practice and there is no wasted page! I used this book over and over and still discover new things. It also leads the user to create and add own ideas. Invaluable for any teacher and coach! It is money well spent.

Lots of fun and useful information. The kids are always asking to play a game or practice one of the techniques found in the book. I have had the book for a year, and there is still so much yet to use! A great tool for finding new and different ways to improve your coaching/training.

A great book that covers not only the earliest races at "The Glen", but that also conveys the trials and travails that early sports car racing enthusiasts endured in America. I expected a history of street racing in Watkins Glen to be in the book, but I didn't expect such an encompassing history of racing to be included.

Philippe's coverage of "The Great Controversy" is very enlightening in view of the current rifts in American Road Racing. I had no idea the battle of the isolationists vs. the internationalists had its roots so far back in time. Highly recommended for an entertaining read.

the author has done a great job of defining the times and of digging through the details of the renaissance of road racing in america. if you weren't there, you feel as though you had been once you finish.

Mr. Defechereux has captured the essence of the times. He has recreated and placed in context the rebirth of road racing in the United States. The names, the cars and the events are all carefully documented and the reader easily falls into the sense and mood of the era. It is fascinating.

A great book that covers not only the earliest races at "The Glen", but that also conveys the trials and travails that early sports car racing enthusiasts endured in America. I expected a history of street racing in Watkins Glen to be in the book, but I didn't expect such an encompassing history of racing to be included.

Philippe's coverage of "The Great Controversy" is very enlightening in view of the current rifts in American Road Racing. I had no idea the battle of the isolationists vs. the internationalists had its roots so far back in time. Highly recommended for an entertaining read.

No matter how one spells Philippe's last name most readers will remember his exciting book about the racer James Dean. And now in this book Philippe has uncovered little known facts about Watkins Glen, just as he did with James Dean. This book takes you back to the streets of Watkins Glen with Cunninghams, Ferraris and MG specials. If you collect motorsports history books as I do, your collection won't be complete without this one.

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.