Black Noon: The Year They Stopped the Indy 500

Author: Art Garner
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 1250017785
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 353

Book Description
Winner of the 2014 Dean Batchelor Award, Motor Press Guild "Book of the Year" Short-listed for 2015 PEN / ESPN Literary Award for Sports Writing Before noon on May 30th, 1964, the Indy 500 was stopped for the first time in history by an accident. Seven cars had crashed in a fiery wreck, killing two drivers, and threatening the very future of the 500. Black Noon chronicles one of the darkest and most important days in auto-racing history. As rookie Dave MacDonald came out of the fourth turn and onto the front stretch at the end of the second lap, he found his rear-engine car lifted by the turbulence kicked up from two cars he was attempting to pass. With limited steering input, MacDonald lost control of his car and careened off the inside wall of the track, exploding into a huge fireball and sliding back into oncoming traffic. Closing fast was affable fan favorite Eddie Sachs. "The Clown Prince of Racing" hit MacDonald's sliding car broadside, setting off a second explosion that killed Sachs instantly. MacDonald, pulled from the wreckage, died two hours later. After the track was cleared and the race restarted, it was legend A. J. Foyt who raced to a decisive, if hollow, victory. Torn between elation and horror, Foyt, along with others, championed stricter safety regulations, including mandatory pit stops, limiting the amount a fuel a car could carry, and minimum-weight standards. In this tight, fast-paced narrative, Art Garner brings to life the bygone era when drivers lived hard, raced hard, and at times died hard. Drawing from interviews, Garner expertly reconstructs the fateful events and decisions leading up to the sport's blackest day, and the incriminating aftermath that forever altered the sport. Black Noon remembers the race that changed everything and the men that paved the way for the Golden Age of Indy car racing.

Black Noon: The Year They Stopped the Indy 500

Author: Art Garner
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 1250017777
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 353

Book Description
"Just before high noon on May 30th, 1964, the Indy 500 stopped for the first time in history. Seven cars had crashed in a fiery accident, killing two drivers, and threatening the very future of the 500. In this tight, fast-paced narrative, Art Garner expertly reconstructs the events, circumstances, and fatal decisions leading up to the sport's blackest day. Recalling a bygone era when drivers lived hard, raced hard, and at times died hard, Black Noon takes readers back to the last race won by a front-engined roadster, to before the switch from gasoline to methanol, to tell one of the great untold stories in sports. Informed by his extensive interviews including six of the seven surviving drivers, Garner brings to life the greatest names in racing - A.J. Foyt, Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, Bobby Unser, and Johnny Rutherford - focusing on Eddie Sachs and Dave MacDonald, the two very different drivers whose lives accelerated toward the same catastrophic end that day. Publishing for the 50th anniversary of this iconic event, Black Noon remembers the race that changed everything and the men that heralded the Golden Age of Indy car racing"--

Rapid Response

Author: Stephen Olvey
Publisher: Evro Publishing Limited
ISBN: 9781910505397
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 312

Book Description
Originally published to great acclaim in 2006, Dr. Stephen Olvey’s memoir Rapid Response makes a long-awaited return to print — complete with new text and an afterword by Dario Franchitti — at the same time as the release of a documentary feature film of the same title. This book is the compelling story of the author’s often tragic, sometimes funny, and frequently frustrating journey through the volatile world of professional motorsports. Along the way, he introduces many of the characters — geniuses, good guys, bad guys — that he has encountered during his quest to save lives and make motorsports safer. Among the racing legends with whom Dr. Olvey has worked — and who have their places in this book — are Mario Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi, A.J. Foyt, Graham Hill, Nigel Mansell, Rick Mears and Al Unser Jr. Dr. Olvey attended his first race, the 1955 Indianapolis 500, at the impressionable age of 11, and saw his favourite driver, Bill Vukovich, killed in a fiery crash while leading. He began working at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway while attending medical school, making his first professional appearance there in 1966, when his first on-track rescue involved Graham Hill in his rookie year. Dr. Olvey organised the first traveling medical team in motorsports and was eventually joined by long-time colleague and friend, Dr. Terry Trammell. Continuing to work together over several decades, Dr. Olvey and Dr. Trammell have used their study of the cause and effect of racing crashes and injuries to make significant advances in safety, with many lives saved and serious injuries avoided. The writer of the foreword is Alex Zanardi, whose life Dr. Olvey helped to save after a violent accident in Germany in 2001, and who subsequently returned not only to motorsports, but also to handcycling, becoming a three-time Paralympic gold medalist.

Blood and Smoke

Author: Charles Leerhsen
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1439149054
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 278

Book Description
One hundred years ago, 40 cars lined up for the first Indianapolis 500. We are still waiting to find out who won. The Indy 500 was created to showcase the controversial new sport of automobile racing, which was sweeping the country. Daring young men were driving automobiles at the astonishing speed of 75 miles per hour, testing themselves and their vehicles. With no seat belts, hard helmets or roll bars, the dangers were enormous. When the Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened in 1909, seven people were killed, some of them spectators. Oil-slicked surfaces, clouds of smoke, exploding tires, and flying grit all made driving extremely hazardous, especially with the open-cockpit, windshield-less vehicles. Bookmakers offered bets not only on who might win but who might survive. But this book is about more than a race--it is the story of America at the dawn of the automobile age, a country in love with speed, danger, and spectacle.--From publisher description.

The Indianapolis 500

Author: J. Craig Reinhardt
Publisher: Red Lightning Books
ISBN: 168435076X
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 222

Book Description
Known as the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing," the Indy 500 humbly began in 1911. Labeled as the first speedway, this two-and-a-half-mile oval is now home to many of today's top races, including the Brickyard 400, the Verizon IndyCar Series, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the SportsCar Vintage Racing Association, the Red Bull Air Race World Championship, and its most famous race, the Indianapolis 500. In The Indianapolis 500: Inside the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, speedway tour guide and racing aficionado James Craig Reinhardt shares what makes the legendary racetrack special. He reveals the speedway's unbelievable history, fast-flying action, notorious moments, and its secrets, including facts about the beginning of the brickyard, why the drivers kiss the finish line, how milk became the drink of choice, and much more. The perfect gift for the veteran or rookie, The Indianapolis 500 is a must-have for all race fans.

Indy Split: The Big Money Battle That Nearly Destroyed Indy Racing

Author: John Oreovicz
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781642340563
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 432

Book Description
Tradition, technology, and personal bravery combined to make the Indianapolis 500 one of the world's most famous sporting events. However, political infighting within the industry--which climaxed with a 12-year "Split" from 1996 to 2007 between competing forms of Indy car racing--prevented the sport from achieving its potential. The Split seriously tarnished the reputation of the Indianapolis 500 and allowed NASCAR to become America's most popular form of motorsport. But Indy car racing's dysfunction didn't originate in 1996. The story begins in 1945, when a businessman from Terre Haute, Indiana named Tony Hulman rescued the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from potential redevelopment. Over the next 75 years, the Hulman-George family used the stature of the Speedway to carve out a powerful position in American auto racing. Stewardship of the IMS often brought the family into conflict with Indy car competitors. A volatile period in the late 1970s resulted in the formation of Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), and tensions ramped up even more when Hulman's grandson, Tony George, assumed power in 1990. The Split forced Indy car fans, sponsors, broadcasters and participants to choose sides. It created confusion and animosity and caused tremendous damage to the sport. With negotiations driven by legendary racer Mario Andretti and actor/racer Paul Newman, The Split was finally resolved in 2008, only for George to walk away less than three years later from the role he so desperately coveted. The long struggle for stability and leadership was finally resolved in 2020 when Roger Penske acquired IMS and the IndyCar Series.

Lone Star J. R.

Author: Johnny Rutherford
Publisher: Triumph Books
ISBN: 162368482X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 293

Book Description
With his signature Texas flag painted on his helmet, Johnny "J.R." Rutherford captured the hearts of racing fans all over the world during his stellar three-decade-long career. A versatile driver, he is world renowned for his record-breaking successes in the ultra-competitive world of Indy and Sprint cars. In Lone Star J.R., Johnny himself takes us on an exciting drive through his life and gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the racing world. Born in Coffeyville, Kansas in 1938, John Sherman Rutherford III did his duty in the U.S. Marine Corps for six years before beginning his legendary racing career in Texas. After overcoming a serious accident in 1966, in which he suffered two broken arms, he began to achieve his greatest success. J.R. relives his historic Indianapolis 500 wins (in 1974, 1976, and 1980) and explains the allure and excitement of racing in this personal look back at his storied racing career.

A Race with Infamy

Author: Jack Barlow
Publisher: Veloce Publishing
ISBN: 9781787117877
Category : Automobile racing
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
A forgotten character from the golden age of motorsport, Lance Macklin was a dashing British hero. Charming off the track and quick on it, his life changed forever when he was caught up in motor racing's biggest tragedy.

Beast

Author: Jade Gurss
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781642340105
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 328

Book Description
Beast was the nickname of a shocking new race engine unveiled for the 1994 Indianapolis 500. The massive effort to design and build it in a seemingly impossible timeframe is still hailed as one of the most herculean efforts and well-kept secrets in the history of the Indy 500. In the award-winning book, Beast, bestselling author Jade Gurss chronicles the subterfuge and debunks the myths about this legendary power plant that persist twenty years on. Gurss interviewed key players involved in the race to uncover the story of how this engine powered the Penske PC23 chassis to one of the most talked-about Indy 500 races in history. The British race-engine experts at Ilmor Engineering offer detail about the design and manufacture of the engine. Roger Penske's team reveals how the engine and car were tested and developed, and how Mercedes came to be involved in the project. The story unfolds as Roger Penske and Mario Illien and Paul Morgan of Ilmor play every card they possess to create an incredible race engine--even rare World War II fighter planes and supersonic jets roar into the heart of this high-tech tale. Drivers Al Unser Jr. of the United States and Paul Tracy of Canada provide details on the tense weeks leading up to race day. The book reaches a suspenseful climax at 240 miles per hour at the Indy 500 noone can forget. Wrapped up in the drama and intrigue are real business and motivational lessons which made Roger Penske one of the most successful businessmen in the world and that helped Ilmor and its cofounders, Mario Illien and the late Paul Morgan, design and manufacture Indy car and Formula 1 championship-winning engines. Beast is not only a must-read for sports and race fans, but a compelling narrative for those who enjoy genuine lessons in business and technology or thrilling mysteries based on actual events.

Why Winners Win

Author: Art Garner
Publisher: Pelican Publishing
ISBN: 9781455614257
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 192

Book Description
Motivational speaker Art Garner shares advice and wisdom on how to live your best life, achieve your goals, and become the winner you’re meant to be. This is a special book about special people—Winners. Their attitudes can change the status quo; their fortitude helps them to climb mountains and endure tremendous burdens; they set their eyes on their goals and don't waver. The good news is you can be a Winner, too. What it takes to be a Winner can be learned. In this revised edition of Why Winners Win, Art Garner shows the reader the qualities, attitudes, and actions that will put one on the road to becoming a real Winner. Blending inspirational vignettes with humor, Garner takes the reader in hand and demonstrates how to shape attitudes, hone specific skills, and open previously locked doors to an exciting life of achievement. Included are chapters designed to dramatically alter one's view of oneself, one's thought patterns, and one's personal expectations. Garner teaches an effective method of motivation and shows how visualizing a goal is essential to reaching it. Among the key chapters are “Your Most Important Quality,” “Keeping Your Hot Button Hot,” “What You Set Is What You Get,” as well as a chapter original to this edition entitled “Releasing Your Untapped Potential.” Each chapter is followed by a section called “Wisdom for Winners”—pithy, commonsense guidelines to keep the would-be achiever on the upward path. Action sheets are provided to assist in charting progress. To start any journey, one must take the first step. To become a Winner, begin with this book.