The Put-in Bay Road Races, 1952–1963
By Carl Goodwin
Readers of this magazine will undoubtedly be familiar with Carl Goodwin’s feature contributions including in-depth histories on the early days of East Coast road racing at places like Watkins Glen and Calicoon. If you’ve enjoyed these well-researched pieces for VR, then you will be in for a rare treat when you read his latest book on the little-known history of racing at Put-in Bay.
Starting in 1952, members of the Cleveland Sports Car Club had the crazy idea to hold a small-displacement sports car race through the streets of “Put-in-Bay,” a small, tourist town on the island of South Bass, in Lake Erie. For the next seven years, the Put-in-Bay road races came to embody the low-key, local and fun type of sports car racing that captivated enthusiasts across the country.
In Put-in-Bay, 1952–1963, Goodwin manages to weave a fascinating tale that combines the in-depth history of each year’s race along with first-hand memories of many of the participants, as well as local history and flavor to paint a compelling picture of this quintessentially local American race. For a race that has become historically obscure, even among historians, Goodwin has done an amazing job of painting such a nuanced and detailed picture of each year’s event that the reader comes away with the strange sensation that they might have experienced it themselves. This book proves to be a fascinating window back to a time, when America was a much simpler place and sports car racing was a pastime that was accessible to almost anyone.
Available for $35.00 call 800 253-2187 or visit: www.mcfarlandpub.com
Reviewed by Casey Annis
The Mighty MG Magnettes of 33
By Graeme Cocks
Comprehensive is the first word that comes to mind when perusing this history of the supercharged MG Magnette known as the K3, a trio of which swept to class and team prize honors at the 1933 Mille Miglia. Though that conquest may be central to the book, it is hardly all there is as author Cocks digs deep into a global selection of archives to discover the full story of how these fresh, lightweight cars were designed, built and developed.
He then tells that tale for his audience, supplementing the story with historic photographs of not only the cars in action, but also the men who built and raced them. We see the machines stripped down to the basic frame and running gear, their innards clearly labeled to identify the essential elements. Engineering drawings provide even more information and understanding, so that when one finishes this 460-page epic the feeling is one of definite accomplishment.
The period photography alone makes this a worthwhile venture, yet that is less than half the value, as the accompanying text leaves no doubt about the story behind these nifty little packages of performance. Like we said, “comprehensive.”
Available for AU$120 / US$105 (plus shipping) direct from Motoring Past Vintage Publishing at www.motoringpast.com.au
Reviewed by John Zimmermann
Velocity: Heroes of American Racing Calendar 2015
By Pete Lyons
While most people probably tend to think of Pete Lyons as one of motor racing’s most accomplished journalists, which is surely true, he is also—like his father Ozzie before him—one of the sport’s top photographers, with an equally sharp eye for the physical grace and beauty he captures so eloquently with his words.
This calendar combines the best of both disciplines as it not only features full-page images from both Pete and Ozzie of our racing heroes in action, but also complements those photos with Pete’s concise thumbnail profiles of the men depicted in the cars.
The names are all familiar, bona fide icons of the sport, arranged alphabetically so that January offers Mario Andretti, driving the Parnelli VPJ4 at Monaco, while February features Jim Clark in the Lotus 49 at Mosport. The remaining months are filled with similar tributes to Briggs Cunningham, Mark Donohue, Dan Gurney, Jim Hall, Graham Hill, Phil Hill, Parnelli Jones, Bruce McLaren, Sir Stirling Moss and Carroll Shelby.
Available for US$29.95 directly from Pete, personalized with his autograph, at www.petelyons.com/calendars or from publisher Octane Press at www.Octanepress.com
Reviewed by John Zimmermann
