Taken by speed : fallen heroes of motor sport and their legacies / Connie Ann Kirk.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kirk, Connie Ann, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Automobile racing drivers--Biography.

Automobile racing drivers.

Automobile racing--History.

Automobile racing.

History.

Genre:

Biographies.

History.

Physical Description:

xxviii, 237 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Maryland : Rowman & Littlefield, [2017]

Summary:

The number of athletes who have died competing in the sport of motor racing includes amateurs and professionals around the world and stretches into the thousands. Despite the danger, drivers continue to compete, day in and day out, for the thrill and joy of the race. In Taken by Speed: Fallen Heroes of Motor Sport and Their Legacies, Connie Ann Kirk pays tribute to professional drivers who died while competing in the sport they loved. Covering tragedies from 1955 to the present, she carefully reflects on the legacies of the racers and the impact of their tragic deaths on safety regulations, innovations, and society as a whole. Kirk covers the 24 Heures du Mans race of 1955 where more than 80 people died; the 1964 crash at the Indianapolis 500 that stopped the race for the first time in history; and the tragic losses of racers Ayrton Senna, Dale Earnhardt, Alberto Ascari, Jim Clark, Bruce McLaren, Gilles Villeneuve, François Cevert, Dan Wheldon, Justin Wilson, and Jules Bianchi. Taken by Speed features exclusive interviews with legends of motor sport-Mario Andretti, Derek Bell, Sir Stirling Moss, Bobby Rahal, Brian Redman, and Sir Jackie Stewart-who raced in the sport's most dangerous era and includes timelines of safety improvements and key moments in motor sport history. Using motor sport as its lens, this book explores moving stories of what it means to pursue a lifelong passion with unwavering drive, commitment, and courage. Book jacket.

Contents:

Introduction : the cruel beauty of motor sport

Fathers and sons, speed and superstitions : alberto ascari

The fog of war and motion : Le Mans, 1955

Smoke over the heartland : 1964 Indy 500

Natural : Jim Clark

Achiever : Bruce McLaren

Romantic : François Cevert

Driven : Gilles Villeneuve

Mystic : Ayrton Senna

Rebel : Dale Earnhardt

Still happening : Bianchi, Wheldon, Wilson

Great escapes

Conclusion : speed and passion

Appendix A: Timeline of selected motor sport, world, and cultural events

Appendix B: Timeline of safety developments in motor sport.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Kirk, Connie Ann. Taken by speed.

ISBN:

9781442277618

1442277610

OCLC:

987796860