Road racing's enduring legacy is revealed and celebrated as author Martin Rudow recounts the sport's glorious past while visiting more than 16 classic tracks that are now defunct across North America.Riverside International Raceway, Bridgehampton Race Circuit, Ontario Motor Speedway, Continental Divide Raceway, and many others were once major race venues that have since closed. The great race teams, legendary drivers, classic racing series that visited the tracks, and cars that turned laps are brought into full focus by Rudow, a road racer and road racing expert. The exploits of Chaparral, McLaren, Bud Moore, Lotus, Penske, and other race teams as well as racing greats Mario Andretti, Parnelli Jones, Jim Hall, A. J. Foyt, Al Unser, Jim Clark, and Dan Gurney are covered. Rudow also digs beneath the surface to reveal the story behind the story. The visionaries and businessmen who saw potential and risked capital to build these palaces of speed come back to life. He recognizes the unsung heroes and regional racers who competed, staffed, and took on various roles at these tracks. Many road courses were built in the 1950s and 1960s, the golden age of American road racing. These classic road courses built and hosted famous races for Trans-Am, Can-Am, IndyCar, Formula 1, and sports car racing, but did not survive the times. They fell victim to changing times, poor business decisions, urban sprawl, safety standards, and increasing real estate prices.In the pages of this book, a nostalgic tour of these famous races at these vintage road circuits unfolds. Many period photos illustrate the racing action and the tracks themselves in their former glory, and modern color photos show the tracks as they currently stand. If you're a fan of classic sports car, Can-Am, Trans-Am, IndyCar, and Formula 1 racing, as well as classic and unique tracks of yesteryear, this book is a must-have item.
