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FIVE By Bob Mays
WE TASKED NATIONAL SPRINT CAR HALL OF FAME AUTHOR AND HISTORIAN BOB MAYS WITH GOING THROUGH HIS CONSIDERABLE COLLECTION OF AUTO RACING LITERATURE AND DETERMINING HIS ULTIMATE TOP FIVE RACING BOOKS. AFTER COMBING HIS SHELVES, MAYS OFFERED UP HIS FANTASTIC FIVE THAT REALLY HIGHLIGHT THE HISTORY OF THE SPORT.
“THE AMERICAN DIRT TRACK RACER” AUTHOR: JOE SCALZO PUBLISHER: MOTORBOOKS ILLUSTRATED FIRST PRINTING: 2001 Joe Scalzo is pretty liberal with adjectives and doesn’t put his subjects on pedestals and the results are stories that run the gamut of the human experience and a joy to read. The book starts with Tony Bettenhausen and the year 1951 and ends with Jan Opperman and the year 1971. It’s obvious these two decades are Scalzo’s favorites. He digs in to not only the drivers and owners, but the mechanics, promoters and hangers-on of all persuasions. Joe loves nicknames and once one is introduced, the guy’s given name is rarely mentioned again. So be warned, if you start in the middle of the book, you may never figure out who many of the characters really are. Also, be forewarned, this is the one R rated tome on this list; Scalzo uses direct quotes, never substituting less offensive language. “FABULOUS FIFTIES” AUTHOR: DICK WALLEN PUBLISHER: DICK WALLEN PRODUCTIONS FIRST PRINTING: 1993 Wallen is listed as the author but really he is the editor of this voluminous tome covering champ car racing in the 1950s. Since most of the circuit was dirt then, it qualifies as a dirt track book even though much space is devoted to each year’s Indy 500. It is allinclusive with detailed reports on each race and stats enough for any geek of that persuasion. Most of the book is penned by Bob Schilling, with Wallen, Larry Nuber, George Peters, Carol Sims, Dave Argabright, Eddie Sachs and Jim Chini also making contributions. Phil Harms provided the stats. Wallen conducts the orchestra and creates an opus of epic proportions.
Photo: Rick Sherer
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DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021
