This version of the book combines all the stories and most of the photographs into a single volume with smaller type and photographs in a bookstore package, as opposed to a coffee table package. Smokey got the idea for writing a history of stock car racing after giving a talk to explain racing to a group of kids at Lowe's Motorspeedway, around 1995. He realized that all the people who were a part of the early days were dying and most of the ones who were still alive were too involved with racing to be able to tell the real stories. He started writing this book as a history of stock car racing and ended up with look at American history of the past 60 years through a very unique set of eyes. The first volume, Walkin' Under a Snake's Belly, covers Smokey's life outside racing, beginning with growing up in Neshaminy, Pennsylvania on a farm, dropping out of high school to take care of the family and going off to World War II as a B-17 pilot. The war stories are told through the eyes of a young man who believed all that the Army Air Corps taught him, but he had a mind of his own and was also hell-bent on having fun at all costs. (If that meant irritating a few generals, then that was just par for the course.) After the racing years, Smokey ended spending most of his time working on his inventions and working in the oil and gold fields of Ecuador. Along the way, Smokey had a knack for finding fun and adventure everywhere he went. Alcohol, women and speed were his main addictions - he eventually gave up alcohol, but never did give up the other two. The second volume, All Right You Sons-a-Bitches, Let's Have a Race, chronicles the stock car racing years in living color. The warning on these books, that they are not to be read by those under 18 unless they are with a grandparent who can translate the social and moral implications of the stories, is not to be taken lightly. (Smokey even includes his own dictionary to explain the terms that racers used in the early days to the uninformed.) Smokey and his band of merry compatriots were racers and there were only two things on their mind when the sun went down Ð women and booze. Smokey had his share of both during 15 years of racing, when racers were looked down on as the dregs of society. Nothing could stop his dream of being the fastest at the sport he loved, no matter what happened along the way Ð the sign of a true racer. During his years in stock car racing, Smokey fell in love with a mistress that he would visit every May for over 20 years Ð The Indianapolis 500. The first half of the third volume, Li'l Skinny Rule Book, covers his love of this famed event and the wonderful stories of the days before the big corporate sponsors; when it was just men and their machines, sleeping on the floor in the garage and most times coming home with nothing. As the title implies, Smokey loved Indy because the rules were so simple. His inventive mind and knack for thinking way outside the box were at their best when Indy was involved. The fourth section of the book covers his years of inventing inside and outside of racing. SmokeyÕs 10 patents don't begin to cover the breadth and depth of his inventing. His work with the car companies and on the racetrack led to a host of developments that have improved surface transportation for everyone. The value of some of his ideas and inventions, like his famous hot vapor engine, were never fully realized. Many books have been written about the last 50 years of American history, but few are this entertaining, revealing and introspective all at the same time. Real stories from World War II, stock cars, the automotive industry and the Mexican Road Race are just a few of the elements in Smokey's autobiography. They combine to make Best Damn Garage in TownÉThe World According to Smokey one of the most interesting books in a long time.

    Yet his extraordinary life was as remarkable as his racing achievements.It was 46 years before his record of five World Championships was beaten, but even now he is still remembered for an exceptional Formula 1 career, which contained some of the greatest displays of skill and daring ever seen. Few, though know of his almost super-human exploits in epic South American road races that made competition at the pinnacle of motor sport seem like child's play. Gerald Donaldson chronicles not only those arduous early competitions but also his long journey from humble origins in remote Argentina to the lofty heights of international celebrity.Fangio flourished in an era when racing was raw and romantic, when heroic drivers manhandled machines on duanting and dangerous tracks that are no more. Out of the car his personal magnetism made him one of the most charismatic sportsmen of all time. Fangio:The Life Behind The Legend, written by motor sport's most highly regarded biographer- Gerald Donaldson- is a marvellously fitting tribute to a truly iconic figure.

    The racing world held its breath again 19 months later while witnessing his incredible return to racing. In Alex Zanardi - My Sweetest Victory Zanardi takes us from his childhood in Italy through his hard-fought racing success to the moving story of perseverance and love that motivated his recovery. Along the way, Zanardi presents the triumphs and setbacks in his racing career, culminating in back-to-back CART championships for 1997 and 1998. In riveting detail, Zanardi relates his terrible accident, the long path to recovery and his return to Lausitzring to complete the 13 laps he didn't finish in 2001. Alex Zanardi - My Sweetest Victory is an inspiring book about how personal strength and passion can triumph over even the most challenging circumstances -- an autobiography whose significance extends far beyond the world of motorsports.

    From the moment when the first model rolled out of a backyard shed in Milwaukee, through Harley's post-war golden age, to the sought-after bikes that distinguish the company today. This complete guide presents over 70 of the most beautiful, famous, and coveted Harleys of all time, from the 1911 V-Twin to the 1999 XI Lightning. Over 50 Harley's are examined in minute detail, with breathtaking close-ups of the engines and in-depth technical specifications.

    But racing is very difficult, complicated, hard work."--Tyler Alexander, Racing Engineer since 1964 For the first time, the enthralling history of one of the world's greatest sporting spectacles is told by its leading players--Jackie Stewart, Michael Schumacher, Juan Pablo Montoya, Ayrton Senna, and many others--the Formula 1 drivers, team bosses, designers, pit crews, journalists, spouses, lovers, camp followers, and fans. A beautifully illustrated and hugely ambitious project, assembled by a group of top journalists who have all covered the sport for years, this compendium is packed with action photography. Often controversial viewpoints come directly from those who act out the life-and-death dramas on the road. The chronicle starts with the grainy photos and rare memoirs of pioneering days a century ago, using the words of the men who began it all, such as Karl Benz and Sir Henry Segrave. Year by year, event by thrilling event, follow the innovations in car technology and racing technique to today's high-tech, high-finance, high-danger game; where grime and glitz, pain and passion are a way of life. The photo cavalcade puts you into the driver's seat in fiery crashes and finish-line celebrations. Rare behind-the-scenes sessions and a collector-quality gallery of the most famous driving machines of all time are part of the excitement.

    Written by the only journalist to have ridden on the roads with him, this book features interviews with closest friends, team mates and former rivals. Sheene's story traces his humble beginnings through an apprenticeship as a part-time rider and full-time mechanic, to a works team racer, with a host of diversions in pursuit of the opposite sex. After being diagnosed with cancer in 2002 he shunned conventional treatments, preferring natural remedies, but died early in 2003. This is the complete portrait of perhaps the greatest circuit racer of them all.

    Second place just wasn't good enough. Winning was the reason he rose from bed early and stayed at the track late into the night. In 22 years Earnhardt reached victory 97 times in Winston Cup competition. He won 76 Winston Cup races, six Busch Clash/Bud Shootouts, and 12 Daytona 125-Mile Qualifiers. And he was three times a winner in the Winston All-Star events. The Earnhardt Collection is the only book to chronicle this complete winning history. From his first win at Bristol in 1979 through his final checkered flag at Talladega in 2000, the reader will marvel at the coverage of each Dale triumph. Featuring many never-before-published photos of Dale Earnhardt on and off the track, we believe we have created the ultimate Earnhardt collectible.

    Their collective efforts are sure to make thi

    This book traces the careers of the men and women who bred the most outstanding Thoroughbreds of the 20th century.