“Classic Motorsport Routes” (Richard Meaden, 2007)

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Something a little different in the reviews corner this week.

This book shows you how to seek out and re-trace the great road racing circuits from motor racing history, including the former giant F1 tracks like Pescara and the Nurburgring Nordschleife.

An F1 fan could get a few years’ worth of holiday destinations out of this volume…

Followers of motor racing today are more inclined to think of the sport as a battle between individuals than a mechanical and technical challenge.

Of course it has always been about both, and that toughest challenges of all came on the rough roads between towns and villages that comprise many of the circuits described in this book.

Very few of them are still in use today and those that are have been sanitised – though invariably still have more character and charm than most new tracks.

“Classic Motorsport Routes” shows you how to re-discover these classic tracks on which the greats once did battle.

Its scope stretches far beyond Formula 1 so in addition to Pescara, Spa-Francorchamps, Reims and the Nurburgring you get other stunning courses like the Carrera Panamericana on which Juan Manuel Fangio raced and the Mille Miglia that saw one of Stirling Moss’s greatest triumphs.

Each track is accompanied with a detailed historical and geographical description, vivid enough that you don’t even need to travel to any of them, although it’s much more interesting if you do! The author has also spoken to veterans of the circuits who add a splash of colour and a sense of the danger.

Adding colour in the literal sense are a dazzling selection of judiciously chosen photographs. What could illustrate the Nurburgring better than one shot of Niki Lauda blasting through it in a Ferrari, and another of the classic Mercedes-Benz 190E touring car tackling the track?

It’s impossible to fault the selection of tracks, and though most fans will struggle to cover all four corners of the globe in search of everything from the Bonneville Salt Flats to the Rally Finland, it’s impossible not to recommend this book to anyone with even a passing interesting in motor racing history.

Richard Meaden
AA Publishing
9780749552251
£25.00 (UK)

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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One comment on ““Classic Motorsport Routes” (Richard Meaden, 2007)”

  1. that looks a great read..there are alot of tracks i would love to race on..thanks for the info

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