How do you push the limits? Is it that short blast of energy railing down the quarter-mile? Is it pulling some G’s around the corners at Laguna Seca? Or are you struggling to keep two wheels on the ground as you zip through the Isle of Man? There is no doubt that each of those examples of racing pit man against machine. Or, should we say man WITH machine. These questions come to mind as I read the words racer Tom Kristensen in the forward of Le Mans 100, A Century at the World’s Greatest Endurance race by Glen Smale, published by Motorbooks, an imprint by Quarto.
This is a beautiful book that not only gets the attention of those who see it on your coffee table, bookshelf or even in your garage, but it is also a very informative tome of the changes in auto racing through the decades. Each chapter is separated by the decades from the 1920’s to the 2020’s. Every year except of course that of World War II the race went on. The race challenged the drivers, the teams and the vehicles to a grueling and sometimes rewarding experience.
Lately I have been fascinated with early racing. Cut-down Model T racers with Frontenac heads and a skid-pad for a brake, or balloon tire board track racers. It is just crazy what these racers did back then to take the lead. They had a zest, zeal and some would say GUSTO to go fast and hard. The races were usually short runs of no more than a dozen laps. Sometimes just one (IE drag racing). Then a group of like minded sporting enthusiasts got together to create an endurance race, or more specifically event. The 24 hours of Le Mans was born. This event was picked up by the manufacturers as they wanted to prove the durability of their vehicles. The cars ran, and ran and ran. A winner was declared after the third year of completing the event. That prove too difficult so it went to a Biennial Cup, then to the all-out Annual Race.
The event tests engineering, technology, drivers, and teams. It is not pretty and usually some pretty devastating results. But it was and still is VERY IMPORTANT. Le Mans is a 24 hour research and development event. Not sure of the durability of your new tech? Take it to Le Mans. From rubber compounds to hydrogen technology and beyond, the 24 hours of Le Mans is the place to flush out those ideas, theories and hypothesis.
What better way to celebrate the importance and significance of this event than to print the inspiring photos and thoughtful text then in this book. A book so beautifully designed inside its canvas coated hard cover sleeve. We can now say that Le Mans 100 has endured like so many of the men, women, teams and vehicles who have competed in these decades.
Get your copy at Amazon or your favorite bookseller. Officially released on August 1, 2023.
