Synopsis
2016 ROYAL AUTOMOBILE CLUB MOTORING BOOK OF THE YEAR Brian Redman is one of very few notable British racing drivers whose racing life has yet to be put on record in book form. Now that is about to be rectified. Packed with photographs, Redman's memoir is a vivid account of his varied racing exploits, with special focus on the period when he won major sports car races in Ford GT40s, Porsche 908s and 917s, and Ferrari 312PBs, and also became North American Formula 5000 champion three years running. Highly readable, and at times both humorous and poignant, this is a very personal book that will be welcomed by this popular and highly respected driver's legions of fans. - Five themed chapters about Redman's experiences at the greatest circuits and races of his era: Spa-Francorchamps, the Nurburgring, the Targa Florio, Le Mans and Daytona. - Diving deep into Redman's fears, friendships and mindset during his time at the top. - Spa-Francorchamps: Redman won at this daunting track in four consecutive appearances in 1,000Kms races for sports cars, but was also injured in the first of his three big crashes, in the 1968 Belgian Grand Prix. - The Nurburgring: two big sports car wins with his greatest driving partners, Jo Siffert and Jacky Ickx. - The Targa Florio: in 1970 Redman won this heroic race over the uniquely punishing 45-mile circuit in Sicily - and suffered severe burns in another big crash the following year. - Le Mans: he led France's 24-hour classic five times but never won it. - Daytona: the world's other great 24-hour race, in Florida, brought three wins - in 1970, 1976 and 1981. - Stories about driving for Porsche, Ferrari and colourful privateers, plus anecdotes about the era's most famous drivers, managers, heroes and rascals. - Successes in Formula 5000 (three-times champion in the USA) and 2-litre sports cars (South African champion) complete Redman's credentials as one of the finest all-rounders in motor racing. - Mario Andretti provides an insightful foreword: Redman and he were team-mates in Ferrari's sports car team (1972-73) and the top drivers in North American Formula 5000 (1974-75).
About the Author
Brian Redman is a retired British racing driver known for his versatility behind the wheel, with numerous successes in both open-wheel and sports car racing. After a short Formula 1 career driving for, among others, Cooper, McLaren and Shadow, he turned to the SCCA’s Formula 5000 championship in America and won it three years in a row, 1974–76, driving Lolas for Carl Haas and Jim Hall’s Chaparral Cars. In sports cars, he raced all the great cars of his era — Ford GT40, Porsche 917, Ferrari 312PB, Porsche 935, Lola T600, Jaguar XJR-5/6 and Porsche 962 — and won the Daytona, Sebring, Watkins Glen, Spa-Francorchamps, Monza, Nürburgring and Targa Florio endurance classics. In retirement, he is an ever-popular presence at vintage motorsports events and a gifted raconteur. He lives in Vero Beach, Florida.
Jim Mullen was a Mazda factory driver in IMSA GTU from 1980 to 1982, co-drove the GTO championship Porsche 934 in 1983 (winning Sebring overall), ran a Group C Rondeau at Le Mans in 1984, joined Bob Akin and Hans Stuck in a Porsche 962 in 1985, and continued with independent GTP teams through 1986. He was the founder and original CEO of what is now Mullen/Lowe, an international communications company. Mario Andretti is auto racing's definition of "Been There, Won That." His professional driving career spanned more than four decades and includes pit-stops as a Formula One driver (1978), an Indy 500 winner (1969), the Daytona 500 (1967), and four CART/USAC open-wheel racing national championships. Andretti has been called Mr. Versatile, known for driving everything from USAC sprint cars on the dirt to IndyCars, sports racing prototypes, and of course F1. He was Newman Haas Racing's first driver when the team was formed in 1982, raced there for 12 seasons, and is considered one of Paul Newman's closest friends.
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