Between the Covers

A famous British novelist by the name of Virgina Wolff once said, "A good essay must have this permanent quality about it; it must draw its curtain round us, but it must be a curtain that shuts us in not out."

Have you ever picked up a book and been entralled in it, so much so that time passes faster then you could ever imagine?  This seems to happen to me everytime I look into the autoracing annual called "Autocourse"  Each year a book is released that goes into every detail imaginable about the most recent year in Formula 1 racing.  It goes into the detail of the teams.

The book gives a complete break down on how the team is structured, challenges it faced, changes that it did from the previous year, and the individuals that make up each team...ohh the stories it tells.

Each annual also breaks down each and every race into so much detail, that I think most people wouldn't care or appreciate...well except for me.

Practice times, qualifing times, grid placement, lap by lap charts, chassis numbers...everything!  I often watch the pre-game shows for NFL football and listen to the sports announcers ramble on and on about endless details, stories, and stats...and I think what a waste of time...but then it hits me, if they were talking about autoracing I would be hanging on every word, and thats where these books come in.

I just recently was lucky enough to purchase 3 books from a gentlemen locally for $10.00 a book...new they are about $60.00 each and some of the real old ones are asking up to $200.00...ouch.  The collection currently stands at 10 books, with most coming from the United States or Great Britian...and I believe one from Australia.

Currently I have the following books but my goal is to someday have each book from 1982 to current.

1987-88          2000-01

1995-96          2001-02

1997-98          2002-03

1998-99          2003-04

1999-00          2005-06

So if anyone sees any of books not on this list at your local used bookstore or at a garage sale...send me an e-mail :)...I just might want to add it to my collection.

In the beginning was a little red car...

The first recollection that I have of autosports was when I was three, and pleading passionately with my Dad to get home in time to see the circle 8 races from the Calgary Raceway...that I had seen the night before on TV.  I loved the speed and the daring drivers as they pushed the limits of their car and the limits of their bravado to get through that fender crunching intersection on the track.  Each Friday it was urgent that we get home...no matter where we were.  And you guessed it, all I wanted for Christmas were cars!!

A few years pass and as was often the case, my Dad was once again working out of town.  We missed him a lot, but my brother and I knew that we would be getting  special something from him when he came home, a coloring book, maybe some lego, or a patch for our jacket...does anyone remember those??  Anyway, one evening he arrived home from a trip and he had me pick a hand that was behind his back...I choose...and this came out to greet me.

My first true racing car was a Corgi STP Patrick Eagle Racing Car (model159)...I was transfixed on this sleek, powerful, red machine of speed.  And what was even more special was that on the following weekend I was able to follow my new hero, Gordon Johncock, as he went lap after lap around the Indianapolis Speedway...searching out where that red 20 would be.  For years my hero wasn't Andretti, or Foyt, or Unser...it was Johncock...without a shadow of a doubt...as in my mind we were a team, Gordon in his red car, and me racing my red car on the carpet in front of the TV.

When the family moved from Calgary to Vancouver, I really pushed that we use "North American Van Lines" as they were the primary sponsor of Gordon back in the late 70's/early 80's.  The unfortunate thing is, that the original car went missing during the move, never to be found again.  But I just recently picked up this car again on ebay for a great deal.