The Checkered Flag

By Douglas Rutherford

The aim of this book is to convey to those who have not had the opportunity to witness them, and to recall to those who have, the character of the great continental and English motor races, their atmosphere and background, the circuits on which they are run, and the people who take part in them, Ascari, Fangio, Moss, Castellotti, Hawthorn, to name but a few.

The author spent last summer travelling in Europe and watched the Mille Miglia in Italy, the European Grand Prix at Monaco which was Ascari's last race, the Belgian, British, and Italian Grands Prix at Spa, Aintree, and Monza. He was a witness of the tragedy at Le Mans, where he was standing only eighteen feet from the point of the disaster.

His account of that accident and his reflections on the dangers of motor racing demand the attention of all who are interested in the sport.

There are many who regard motor racing as simply another barbarous and noisy infliction of the twentieth century. If they read this book, they will recapture the excitement of the spectators and, guided by the author's expertise, will learn of the amazing skill, courage and endurance displayed by the drivers.

They will discover perhaps to their surprise

-that if the construction of a grand prix car is a triumph of engineering, its management is an art in the practice of which every great driver develops an individual and recognisable style. The style of Moss, Fangio, or Castellotti, is as vivid a manifestation of his personality as May's batting, Matthews's football, or Dai Rees's golf, and motor racing as treated in this book seems to be one of those sports which lends itself to the written word.

" The whole atmosphere of motor racing is contained in these essays concerning the major events of the 1955 international calendar. His sound basic knowledge of the sport and all its participants enables him refreshingly to avoid the pitfalls of prejudice.

A brilliantly-written

setting."

Ian Nickols-Sunday Times

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