Classic
Motorsport Routes: 30 Legendary Routes You Can Drive Today ,
by Richard Meaden
Ya gotta love a book that has a line like
this: "…At 8 am sharp the first of 230 competitors
is lagged away from the start line in what has to rank
as the greatest single example of organized anarchy
in America…" Actually, I suppose one could
make the same comment about the current-day American
political system, but this new book by Richard Meaden
is far more entertaining than the Presidential election
follies now gripping the nation. To put it simply, I
LOVED this book. Classic Motorsport Routes: 30 Legendary
Routes You Can Drive Today will be in my collection
of favorite road trip books for a long, long time. Although
our editorial focus is primarily about road trip travel
in North America, and most of the routes described in
this book are in Europe and other exotic locations,
this is still a book that every fan of road trips will
love. The line quoted above describes the start of Nevada's
Silver State Challenge, a semiannual road race where
motorists are allowed to drive flat-out on a closed
90-mile section of Nevada State Highway 318.
The author's premise was simple: choose
and describe 30 historic routes that have been used
for road races dating as far back as the late 1800s
and can still be driven today. The selected routes are
in Mexico, the United States, Australia, the United
Kingdom and Europe. But it's not the routes themselves
that are compelling -- it's the author's storytelling
that left me breathless. Meaden weaves historical fact,
local legend, awesome photography, and his own personal
driving experiences into his descriptions. He provides
tips for finding and following each of these world-famous
routes, and he also suggests places to stop and dine
or enjoy the surrounding areas.
I'll probably never get to all thirty of
Meaden's routes, but one event I'd particularly like
to see after reading this book is the Targa Tasmania,
a 1,336-mile race that has been challenging competitors
since the early 1990s. Superstar road rally driver Sir
Stirling Moss describes it as "…one of the
greatest driving experiences of my life." A standout
photograph in the book -- one of many -- shows the intense
look of concentration on the face of motorcyclist Davy
Morgan as he drove around a corner in the 2006 running
of the "Isle of Man TT" race. Another route
that would be fun to experience is the Jim Clark Rally
course that winds around the countryside of Scotland.
I was fortunate to be at the El Mirage
course in California's Mojave Desert for the first "Muroc
Reunion" back in 1996. Reading Meaden's description
of a subsequent event makes me want to return this year
to watch vintage racecars compete on the dry lakebed.
But the route that really calls out to me -- especially
before it is rendered extinct by environmental protection
efforts -- is the Pikes Peak toll road in Colorado.
Most of it is still dirt, and although it is only 19
miles long, it is known to fans and drivers alike as
"The Race to the Clouds." Race drivers like
Mario Andretti, Al & Bobby Unser, and Ari Vatanen
have all tested their mettle on the Pikes Peak route.
The road features 156 corners as it winds up the mountain
to the 14,001-foot summit. All driving fans will appreciate
the wry humor of the names of some of the stomach-churning
drop-offs, and Meaden has illustrated them with spectacular
photos.
This is a beautiful, inspiring, riveting
book. It's crammed with insider tips, colorful and useful
maps, and simply gorgeous photography. If you are a
motoring enthusiast or you know someone who is, this
is one book you'll want to get your hands on immediately.
Mark
Sedenquist
8/29/08
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