When The Racing Driver was first published in the U.S. in 1959, Road & Track magazine hailed it as an "excellent book . . . the best ever written on contemporary drivers and their racing styles and habits." Now decades later, Denis Jenkinson's book has become a classic, highly valued for its historical perspective and views into the personalities of drivers who today seem larger than life.
This release of The Racing Driver contains much new material, including a new preface by the author himself. The new foreword is by Sir Stirling Moss, who won the 1955 Mille Miglia with Jenkinson at his side. Also new are two appendices. The first is a discussion the author had with Ayrton Senna on the psychological attributes of the modern race driver. In the second, Doug Nye, author and close friend, provides a final tribute to Denis Jenkinson.
Contents:
● Art:
Subconscious Instruction, Personal Limitations.
● Determination:
Sports car racing, The will to win. Driving to limit from start.
● Tenths:
Evaluating driving ability, On the limit, Dicing with death, Record laps.
● Learning:
The technique of reducing lap times, The off-line technique, Instrument reading, Importance of simple instrument lay-out.
● Starting:
Gamesmanship, Jumping the flag, Alternative methods, The Le Mans-Type start.
● Tiger:
Hawthorn and Moss, Accepting the challenge, Tigers versus bulls.
● Moments:
Wheel to wheel, Pantomime, Proprioceptors, Regaining control, Flick-turns.
● Fright:
Experience and anticipation, Speed happiness, Fighting instincts.
● Analysis:
Anticipation, Chain reaction, Human fallibility, Vision at high speeds.
● Theory:
Side-thrust and slip angle, Front and rear slip-angles, Under-, over-, and neutral steer, Steering corrections.
● Understeer:
Under-acceleration and braking. Front-end break-away, Tazio Nuvolaria Sidecar acrobatics, Moss and the 300SL, The value of induced understeer.
● Oversteer:
Power-control of the rear end, Wl96, Super Squalo and Lancia D50, On a hairpin corner.
● Instincts:
Heel and toe, The wrong pedal, Stop or get around somehow, Skillful recovery.
● Morale:
Pit-stops, A renewal of faith, Italian sympathy.
● Retirement:
Right moment and right manner, Old hands, Selfishness, Philanthropy.
The Racing Driver will appeal to sports car enthusiasts, particularly those interested in vintage and historic racing. It belongs on the bookshelf beside Taruffi's The Technique of Motor Racing, which it supplements without repeating.
