The Golden Era of New Zealand Motor Racing By Graham Vercoe

Reed,1993, first edition, 389 pgs. The dimensions: 221x288mm. Hardcover in very good condition, ex library with usual stamps.

Motor Racing in New Zealand reached a peak during the years 1946 to 1976, the great years of Formula Libre, Formula Tasman and Formula 5000. It was truly a golden era, when the whole country seemed to flock to the race tracks (in the early days more likely to be an aerodrome rather than a true 'race track') to be part of this exhilarating new sport.

The Golden Era of New Zealand Motor Racing traces the development of motorsport through those years, beginning with the first true road race, run in 1933. Graham Vercoe tells the story of every race, and documents the rise and fall of every famous, and not so famous, name - cars such as Cooper, Bugatti, Lotus, and Maserati; drivers from the pioneering Ron Roycroft and George Smith to the legendary Bruce McLaren, Denny Hulme, Jack Brabham and Stirling Moss.

Each race is described in detail - the drivers, the cars, the peculiarities of the track, and the running time of the race. For the true racing buff the engine type and chassis number of each car, lap times, weather and track conditions are all listed. The real drama, however, is in the human story behind each race - the cars that failed to arrive or didn't quite reach the starting line, the royal battles fought out on the track, the triumphs, the disappointments, and the occasional tragedies.