Reprinted and updated from the original book published in the early '70s, Michael Keyser's photo essay takes us on a tour of the world of motor racing circa 1969-1972. Armed with his camera and an enviable pit-pass, Keyser took a remarkable group of photographs. They capture the flavor of an era that, as time marches on, is fast fading in enthusiast's memories.

Now, a quarter of a century later, it's striking to look back at an era when most of the drivers were our contemporaries. This was the time when racing started to become big business and perhaps started being less fun for the participants. This was also the era when drivers like Jackie Stewart started pushing for safety regulations what wouldn't be in place in time to save several of the drivers in this book. Guys like Peterson, Rodriguez and Cevert look young and years short of their prime here, something that didn't strike me when I first picked up The Speed Merchants when I was fresh out of high school.

Keyser was also a racer during the 70's, giving him both access to the pits and a unique perspective on his experiences as a privateer among not-so-privateers and flat-out professionals. Driving a Porsche 911 in the company of Ferrari 512s and Porsche 917s has never been described in print so well. Aside from his informed prose, Keyser turns a Freidmanesque eye toward the subject of cars, racetracks and the personalities behind the sport. His shots taken at Le Mans and the Targa Florio are the best I've seen; the color work particularly is worth the price of admission. Every bit as good as his new book A French Kiss With Death: Steve McQueen and the Making of Le Mans (reviewed in July 2000, page 28)

The Speed Merchants is still, over twenty-five years after its birth, one of the best racing books extent.