SCCA SportsCar - September 2006

Equations of Motion review from SCCA SportsCar, September 2006

Equations in Motion: 80 Years of Adventure, Risk and Innovation

• by William F. Milliken, Jr.
• $59.95
• www.BentleyPublishers.com

Before you bypass this book review, take a look at the names involved. William F. Milliken Jr. penned this 660-page Bentley Publishers book, with Dan Gurney writing the forward. Bill Milliken has impacted the SCCA and the world during the past 95 years and previously co-authored the definitive chassis engineering tome, Race car Vehicle Dynamics. He has been inducted into the inaugural SCCA Hall of Fame for his contributions to the Club as a competitor, a member of the original Board of Directors and the author of the first set of SCCA General Competition Rules.

Equations in Motion: 80 Years of Adventure, Risk and Innovation is a hair thicker than the current GCR, but some would probably argue this book is a far less complicated read. Milliken organized the book in chronological order, starting with his birth in 1911 and covering up until 2002.

By 1924, Milliken was experimenting with gliders and motorcycle-powered airplanes, but in 1946 he made a vital mistake: he purchased an MG for $1500, and was hooked. The book then covers his introduction to the SCCA and eventual racing exploits, including an article he wrote for SportsCar covering his Garthwaite Trophy run in a Type 35A Bugatti. Racing then led to his career with the Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory and Milliken Research Associates, Inc.

Make no mistake, this is not a book you can read in an afternoon. The 700-plus black and white images do mean there will be plenty of eye candy, but each picture is surrounded by text that is as riveting as it is informative.

Equations in Motion: 80 Years of Adventure, Risk and Innovation won"t be available until November, but make sure to place your order soon, as this would make an excellent gift for a member of the Club who appreciates what members past have contributed to make it what it is today.

Review of Equations of Motion from SCCA SportsCar - September 2006