Road & Track

"Piero Taruffi, driver, designer, engineer and ex-motorcycle competition rider, needs no introduction to Road & Track readers. By the same token, he needs no justification from us to qualify him as an author of a 'textbook on motor racing.' In the introduction to this volume, it is called just that by no less an authority than five-times World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio.

Taruffi calls on more than 30 years of active competition driving experience to compile this book which is written, not for the spectator, but for the racing driver and would-be driver. This is not to say that a non-driver wouldn't find Taruffi's comments interesting. Even though this is a textbook on racing, it can be every bit as interesting to the spectator as it is to a driver, because through it the spectator can acquire a better grasp of the technique and ultimate results of each driver on the course. It will also help him to know why two drivers, in apparently similar cars, can be so widely separated at the finish of a race.

Many diagrams, charts, photos and drawings are used to illustrate points made by the author and, in some cases, mathematical equations are used to prove points. All in all, there's little left out, and we feel Taruffi did a wonderful job on a difficult subject. And it is the next best thing to personal instruction from an expert."

Review from and courtesy of Road & Track