Customer Reviews

Can-Am (Motorbooks Classic)

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4 star:		(1)
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As I played only a very small part in the history of the Can-Am, I am deeply moved that Pete Lyons took the trouble to telephone me prior to the publication of his fabulous book. That he covered the Can-Am series in such detail as to include me is a measure of his dedication. I must say that it was an honour to be included. Those Can-Am days that nearly ended in tragity for me at Road America in Aug 1975, after the series had been canceled in 1974, were times of good racing,great friends and fabulous spectators. I shall never forget Mark(Donahue) comming to see me after a race (in which he lapped me twice!!)to suggest that I might want to change the rear roll stiffness of my car as he followed me for a lap to see what my car was doing!! or George(Fullmer) storming off in a huff at Mid Ohio after retiring with "driver brain fade!!" Pete...thanks for all the hard work and dedication for a "work of art of a lifetime" I am very glad that Doug Waters lived long enough to see the finnished work. He died alone watching his beloved Jaques win the World Championship accompained only by Lella and Kingfisher his two siemese cats.END

Pete Lyons lived the Can-Am in its glory days and he's got the photography and grey hairs to prove it. One of our finest motor sports writers, Lyons has crafted a book that makes the reader a part of the most amazing series that motor sport has ever seen. The Can-Am featured the most powerful road racing engines ever built, an unlimited series that attracted major manufacturers from Porsche to Chevrolet and top designers, team owners and drivers who are still major names in the sport today. Your library absolutely must include Can-Am. Michael F. Hollander Managing Editor Racing Information Systems

Reading Lyons' book is like reading the race reports at the time in Competion Press and Road & Track, with the added perspective of knowing how it all turns out after the rubber dust has settled. The candid driver shots of Bruce, Denny, Dan, Mark and the rest of these heroes of my college days, with the exquisite on-track shots and hardware close-ups, bring it all back in a great rush. It's a very difficult book to set down, time just seems to fly, as it seems those years did. It's a marvellous reminiscence of those larger-than-life men and the fastest road-racing machines ever built.

"They were the grandest, fastest cars in the world." Join Pete Lyons, motorsports unmatched chronicler, as he recreates those unforgettable "Days of Thunder", nine years of magic from 1966 to 1974, when the fabulous mechanical creations known as CAN-AM ruled the auto racing world. Read about some of the greatest names in motorsports history as Pete Lyons brings alive the exploits of Mark Donohue, Roger Penske, Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme, architects of the infamous Bruce & Denny show, Jim Hall and the incomparable Chaparral, including the unique 2-J "sucker car", the forerunner of today's CART and F1 groundeffects technology. Visit every race, every team, every incredible innovation as racing's last "unlimited" series pushed the envelope into uncharted technological territory. Pete Lyons will put you in the cockpit where you will hear the thunderous sounds of big American V-8s, never duplicated before or since, from whose 500+ cubic inches belched over 1000 HP of gut-wrenching, mind-bending, soul-searing acceleration. Recall the frightening indoctrination of new members into the "CAN-AM flying club", where charter membership required an adrenalin-induced flight into space when air under the front wing induced early design vehicles to head towards outer space. Ride with Mr. Lyons as Peter Revson, exiting Riverside's turn 7, stomps open the throttle, throwing his Mclaren 8F sideways to demonstrate to the hapless Mr. Lyons the seriousnesss of extreme tire vibration. You can read every book, every publication in the motorsports venue and this one is, quite simply, number one.

Pete Lyons and Doug Nye are THE names for any library. Once again Pete lives up to a stellar reputation and this book is another must have for your collection.
Can Am is such a beloved series that you have to have the best book in your library and this is the one to build your library from.
I hope this helps you make your decision on purchase.

This is a delightful book for any racing enthusiast who either loved the Can-Am or wants to learn why older fans revere it.

While Pete Lyons is as scrupulous as someone like Doug Nye about accuracy for such details as chassis numbers, Pete uses such information only to make sure that his narrative is accurate and consistent or to authoritatively state interesting facts, such as the cars that won consecutive events, or won the same events in consecutive years, or were raced by certain drivers.

A time gone by sadly of Beautiful Cars and Racing, Even for those who were not even born yet much less a twinkle in our daddy's eye, This book has a Excellent Layout, Great pics, Nice Color Section, and Lots of Good reading and history.

Buy it for the great cars!
But it for the great photos of the cars!
Buy it for the play by play of each and every race.
-for the Amazing list pro drivers whom were brave enough to get behind the wheels of these 'Big Bangers!
-for the behind the scenes looks at these monster big block engines and how they pushed the envelope of technology.
-for the wild designs as each team played at the first tentative steps at understanding Aerodynamic down force!

Nothing, nothing was more grand or powerful at that time! So get this book that perfectly captures the time when Racing was Dangerous, but Sex was not.

Fantastic book. Written by a devote who followed the races around in a van. Great pics and stores. Season by season review and neat results section in the back.

If you liked this series, a must book.

OK, I am a huge Pete Lyons fan. He lived it and wrote about it so we could also live it. Great job and great book. A must read if you are a Can Am fan or a fan of the "good old days" of motor sports where determination and a few bucks could get you in the game.