Customer Reviews

Team Lotus: The Indianapolis Years

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Many fans of motor racing and of the Indy "500" in particular are always on the lookout for more inside stories and details about the men who race and the teams behind them. This book gives the inside story of Lotus' involvement at Indianapolis in great heaping handfuls. Unlike many motor racing books which focus primarily on facts and statistics, Ferguson adds a great deal of his personal perspective into the book. There is even an account about the author and Colin Chapman competing for the attention of the same woman! Even though the book focuses on Lotus, it is a valuable reference for anyone who wants to learn more about the big bucks and politics involved with racing at "The Speedway" in the 1960's. Packed with great B&W as well as color photographs.

As a big fan of Jim Clark and the Indianapolis 500, I had to have this book for my very large Indianapolis 500 memorabilia collection. Although Lotus wasn't the first rear-engine race car in Indianapolis 500 (Jack Brabham did it in 1961 with a Cooper-Climax), the Lotus was the most successful of the mid-1960's marques. Jim Clark won the the 1965 Indianapolis 500 and the Lotus he drove was the first rear-engine race car to win the race. The "Old Guard" was upset that they got beat by a Green car but soon everyone either had a Lotus or a Lotus clone. In addition to winning the Indianapolis 500 in 1965, Jim Clark finished 2nd in the 1963 and 1966 races.

I've been a Team Lotus fan since I first laid eyes on the BRG & yellow Lotus 29 during a practice session in 1963. Andrew Ferguson does an excellent job in recalling those golden years of triumph and transition at "The Speedway". There are a few insignificant errors, such as his recollection that Bobby Marshman driving Jim Clark's ex-works 29/3 had his fatal accident at Phoenix International Raceway, when in fact it was at Ford's test track at Kingman, Arizona. That aside, this is an excellent book for anyone wanting to relive the glory days of Team Lotus at IMS.