Gordon Kirby's Book List

• Chris Pook & the History of the Long Beach GP
  Racemaker Press, April 2020
• Rick Mears--Thanks
  CMG Publishing, 2008
  I'm delighted to report that my latest book, 'Rick Mears--Thanks, the story of Rick Mears & the Mears Gang' will debut this week at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Rick and I will sign books at the Speedway this Wednesday, May 21, at 3 pm on 'The Plaza', just behind victory lane. Rick will also join me on Saturday, May 24, for a signing at the Borders on Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis from 1.30-2.30 pm.
  
  Through the nineteen-eighties and into the early nineties Rick was known as the 'King of the Speedways' and the maestro of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mears won four Indianapolis 500s and three championships between 1979-1991 before retiring at the end of 1992 following a series of injuries that combined to reduce his ability to operate at the maximum and to enjoy his sport to the best. Mears is one of very few great sportsmen who retired at the height of his career in the immediate aftermath of some of his greatest performances.
• Bobby Rahal: The Graceful Champion
  David Bull Publishing, 1998
  An engaging, well-educated man who studied history and literature in college, Bobby Rahal went on to become a three-time CART champion, Indy 500 winner, and successful team owner. Friends, family, colleagues and Bobby himself describe the lean years when he could hardly find a car to drive, let alone a sponsor, as well as his triumphs as both a driver and team owner -- an achievement few other open-wheel stars can claim. Included in this beautifully-illustrated biography are stories about Bobby racing against future F1 heroes Gilles Villeneuve and Keke Rosberg in Formula Atlantic, working with top F1 designer Adrian Newey at the start of Newey's career, helping develop Ferrari's secret Indy car program, bringing Honda into CART racing, as well becoming a successful team owner. An informative and enjoyable read.
  Buy it Now at Amazon.com
• Mario Andretti, A Driving Passion
  David Bull Publishing, 2001
  This is the authoritative, first complete history of Mario's spectacular thirty-six-year racing career. Lavishly illustrated with the work of top racing photographers and memorabilia from Mario's own scrapbooks, the book includes pictures of nearly all the 167 cars he raced. These include everything from his first home-made Hudson stock car to such milestone machines as Clint Brawner's Indy-winning Hawk and Colin Chapman's world championship-winning ground-effect Lotus 79. We go beyond the racetrack to explore Mario's early life in post-war Italy, his friendships with fellow drivers, team owners, engineers and journalists, and his family's role in supporting and sustaining his career. 'A Driving Passion' brings all of these elements together to create the definitive portrait of the man many regard as America's best driver of the twentieth century.
  Buy it Now at David Bull Publishing
• A Winning Adventure, Honda's Decade in CART Racing
  David Bull Publishing, 2003
  Co-authored with John Oreovicz, this beautifully-illustrated, 300-page book documents Honda's successful assault on the CART Indy Car series. We were granted almost unlimited access to Honda's engineers, managers, teams and drivers who combined to win four CART manufacturers championships and six driving titles. Each year and every team are analyzed in detail with extensive commentary from the drivers, owners, managers and engineers. Great drivers and human beings like Alex Zanardi and Gil de Ferran help bring the story vividly to life. 'A Winning Adventure' offers a thorough look at the combination of competitive passion, engineering expertise, and pragmatic business principles that go into making a successful racing program for one of today's major motor manufacturers.
  Buy it Now at David Bull Publishing
• Greg Moore, A legacy of spirit
  Whitecap Books, 2000
  Written with Canadian sports writers Dan Proudfoot and Jim Taylor, this biography of brilliant young Canadian racer Greg Moore was published in the fall of 2000 to commemorate Moore's brief but remarkable career. Moore was killed at the California Speedway in October, 1999, during the last race of that season. He was only 24 years old and had signed to drive for Roger Penske in 2000 after showing tremendous speed and flare with Forsythe Racing. Moore won five races in his four years with Forsythe and made the break into CART when he was just twenty years old after dominating the 1995 Indy Lights championship. Moore's good humor, easy grin and outgoing friendliness won him many fans and admirers and it was tragic that his career was cut short in a terrible single-car accident in the opening laps on a very sad day at the California Speedway.
  Buy it Now at Amazon.com
  
  

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