By now, you should realize that I like racing cars in general and sports cars in particular. Whenever a good photo book on them becomes available, I try to get it. Over the years there have been many produced, but few of them are really good. I have learned that those by David Friedman are amongst the very best out there and always pick up his latest and greatest.

Don't let the cover influence you into thinking this is just another Can-Am book as it is not. David has been photographing car races for a number of years and since there are no photo credits shown for each image, I can assume that most if not all are taken by him.

As one would expect, they are superbly done and show a wide variety of different automobiles, all of which competed during the time frame of the book. This brings up the one drawback of a one-man photo essay like this. David is obviously a Californian as a majority of the images were photographed at race tracks in that state. 

There are oodles of images from Riverside, Laguna Seca, and other California and Nevada venues. He also went to the Bahamas for speedweek and Mosport in Canada as there are a number of images from there as well. Not so well represented are Mid-Ohio, Road America, Bridgehampton, Donnybrooke, Kent and the numerous other tracks on which pro sports car events were held. Not that this is a particularly bad thing, just something you need to be aware of if you are looking for shots from your favorite track.

In fact, David has managed to get excellent coverage of nearly every car type and important driver that competed during that 17 year period. You will find that there are very few images that you have seen before and that is part of what makes this such an excellent book. If they were famous and they were racing, you will find images of them and their cars. Dan Gurney in his Lotus 19, Jim Hall and his Chaparrals, Jim Clark and the Lotus 30, Mark Donohue and his Lola T-70; the McLarens of Bruce McLaren, Denny Hulme, Peter Revson and Peter Gethin  are all covered. You will also find Sterling Moss, Graham Hill, AJ Foyt and Mario Andretti within the covers.

There are several sections, each covering a few years and illustrating the more important developments of that time period. To me, the USRRC series was the most fascinating. I can remember as a youngster, eagerly awaiting each issue of Road & Track or Sports Car Graphic to learn of the latest race results. The annual trip to Elkart Lake for the Road America 500 was the most anticipated event of the year. There I could see for myself the thundering cars that so piqued my interest. If I was lucky, there would be the opportunity to see my heros in the paddock and maybe get an autograph and share a few words with them.

Nowadays, that is almost impossible for the racing fan. Television has so inundated the sport that even simple photo opportunities are gone, thanks to all the choice spots being taken by the ever present and invasive television cameras. Dave Friedman has also noted this and minces no words in his feelings about how TV has forever ruined the easy-going and friendly nature of professional auto racing. 

By all means, if you like sports car racing; the men and machines of the past, then this is without a doubt a super book that you will treasure. Go buy it!!

Review copy courtesy of me and my wallet!! If any of you manufacturers or shop owners want to send products for review and building, please contact me.