This book explores the history and politics of motor racing, one of the most popular and lucrative elements in the international sport industry. Written by a group of international scholars and motor racing specialists it discusses the sport’s origins, the relationship of motor racing to nation building and modernity (noting its links to fascism and dictatorship), the links between motor racing and the automobile industry, motor racing and the politics both of gender and of race, motor racing, the media and postmodernity, and motor racing, the spatial and globalization. This book speaks to scholars in history, politics, sport studies, the sociology of sport, sport management and cultural studies, along with the many lay readers who are interested in the relationship between motor sport and society.

This landmark book is the result of interviews with many of the greatest names in Ferrari history, and is loaded with never-before-seen stories and photos.

Drawing upon interviews with key people in the World Rally Championship as well as trans-local ethnographic research, this book explores questions of commerciality and sporting identity, tackling the sport's controversial handling of the shift into 'the commercial age'. It is essential reading on combining sporting heritage and commercial progress.

During 1986 there were several fatal accidents to competitors and spectators involving Group B cars during events of the World Rally Championship. The governing body of motorsport, the FIA, decided that the regulations concerning which cars were eligible to enter the WRC had to be changed and they opted to go for Group A where 5,000 cars of a particular model had to be manufactured in order to qualify. The change was implemented within six months of the decision being taken and thus at the beginning of 1987 season, there were very few cars that both qualified and were also competitive. The rally stars from the previous era like Walter Röhrl, Hannu Mikkola, Juha Kakkunen and Markku Alén were still there with new stars like Carlos Sainz, Didier Auriol, Tommi Mäkinen and Colin McRae emerging. Rallying technology was forced to undergo an almost complete re-start and it took some time before more than just one or two manufacturers could produce a winner. When they did, the side-effect was astounding with thousands of four-wheel drive, turbocharged road cars coming onto the global market. The new McKlein book, Group A: When Rallying created Road Car Icons, covers the ten years from 1987 to 1996 when Group A went from featuring fairly unexciting road cars to exotic, hi-tech rally cars whose performance was not much less than their predecessors. As well as an overview of the major events, the leading cars and crews, the factory teams, the changes of regulations--both technical and sporting--as well as results of all the major events and the championships associated with them, the books are lavishly illustrated with photographs from the famous McKlein archive. In addition, there are many stories of incidents and occurrences that give the reader an insight into just what rallying was like during the period covered and how Lancia, Ford, Toyota, Subaru and Mitsubishi fought for the WRC title.

“I don’t master the mountain, I master speed.” Coming from Bode Miller, this isn’t boasting, it’s just the way he lives: fast, honest, and wide open. In this candid book, the two-time Olympic medalist and champion skier shares his story, the secret of his success, and his philosophy of life. Born and raised “off the grid”–without electricity or indoor plumbing–in the cabin built by his father in the woods near Franconia, New Hampshire (pop. 850), Bode is unconventional to the core. The strong values of his simple upbringing, where he and his family had to “invent, grow, or carry in” all the essentials have made Bode unique among today’s top sports stars. Bode’s approach to life is straightforward: “Get a plan, stick to it, and trust your instincts . . . and almost anything is possible.” And practically since birth, the iconoclastic Bode has been achieving the impossible and laying down tracks for others to follow. He revolutionized his sport by adopting new and crossover technologies, such as “shape” skis. He drives his tradition-bound European rivals to distraction, skiing and winning by instinct. His outsider status, killer smile, and outspoken yet laid-back persona have earned him a reputation as the Michael Jordan of skiing. Men’s Journal named Bode the second greatest athlete in the world. And in the 2005 season, Bode may have moved up a notch by becoming the first American to win the Overall World Cup Alpine championship in twenty-two years. In short, he is the kind of person everybody wants to know and hang out with. In a book loaded with insight, good humor, and eye-opening stories about the world of competitive skiing, Bode, as always, holds nothing back.