Motor Racing at Nassau in the 1950s & 1960s

by Terry O'Neil

Overview

Motor Racing at Nassau focuses on the vision of one man, Captain Sherman ‘Red‘ Crise, and his quest to bring motor racing to the Bahamas. From its stuttering start in 1954, his event rapidly developed in stature to become the most important and prestigious sports car event on the race calendar other than World Championship events. The races started in the mid-1950s and continued for thirteen years, and are described by many commentators as the ‘Golden Age' of motor racing, where internationally acclaimed drivers attended Nassau to mix with the many amateur racers from America and enjoy the sun, parties and racing. For many drivers, the social scene was as important as the racing, and in later years prize money was an extra incentive to turn up – in 1960, it was claimed to be the highest paying event on the race calendar. Words alone cannot begin to describe the atmosphere generated at the races, so the wealth of previously unpublished photographs together with a complete collection of programme covers, and other material accumulated during six years of research, bring real vibrancy to these fascinating race accounts.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781845848477
Publisher:	Veloce Publishing
Publication date:	05/06/2015
Series:	Those were the days ... series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	13 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Terry O’Neil has been living and working in Stourbridge for the past 33 years, recently retiring from his commercial stationery business to concentrate on race research and writing. Married with two daughters, Terry is an active member of the Ferrari Owners Club of Great Britain, and enjoys the role of archivist for the club. He wrote Veloce's The Bahamas Speed Weeks as well as numerous articles for Ferrari magazine, and has contributed articles to both Cavallino magazine and Vintage Racecar Journal. His enthusiasm for researching less well-documented races led him to follow up The Bahamas Speed Weeks with Motor racing at Nassau. Terry is currently researching and writing a book about the series of races held on active Air Force bases in America during the early to mid 1950s.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Classic & Sports Car, January 2009
UK magazine
 
Latest in Veloce's 'Those were the days' paperback series covers the glamorous Nassau events in the '50s and '60s. If you have Terry O'Neil's earlier book ['The Bahamas Speed Weeks'], parts of this one will be familiar but there are some great photos, particularly of the Rodriguez clan.

Octane, January 2009
UK magazine
 
Racing picture books don't have to be doorstop-sized tomes with commensurately big prices: Veloce's little softback is packed with images, including some great color shots, that outweigh its modest cost. Glamorous women, interesting cars – Nassau had it all, and it's all here.

"Terry O'Neil's authoritative history, packed with many previously unpublished pictures, captures a bygone ages when partying was an essential part of motorsport and a Caribbean island was a great location for both activities." – The Marshal

"Whether it's an incredibly youthful Ricardo Rodriguez, Jim Hall's wrecked Chaparral, Foyt's Hussein-Dodge, or GM's experimental Stingray SR2, you'll be in for some treats when you leaf through this recommended book." – New Zealand Classic Car

"This little 96-page book will show you the variety of characters and machines involved ... It captures something of the relaxed ad hoc atmosphere, too." – Classic Cars

"The author is truly an expert on his subject, so this book delights and surprises over and over. It is very impressive." – Jaguar magazine, Australia

 "O'Neil whisks us through the years, adding programme covers, event badges and pit passes to the collection of (mostly) excellent photographs. This is an accessible overview of a fascinating era." – Motor Sport
 

"The text is entertaining and interesting in equal measure, but it's the black and white photography from the 1950s and sixties which bring the whole thing to life." – Classic Car Mart

Editorial Reviews

Classic & Sports Car, January 2009
UK magazine
 
Latest in Veloce's 'Those were the days' paperback series covers the glamorous Nassau events in the '50s and '60s. If you have Terry O'Neil's earlier book ['The Bahamas Speed Weeks'], parts of this one will be familiar but there are some great photos, particularly of the Rodriguez clan.

Octane, January 2009
UK magazine
 
Racing picture books don't have to be doorstop-sized tomes with commensurately big prices: Veloce's little softback is packed with images, including some great color shots, that outweigh its modest cost. Glamorous women, interesting cars – Nassau had it all, and it's all here.

"Whether it's an incredibly youthful Ricardo Rodriguez, Jim Hall's wrecked Chaparral, Foyt's Hussein-Dodge, or GM's experimental Stingray SR2, you'll be in for some treats when you leaf through this recommended book." –New Zealand Classic Car

"This little 96-page book will show you the variety of characters and machines involved ... It captures something of the relaxed ad hoc atmosphere, too." –Classic Cars

"Terry O'Neil's authoritative history, packed with many previously unpublished pictures, captures a bygone ages when partying was an essential part of motorsport and a Caribbean island was a great location for both activities." – The Marshal

From the Publisher