Bøger af Bob McClurg

Check out the first ever biography on the popular drag racer, Butch "The California Flash" Leal. Born and raised in central California, Larry "Butch" Leal was obsessed with cars from a very early age. What began with field cars turned into hard work and new Chevrolets. This took place when the golden era of drag racing was in its infancy, and Leal joined with enthusiasm. He performed well at the track with his early Chevys and had an impressive number of wins before he was out of high school. His success brought him plenty of attention and collaboration with other big names in the sport.In 1963, GM pulled out of the sport on an official basis. As a result, Butch (at age 19) teamed up with Mickey Thompson and joined the Ford camp, securing a ride with the factory team and its new Thunderbolts for 1964. After his success that season, including winning the Super Stock (S/S) class at the 1964 NHRA US Nationals in Indianapolis, Mopar came calling, and Butch signed on to race the new altered-wheelbase cars in match races for 1965, as the NHRA did not have a class for these new "funny" looking cars. While Leal dabbled again with Ford and Chevrolet later, his relationship with Chrysler lasted well into the following decades, running both Funny Cars and Super Stockers. Penned by talented automotive historian Bob McClurg, who was there for it all, and featuring full collaboration with the book's subject, Butch "The California Flash" Leal covers the span of his fascinating career during arguably the most interesting era in drag racing history. Butch was an 11-time NHRA champion and 4-time recipient of Car Craft magazine's All-Star Driver of the Year award in a career that spanned the 1960s through the 1990s. It's all here, the events, great vintage photography, and the stories from one of the best storytellers the NHRA has ever known. Add this entertaining volume to your drag racing library today.

The history of hot rodding and performance cars has been well chronicled through the years. Books and magazines have covered the cars, builders, pioneers, engineers, early racers, muscle cars, street racers, etc. Most take a nostalgic and fun look at the cars that many have loved their entire lives. Some even cover the lifestyle, the hobby as it involves people, and the effort, time, and commitment that people put into it. It is more than just a hobby to most, and to many, a certain wave of nostalgia comes over them when remembering what the car scene was like back in the day.The local speed shop is an important element of the nostalgic feeling that people have when fondly remembering their hot rodding youth. Speed shops were not just parts stores, they were a communal gathering place for car guys wanting to talk smart, bench race, and catch up on the local scene--as well as to solicit expert advice from the owner or staff behind the counter. Here, longtime hot rodder and industry veteran Bob McClurg brings you the story of the era and the culture of speed shops as told through the histories of individual shops and compelling vintage photography. He covers the birth of the industry, racing versus hot rodding, mail-order, and the advertising wars. You learn about the performance boom of the 1960s and 1970s as well as lost speed shops and survivors. You also receive an overview of the giant mail-order speed shops of today.

The photos in this edition are black and white.The supercharger and turbocharger in their various forms and applications have both been around for well over a century. What makes them so popular? Looks, power, performance, sound, and status. And how do they relate to, and improve upon, the performance level of a small-block Ford pushrod V-8 engine like a 289-302, a 351-Windsor, a Ford 351-Cleveland, or even the latest generation 4.6L/5.4L modular small-block V-8 engines? That''s EXACTLY what this book is all about! While Ford dabbled in supercharging and turbocharging on production cars all the way back in 1957 with the legendary Thunderbird, and then again with Shelbys and over-the-counter kits, and then again in the late ''70s and early ''80s with turbocharging 4- cylinder applications in Mustangs and SHOs, the real revolution in supercharging and turbocharging Ford products has come through the aftermarket in more recent times. The Fox Mustang, created in 1979, and the platform that would eventually feature fuel injection in 1986, allowing much more boost, created a genre of lightning-quick and affordable performance cars. Featuring legendary supercharger and turbocharger manufacturers like Paxton, Vortech, Pro-Charger, Garret-AirResearch and Power Dyne, as well as traditional Roots-style systems, this book covers everything you need to know about supercharging and turbocharging your small-block Ford.

When thinking of manufacturer racing involvement, AMC is not one that immediately comes to mind. Yet even from the beginning of American motorsports, the companies that became AMC had some serious involvement in competition. From the early Nash and Hudson models through the muscle car era, AMC had direct involvement in racing. The success of Nash and Hudson in early NASCAR racing, AMC Javelins in Trans-Am racing, and AMC's partnerships with Mark Donahue and Roger Penske Trans-Am and 1970s NASCAR teams prove that AMC was "in it to win it."The History of AMC Motorsports from veteran racing journalist Bob McClurg covers it all, from a Nash-American Motors corporate history, the first years of NASCAR, the 1960s efforts that included Trans-Am and drag racing Super Stock programs, to the Craig Breedlove land speed record efforts when 106 world records were shattered and covered by Hot Rod magazine. And let's not forget the 1970s Trans-Am championships with Donahue and Penske, plus the NASCAR success with Bobby Allison in the always-curious-looking Matador.Never before has a single volume chronicled the events that encompass AMC racing history. Whether you are a hardcore racing history fan or a casual enthusiast of AMC street offerings, The History of AMC Motorsports provides a unique showcase vital to every enthusiast's library.