by Bob Riley with Jonathan Ingram
Autographed by Bob Riley and Jonathan Ingram.
After building his first race cars out of southern Louisiana junkyards, Bob Riley went on to become an active participant in events at the heart of American motor racing. From the airport racing era in the late 1950s to the Formula Vee craze of the 1960s to Le Mans, Indianapolis and Daytona, Riley has seen racing history first hand and created some, too.
In The Art of Race Car Design, Riley shares his insights on drawing race car designs and later creating them on computers as well as the experience of working with some of America’s best known teams and drivers. It’s a tale told with candor, modesty and humor about what it’s like to work in racing’s big leagues.
How Riley emerged from building junkyard hot rods in southern Louisiana to become one of the most inventive designers at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the go-go years of the 1970s is a saga in itself. From Indy, he moved into his ultimate specialty of sports prototypes, starting with the outrageous, front-engined Mustang GTP. Along the way, he helped recast American GT and Trans-Am road racing with game-changing designs.
His first major suspension design helped Henry Ford II make good on his vendetta to beat Enzo Ferrari at Le Mans. Riley’s first radical Indy car designs with its ingenious center hub mounted suspension resulted in A.J. Foyt’s landmark fourth victory at the Indianapolis 500 in 1977. All along, Riley has worked with some of motor racing’s most famous drivers at the biggest events, including the Daytona 500, where his engineering helped Davey Allison and Dale Earnhardt win NASCAR’s marquee event.
Since the Riley & Scott Mk. III appeared in the mid-1990s, no individual designer has had more success with sports prototypes, including nine straight victories by the Riley Daytona Prototypes in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
The design embers continue glow brightly. Riley and son Bill have built a new generation of sports prototypes in Mooresville, N.C. for the 2017 IMSA season and the dawn of the DPi era.
Signed by Bob Riley and Jonathan Ingram -- $39.95 and free shipping.
“A pioneer of race car design and engineering.”
“A great read.”
“Enjoyed the book. Put together very well.”