To Finish First: My Years Inside Formula One, Can-Am & Indy 500
By Phil Kerr
Published by Random House New Zealand
Porsche created the Type 956 in response to Group C regulations governing the World Endurance Championship for Makes. The Federation Internationale de Sport Automobile (FISA) rules, effective with the 1982 season, allowed one-off chassis. Fuel consumption was limited to tank capacity of 100 liters and maximum car length was set at 480cm, width at 200cm, and height at 100 to 110cm. Engine size and induction were unregulated. In addition, only five fuel stops were allowed for 1000km races, and 25 stops for twenty-four hour races.
Until the recent Schumacher era, Ferrari’s success in Formula 1 came in fits and starts. It was more a case of highs and lows, with limited periods of success. When the 3-liter era was announced for 1966, Ferrari was expected to sweep to success. Ferrari and John Surtees won the 1964 championship and they were expected to repeat in 1966. The year started well; Surtees won the Belgian Grand Prix with the V12 3-liter car. Unfortunately, the Surtees/Ferrari partnership ended at Le Mans and the potential for 1966 evaporated. With the exception of wins at the 1966 Italian GP and the 1968 French GP, Ferrari came away empty for the first 4 years of the 3-liter era.
I started collecting books and magazines when I was a kid, with money earned from my paper route. I once sold a large portion of my library and immediately regretted it. My buying habits change from time to time. Lately I’ve been adding autobiographies, although the wish list is always evolving. I’ve never added books based on potential value, but because I enjoy the subject. I use to buy both Automobile Year and Autocourse every year. Eventually I realized that I didn’t enjoy the contemporary racing scene as much as historic racing, and I lost interest in the two titles. The Autocourses went in the sell-off, which in retrospect was a mistake. I did stop buying Automobile Year, but I still enjoy the older issues from the 60s and 70s.