Description
By: Michael Argetsinger .
Description
No American driver embodied the spirit. sophistication. and speed of the 1960s and 1970s better than Mark Donohue. In a professional career that lasted a little more than a decade, Donohue amassed a spectacular record that included winning the United States Road Racing Championship in 1967 and 1968. followed by three titles in the popular Trans-Am sedan series driving Chevrolet Camaros, and later, AMC Javelins. His success continued in the early 1970s: In 1972 he scored the Penske team's first victory in the Indianapolis 500. and a year later he won the Canadian-American Challenge Cup (Can-Am) title driving the overpowering Porsche 917-30. He also scored wins at the Daytona 24 Hours. at NASCAR's Riverside Western 500, and in 1974 was the first winner of the International Race of Champions series.
Through it all, Donohue's combination of natural talent, intensive preparation, and engineering application made him a new kind of star in an era when motorsports were enlivened by fast-paced technological changes. competitive new series like the Trans-Am and Can-Am, and a growing audience of knowledgeable fans. But racing remained a very dangerous game during this period. and the entire sports world mourned when Donohue died after a practice accident at Formula One's Austrian Grand Prix in 1975.
Donohue's life and career have been vividly chronicled in Michael Argetsinger's definitive biography, Mark Donohue: Technical Excellence at Speed. Now. in Mark Donohue: A Life in Photographs. Argetsinger revisits his subject, telling the story through scores of evocative images captured at the track, at home, and behind the scenes with friends, teammates, and fellow drivers. These photos not only offer a uniquely personal view of a champion. but also reveal previously hidden details of the cars that he drove and the preparation that went into racing each of them.
Argetsinger's detailed captions combine with dozens of direct quotes from those who worked alongside Mark—including Roger Penske and other team insiders—as well as from fellow drivers such as Mario Andretti, George Follmer. Dan Gurney. David Hobbs, Sam Posey, Al Unser, and Bobby Unser.
Even readers who are already familiar with the life and legacy of Mark Donohue will be dazzled by this stunning collection of images and memories.
Synopsis
In the vibrant, fast-changing American racing scene of the 1960s and 1970s, Mark Donohue redefined what it meant to be a successful driver. To millions of fans he was "Captain Nice," the photogenic All-American boy who made winning look easy in sports-car races, the popular new Trans-Am and Can-Am series, and even the Indianapolis 500. But to racing insiders Donohue is still best known as an intense competitor who brought a new level of technical sophistication and preparation to the sport. This reputation has only grown in the years since his untimely death in 1975, following a practice accident at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Mark Donohue: His Life in Photographs recaptures Donohue's brilliant career through revealing photographs from his childhood, his early amateur-racing days, and his busy and diverse professional life. Many of these pictures were provided by the people who were closest to Donohue: his family, friends, and Penske Racing teammates. The book also offers some of the best work by the top motorsports photographers of the era, who deliver brilliant images of Donohue with a dazzling array of race cars, and intimate shots with his team and fellow drivers.
Each photograph is accompanied by detailed, insightful captions and text by Michael Argetsinger, author of the definitive biography. Mark Donohue: Technical Excellence at Speed. Mark's Penske Racing teammates, friends, family, and fellow drivers also offer their recollections and commentary. Together, this combination of words and pictures vividly recounts the life and times of an American racing hero.
