Full Throttle

Více o knize

Sir Henry Ralph Stanley Birkin Bt., known as 'Tim,' is remembered as one of the most daring pre-war racing drivers. A contemporary of Sir Henry Segrave and Sir Malcolm Campbell, he gained fame as a leading driver of the era. Birkin won the Le Mans 24 Hour race twice, in 1929 and 1931, and was part of the glamorous "Bentley Boys," known for his fearless and fast driving style. Notably, he once pushed Rudi Caracciola's Mercedes SSK to its limits at Le Mans, overtaking him on the Mulsanne straight at 126 m.p.h., with two wheels on the grass and a shredded tire, ultimately breaking the lap record. Despite his daredevil persona, Birkin was an unassuming man who struggled with a stammer and held a deep passion for establishing Great Britain as a leading motor racing nation. Full Throttle captures his thrilling accounts of racing, first published in 1932, the year before his tragic death at 36 from burns sustained after finishing third at the Tripoli Grand Prix. This illustrated edition includes a new foreword by Allan Winn, former CEO of Brooklands Museum, and reflections on Birkin's life by five-time Le Mans winner Derek Bell.