(Part 2) Best motor sports books according to redditors

Here's an idea,

https://www.amazon.com/Formula-Technical-Analysis-2016-2017/dp/8879116843

Book of excellent hand drawn technical drawings of F1 cars. Giorgio Piola is excellent and does fantastic work graphically as well as journalism

Mark Martin writes NASCAR for Dummies books (LINK)

Movies:

NASCAR, the IMAX Experience

The Ride of Their Lives

NASCAR Close Calls

Books:

NASCAR Then and Now

Wide Open by Shaun Assael

Sites:

Jayski.com

Racing-reference.info

I've been learning to ride in the dirt on my wr250r for a few months. I've learned a lot just by watching YouTube videos ("enduro" is a good keyword). Also, this book is pretty good:

https://www.amazon.com/Art-Trailriding-Paul-Clipper-ebook/dp/B005OJZW32

After seeing a couple of videos with guys breaking their ankles, I've invested in some proper offroad boots with solid ankle support. I'm looking for knee braces too. I can recommend this body armor. It might be overkill, but I'm OK with that.

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/fox-racing-titan-sport-jacket

This question has been asked a bunch of times, but the one post I've found the most helpful was /u/that_video_art_guy's response in this post. For quick reference, here's the copy/paste:



I've read many of these books, I'm partial to the mechanics and team member books but find all of them to be very enjoyable.


The Super Collective Super list of Super Good F1 Books:

Mechanics/Team Members


[Life in the Pit Lane: Mechanic's Story of the Benetton Grand Prix Year](
http://www.amazon.com/Life-Pit-Lane-Mechanics-Benetton/dp/0760300267/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356716346&sr=1-5&keywords=steve+matchett) - Steve Matchett

[The Mechanic's Tale: Life in the Pit-Lanes of Formula One](
http://www.amazon.com/Mechanics-Tale-Life-Pit-Lanes-Formula/dp/0752827839/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356716346&sr=1-1&keywords=steve+matchett) - Steve Matchett

The Chariot Makers: Assembling the Perfect Formula 1 Car - Steve Matchett

Team Lotus: My View From the Pitwall - Peter Warr

Jo Ramirez: Memoirs of a Racing Man - Jo Ramirez

Art of War - Five Years in Formula One - Max Mosley, Adam Parr, Paul Tinker

Tales from the Toolbox: A Collection of Behind-the-Scenes Tales from Grand Prix Mechanics - Michael Oliver, Jackie Stewart


Technical Books

Red Bull Racing F1 Car: Haynes Owners' Workshop Manual

McLaren M23: 1973 Haynes Owners' Workshop Manual

Lotus 72: 1970 Haynes Owners' Workshop Manual

Tune to Win: The art and science of race car development and tuning - Carroll Smith

Engineer to Win - Carroll Smith

Nuts, Bolts, Fasteners and Plumbing Handbook AKA: Screw to Win - Carroll Smith

Race Car Vehicle Dynamics: Problems, Answers and Experiments - Doug Milliken

Chassis Design: Principles and Analysis - William F. Milliken, Douglas L. Milliken, Maurice Olley

The Racing & High-Performance Tire: Using Tires to Tune for Grip & Balance - Paul Haney


Technical Driving

Ultimate Speed Secrets: The Complete Guide to High-Performance and Race Driving - Ross Bentley

Going Faster! Mastering the Art of Race Driving - Carl Lopez

Working the Wheel - Martin Brundle


Drivers and Rivalry's

Senna Versus Prost: The Story of the Most Deadly Rivalry in Formula One - Malcolm Folley

The Limit: Life and Death on the 1961 Grand Prix Circuit - Michael Cannell

Winning Is Not Enough: The Autobiography - Sir Jackie Stewart

Shunt: The Story of James Hunt - Tom Rubython

Alex Zanardi: My Sweetest Victory: A Memoir of Racing Success, Adversity, and Courage - Alex Zanardi, Gianluca Gasparini, Mario Andretti.

It Is What It Is: The Autobiography - David Coulthard

Flat Out, Flat Broke: Formula 1 the Hard Way! - Perry McCarthy The Black Stig, Damon Hill

F1 Through the Eyes of Damon Hill: Inside the World of Formula 1 - Damon Hill, Photography: Sutton Images


People Of F1

Life at the Limit: Triumph and Tragedy in Formula One - Professor Sid Watkins

Beyond the Limit - Professor Sid Watkins

I Just Made The Tea: Tales from 30 years inside Formula 1 - Di Spires

Bernie: The Biography of Bernie Ecclestone - Susan Watkins


Picture Books

McLaren The Cars: Updated 2011 Edition

Art of the Formula 1 Race Car - Stuart Codling, James Mann, Peter Windsor, Gordon Murray

BBC made one this year, not quite the same but it might be good :)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Official-BBC-Sport-Guide/dp/1780974728

Larry McReynolds: The Big Picture: My Life From Pit Road to the Broadcast Booth

​

Real Men Work in the Pits: A Life in NASCAR Racing

​

​

But I would agree that Jr's book is among the best that's been published lately. It's a really excellent book.

https://www.amazon.com/Nelson-Piquet-Mike-Doodson/dp/0905138813

https://www.amazon.com/Nelson-Piquet-Story-World-Championship/dp/0946132100

If you ever want to push the limits of the versys and get off the main roads, I can't recommend this book enough:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1930193076/ref=oh_details_o06_s01_i00

http://www.amazon.com/Colorado-Trails-Central-Region-Backroads/dp/1930193513/ref=pd_sim_b_5

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Formula-2013-2014-Technical-Championship/dp/8879115979/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419549225&sr=8-1&keywords=formula+1+technical+analysis

I picked up these for a university project and were amazing to look through -

Formula 1: All the Races: The World Championship Story Race-By-Race: 1950-2011 -
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Formula-Championship-Race-Race-1950-2011/dp/0857333097

Grand Prix Battlegrounds: A Comprehensive Guide to All Formula 1 Circuits Since 1950 -
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Grand-Prix-Battlegrounds-Comprehensive-Circuits/dp/1844256944

"Ring of Fire" by Rick Broadbent

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ring-Fire-Rick-Broadbent/dp/0593062639

First things first, what type of karts does this track have by you, the more detail the better (rentals, competition karts, chassis name, engine model/mfg.)

1. You learn from doing, watching, trial and error, reading books and manuals. The engine side depends on what engine you go with (2 cycle /4 cycle).Great book on the most popular 2-cycle engine, Yamaha KT-100 | The Karting Manual, haven't read this one yet, but looks promising from the reviews | Memo Gidley's Karting: Everything you need to know, I personally liked this book as it was good and being simple to understand
   
2. eBay isn't a bad place to start, craigslist is hit or miss as I have seen people trying to sell like new Shifter kart that was actually a 15 year old kart with a motor that hasn't been in competition in 20 years on it, another place to start is find club forums, ekartingnews.com has a good forum that many of the top national members communicate through. Also, DO NOT BUY A BRAND NEW KART when you're starting unless you're comfortable spending $10K. There are amazing deals on used karts that are in great shape, just have to keep your eyes peeled, fight a club or go to a regional race in your area at the end of the season, most people in the higher tiers of this sport will practically give stuff away to make room for new.
   
3. Best place to start is at a local club, this is where you will get the most experience and information from, traveling to regional series is not advisable without a few years of club experience under your belt.
   
4. Most likely not, almost all racing clubs/orgs. require a snell rated/SA certified full face helmet. Entry level HJC, K1, Arai, or Bell motorcycle helmets can be bought for $1-200 and work great for getting started, remember this is your head you're talking about. Here are links for mid-high end helmets specifically for karting if you really want to spare no expense (honestly, just buy a entry level helmet) Bell karting specific helmets Arai SK-6
   
5. I can take a look to see what shops are around your area, the track you found might know of some places. Otherwise online is becoming more and more popular if you're okay with it, just have to plan ahead. Here are a couple midwest places that have good customer service and online shops, the owners of these places are great people and I have known them for a while. Franklin Karts in Wisconsin by Badger Kart Club | Comet Kart Sales in Indiana at NCMP track | Newer place in Wisconsin | Guy has been around karting for forever and is great to work with.
   
6. Some drivers have sponsors beyond family members (g-parents etc... or family businesses), unfortunately karting isn't a big enough platform for companies, many local restaurants and bars will tend to help the younger crowd out. But in saying this, it never hurts to try and is a great skill to possess in your life, the ability to sell yourself, its an invaluable skill I've honed since I was 8 years old through karting.
   
7. This question depends on what you like and what is available in your area. The major categories are sprint karting (european style), road racing, dirt oval. for more info on the major types go to the WKA Website to leanr more or ekartingnews for great tips on getting started.
   Nicholson Speedway in Chestertown, MD
   
   Sandyhook Speedway in Sandyhook, MD
   
   These are the only two sprint tracks that I found in MD, Since you live in an area that makes it easier to travel to other states I would look at those as well.
   
   Here is a list of master tracks through out the country, these tracks are recognised by the WKA for having solid clubs to support the tracks and follow the WKA rule book fairly closely.
   

There's some interesting relevant discussion in the forum at this link.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=703777&showall=1

This book is also an excellent resource if you want to know more about suspension geometries and vehicle dynamics.

http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Race-Car-Suspension-Development/dp/0936834056

It's from a book called Racing for Mercedes-Benz by Hartmut Lehbrink. "A dictionary of the 240 fastest drivers of Mercedes-Benz." I got it at a used book store for $20, originally $70.

Saw your comment about amazon, but here's some info about it: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Racing-Mercedes-Benz-Hartmut-Lehbrink/dp/1845840445

Try this as well, great book

https://www.amazon.ca/Driving-Edge-Science-Revised-Updated/dp/191058407X

I get my Dad this every year. Gorgeous books.

> I didn't go for a set of Koni Yellows (or anything like that) because I wanted a full shock replacement. I did not want to swap parts between the old and new sets, having to go borrow a spring compressor and all that jazz, or buy other pieces to create and entire shock.

There's nothing wrong with mixing stuff, a spring compressor isn't that big of a deal to borrow and it's hella fun to use. Especially when you hit the ceiling with a badly locked spring. Ask me how do I know...!
> This is a great introductory setup that can get the job done. I've asked many questions, read many reviews and articles and took in a lot of information which led me to this purchase. I'm holding to my word and research until I can get thorough proof of my fault

What research did you do? Bunch of internet fora and thoroughly "enhanced" articles written based on the shock's datasheet alone?
That's the problem with any industry. Data is data, i'm sure you can relate. Shocks are tested on a dyno with and without springs, hot and cold at their various adjustment levels. Unless you can read said data and interpret it to see if it fits your car and goals then all you have read are the opinions of other people. They may be exact and on point but they may very well be coming out of somebody who doesn't know shit about cars, suspension setups etc.
> Thanks for the advice though, I really appreciate it. I work in the tech industry for a living and can relate a lot. Having a shoddy foundation does not help with what you plan to build upon it.


I'm glad you took it the right way but let me ask you a thing: what's the shoddy foundation here? The part you bought or your knowledge about car tuning?
Imho it's the latter. Car tuning is done by engineers nowadays and it's an extremely complex field. It's normal to know nothing about it and the products being marketed extremely well surely don't help :)
If I were you i'd keep the shocks 'till they explode and use them as a reminder to fix the foundations before adding other stories to your house!
These books are amazing starting points:
http://www.amazon.com/Prepare-Win-Bolts-Professional-Preparation/dp/0615547338/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458584984&sr=8-1&keywords=race+car+preparation

http://www.amazon.com/Race-Fabrication-Preparation-Steve-Smith/dp/0936834145/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1458584984&sr=8-3&keywords=race+car+preparation