Racing With Cars And Other Vehicles
This “low-cost” alternative is made possible thanks to the differences in the two series. Following on from the prototype Climax V8 Cooper in 1961, two new Cooper T60s were built for the 1962 season. AJ Foyt commissioned Bob Riley to design a new car for 1971, to replace the dated Len Terry-derived cars that Foyt had been using since 1966. It could not compete with the McLarens or 1971 Eagles, but Foyt won one race when the quicker cars hit problems. Art Kijek raced his home-built Formula A across North America in 1969, from Minnesota to Florida. Unfortunately for the small team, it was destroyed in a fire at the end of the season. The sport soon blossomed in Southern California, and quickly spread around the world. A large proportion of professional racing drivers began in karts, often from a very young age, such as Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso. Several former motorcycle champions have also taken up the sport, notably Wayne Rainey, who was paralysed in a racing accident a...