Ideally, a book which focuses on a single race series should exhaust the subject matter, for once published, odds are that it will be a very long time, or perhaps never, before another such publisher will be willing to produce a book on the same subject.
Or, simply put, how many books on the arcane subject such as Crises's Dices' can be published and put in front of a small audience and still make money? Simpler still, how many books on the Bahamas Speedweeks does the world really need?
We'd guess just one.
A rare shot of Erwin Goldschmidt in his Ferrari 375MM, chassis 0392AM, in 1954. All Ferraris which participated in the Speed Weeks are identified in the results with chassis numbers. Thank you, Terry!
|
Terry O'Neil's new book, "The Bahamas Speed Weeks," falls a little short of perfection, nailing down the important aspects of the subject while leaving out the trivial but juicy anecdotes that would have brought to life between the endless but welcome pages of race results.
"The Bahamas Speed Weeks" is a one-topic book focusing on a series of very social, season ending races held at a third world airport with a tropical setting near Nassau from 1954 to 1966. Indeed, the story of the Nassau Speedweeks deserves a book, (for Ferrari, Maserati and OSCA fans in particular) and O'Neil has covered the races well, documenting every single event which took place at both venues, finding results, name, and serial numbers enough to fill 3/4 of the pages in the volume.
Just enough to make one want for more...The color, variety and excitment of the Bahamas Speed Weeks is caught on a rare slide shot taken (supposedly) in 1961. This is the Team Roosevelt Abarth Record Monza, driver not identified. Courtesy Terry O'Neil.
|
"O'Neil has performed a real service for the historian," said Michael Lynch, who helped contribute to the book. "The races were notoriously under-reported, either because the scribes didn't have the budget to stay all week or were too hung over from the legendary parties held every night." He has ferreted out obscure race reports from the scant media reports, both local and international, and O'Neil interviewed a goodly number of people, one being Denise McCluggage, who also wrote the forward.
O'Neil admits that his search did not reveal 100% of the answers 100% of the time. "Visiting the Island, and also speaking to competitors and race officials who were in attendance...has provided valuable input and clarified some issues, though many others will remain a mystery," he wrote in the introduction. But the early events were not taken too seriously by anyone, including the press, newspapers, participants or spectators, leading to a dearth of complete documentation regarding entries and results.
From the perspective of sheer results and overall racing history, O'Neil's book can hardly be faulted. "The Bahamas Speed Weeks" will be, and should be purchased for all serious and semi-serious fans of motor racing. It is the only book on the subject and will probably remain the only book on the subject.
But nevertheless, as spoiled children, we lament like Peggy Lee, "Is That All There Is?" We despair, for O'Neil's book, to paraphrase Marlon Brando, ".. Coulda been a contender".
It could have been a wonderful look at Nassau in the fifties, socially, politically, economically and geographically (the only maps are those of the race courses).
It could have included photos of the island, the hotels, the streets, the townsfolk, and the yearly, wonderful parades of exotic sports cars parading through the still sleepy paradise (there are a few, just enough to make one want for more).
It could have been the chance for the family of Red Crise to have included a short autobiography of the series founder. (O'Neil writes a short bio, but it lacks depth, documentation and photos.)
Phil Hill and Denise McCluggage at Nassau in 1957. A most discrete generation. Courtesy Terry O'Neil.
|
Finally, as everyone who has ever read anything out the Bahamas Speedweeks has learned, the drivers came to relax, have fun, party, and get away from the European and US winters. While O'Neil can and does tell us that Ray Cuomo finished first in class and 8th overall with a Fiat Abarth Record Monza in 1959, he fails to help us understand just what the drivers did for the rest of the week, the time, as Steve McQueen said, "is just waiting". Just waiting--a shot of Denise McCluggage, in a formal dress, standing next to Phil Hill, in suit and tie, he holding a drink and her attention---is a promise of what could have been.
Ruth Levy and Denise McCluggage. "Denise (at right) and I are laughing over the first five lap event. This was before I upended Stirling's Aston Martin," recalled Levy. Courtesy Terry O'Neil.
|
We went out and found two Nassau survivors to tell us a story or two. Neither had been interviewed for the book. The first was Ruth Levy, now Ruth Levy Raymond, whose tremendous 1957 duel with McCluggage was detailed by O'Neil.
"The parties, at least for me, were the best part of racing," recalled Ruth. "Raving out doing the limbo at the Junkanoo an in-club, avoiding Nassau. Black tie-stuffy affairs. Most of the time I hung out with Stirling Moss's wife, Joe Bonnier, Bruce Kessler and Lance Reventlow." She noted that the report was incorrect.
"I was trying to out-brake Denise? Wrong! Denise spun out in the corner, the corner before the long back straightaway. I know. I was there! It's how come I got by her. But down the straightaway, into the last corner was definitely driver error." Her mistake cost her the race, wrecked Stirling's Aston Martin, and made a good bit of news.
The second was Toly Aruntonoff, who competed there in 1964 with the same Lancia Flaminia he drove at the Targa Florio
read "Toly at the Targa".
Toly recalled this anecdote:
"I've heard this story at the very time it occurred and seen it mentioned in print once long ago: I can't remember the principals, but someone with more than one Corvette hired local Bahamians to watch over his cars in an airport hangar. He then welshed to some degree on their payment and during the night at least one car was started and run wide open until engine parts were embedded in the concrete floor. It is written: 'the laborer is worth of his hire.'"
Eventually, someone will digitize the raw bits O'Neil has commendably gathered, and put every race, position, car and driver on some free Internet site. Nassau, that most human of racing events, will be reduced to 0s and 1s, and whatever was the magic of the Bahamas Speed Weeks will disappear.
And there ain't gonna be another chance.
