Racing in the rain

John Horsman

The image of Pedro Rodríguez’s Porsche 917 splashing to victory in the 1970 BOAC 6 Hours is iconic. Yet as much as the driver and the Porsche boffins, a genuine architect of that and many other 917 victories was engineer John Horsman. Before he got his hands on it, the 917 was feared by drivers; he solved the airflow problems and transformed the 917 into a winner. Horsman recalls this and other stories in detail; and while the racing itself is well covered, it is as a behind-the-scenes account of sports car racing and the obstacles to be overcome that this book is most valuable. IM

Published by David Bull, £29.99. ISBN: 1893618528