My most recent magazine articles now in print
include features on Hans-Joachim Stuck (BIMMER), Ernie Prisbe's Ferrari 312PB (FORZA), Peter Takacs's 1973 BMW CS
(BIMMER), John Holmes's BMW CS hot-rod with M6 engine (BIMMER), Stephen Block's 1938 BMW 328 roadster (BIMMER),
the 2008 Moet & Chandon Ferrari 250 GTO tour in northern California (FORZA), a 1923 Aston Martin Sidevalve (OCTANE),
"A Day in the Life of Tina Van Curen" (OCTANE), and "Butch Dennison's Gear Box" (OCTANE).
Coming soon are my feature articles on: Jon
Shirley's 1934 Alfa Romeo Tipo B P3 monoposto that Tazio Nuvolari drove to an upset victory in the 1935 German Grand
Prix at the Nurburgring (FORZA), two new AMA Flat Track motorcycles using BMW's F800 twin being individually prepared
by Ron Wood and Dale Lineaweaver (BIMMER), and history of Dr.Thomas Bscher's 1957 Maserati 450S s/n 4506 that Carroll
Shelby drove to fame in the late 1950s, with sidebar on the car's then-owner, John Edgar.
My article Motorcycles by-the-Sea
about The Legend of the Motorcycle International Concours d'Elegance held at The Ritz-Carlton at Half Moon Bay this year appeared
in the July/August 2007 issue of Vintage Motorsport magazine. For readers of the UK monthly motorcycle
magazine, The Classic MotorCycle, my other 3-page article on this event, California
Concours, is published in TCM's August issue, giving this distinctive international concours coverage on both
sides of the Atlantic. There is a also a brief Event Report of this concours, Two-Wheel
Winner, in the July 2007 issue of the UK's Octane magazine. I am covering the Legend of the
Motorcycle again in May 2008 for Octane.
My 5-page feature Mighty Midget 88
about the John Edgar MGTC Special driven to fame by Jack McAfee in American sports car racing during the early 1950s is in
the June 2007 issue of Britain's MG Enthusiast. I'm now preparing several other articles for this publication
known as "The World's Best Selling MG Magazine," including an article featuring MGs at the recent Queen's English
All British Show held in Van Nuys, California, in April 2008.
My 8-page feature What A Lovely Life He's Led
about Pete Lovely and his decades in racing is in the Jan/Feb 2007 issue of Vintage Motorsport.
In the same issue appears my 3-page article Parnelli at the Petersen
about the tribute for Parnelli Jones held at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.
My various contributions to Octane magazine - Gear
Box, Day in the Life of, and Event
Report pieces - appear in on-going current issues of this excellent international magazine published
in the UK.
My 10-page feature on Bill Krause and his racing career Through
the Years: Bill Krause, including his driving Ernie Nagamatsu's former Max Balchowsky "Nailhead" Buick
Special "Old Yeller II" at the 2005 Monterey Historic Automobile Races, appeared in the Jan/Feb 2006 issue of VINTAGE
MOTORSPORT magazine. [For this article, the author recieved the Gold Medal in
the category of Magazine Writing/Biography, presented at the International Automotive Media Awards in December 2006.]
See my recent and upcoming articles in BIMMER,
EXCELLENCE, FORZA, ROAD & TRACK (co-authored with Michael T. Lynch), VINTAGE
MOTORSPORT, THE ROBB REPORT COLLECTION and ROBB REPORT
MOTORCYCLING magazines.
Now in preparation is my new article for BIMMER magazine on the BMW racing
career of Hans-Joachim Stuck, son of the late Hans Stuck and father of Johannes and Ferdinand Stuck, representing
three generations of racing drivers. Hans began in race cars at age 19, moving into touring cars, Formula 2 and
1, sports cars, prototypes, IMSA, Sebring, Le Mans, ALMS, and most recently driving BMWs in the BF Goodrich Long Distance
Championship and the 2006 GP Masters Series with Formula 1 veteran drivers.
Passion Play Published in the current
November 2006 issue of FORZA. My history of the 250 GT Short Wheelbase Berlinetta Competizione that won its class
at Le Mans in 1961, finishing third overall in that 24 hour classic. After many more races and eight owners, this exceptional
Ferrari s/n 2689GT now belongs to Bruce Meyer, who on May 11 received the Automotive
Icon Award at the Petersen Automotive Museum's 2006 Annual Gala. Meyer both shows and drives this marvelous
SWB. What he and the car's prior owners and restoration experts have to say about it is the core of this feature
article.
Battle Royale Published in the November
2006 issue of EXCELLENCE magazine. My story of the Porsche 550 Spyder (#550-0070) owned by John Edgar and co-driven
by Jack McAfee and Pete Lovely in the 1956 Sebring 12-Hour. This privateer Spyder, finishing
second on Index of Performance and second in class, came close to beating the factory-entered 550 driven by Hans Hermann
and Count Wolfgang von Trips. 550-0070 was later raced by Ruth Levy, and is now owned by Denmark's leading Porsche restorer,
Peter Iversen, who has completed a ground-up restoration of this famous 550 Spyder in its 1956 Sebring livery.
Sam Posey's Bimmer Days & Nights
Published in BIMMER magazine's August 2006 issue. My article about Sam Posey and his 1975 IMSA drives in the factory
team BMW CSL sedans raced by teammates Posey, Hans-Joachim Stuck, Brian Redman and Ronnie Peterson during the team's
North American debut season under the managment of Jochen Neerpasch that included BMW's CSL winning the 1975
Sebring 12-Hour. In addition to Posey's recollections, there are current comments from Stuck, Redman, Neerpasch and
John Bishop, founder and then-president of IMSA.
The Wheels of Time My 4-page story and
photography on the late Otis Chandler's Vintage Museum of Transportation and Wildlife (Oxnard, California) is in
the April 2006 issue of THE ROBB REPORT COLLECTION. Written for the magazine and in print before
Mr. Chandler's passing on February 27, the article salutes the living man and his museum. [Excerpt: "Life
doesn't stop," Chandler tells me, "it keeps on going." He smiles at the sentiment, but he means it. He believes
in zeal, lives for it. "Be involved!" he says. "Get a passion!"] Otis Chandler knew well and cherished
the value of passion. And for this he will be remembered.
Every One's A Winner The August
2006 edition of THE ROBB REPORT COLLECTION carried my feature and photography on Jon Shirley's Collection
of fine racing and sports automobiles in Medina, Washington.
Lovely's Laguna & The Coopers My article
on Pete Lovely winning the first Over 1500cc Modified Main sports car race at the first Laguna Seca
meet in November 1957, and about his Porsche and Ferrari-powered Cooper Specials, appeared in the event program
at the 2006 Quail Motorsport Gathering on August 2006 during Monterey Historic week. Also in the program was Michael
T. Lynch's history of the Targa Florio, an event honored at this year's Quail.
A Coach's Night at the Petersen My article
about the Fabulous Fifties' Lindley Bothwell Lifetime Achievement Award given to Les Richter of Riverside
Raceway, IROC and NASCAR fame ("A Coach's Night at the Petersen") was in the March/April 2006 issue of VINTAGE MOTORSPORT
magazine.
That Buzz in Busby My article featuring
Jim Busby's impressions of driving his Ferrari F310B/179 appeared in the April 2006 issue
of FORZA magazine. This top-of-page photograph is by Jim's wife, Kathy Busby, shot during testing at Fiorano next door
to the Ferrari factory and F1 Cliente Department in Maranello, Italy. Assisting Busby is F1 Cliente chassis mechanic
Matteo Cardin. What it is to run this car here at Fiorano, and at Monaco and Laguna Seca, is the stuff
internationally acclaimed Busby relates in this story about owning and driving a modern Formula One Ferrari
on track, at speed.
Lightning Strikes Twice This was in
the Nov/Dec 2005 issue of ROBB REPORT MOTORCYCLING, my story detailing the history of what has arguably become the
world's most famous motorcycle: The John Edgar Lightning Vincent HRD that Rollie Free rode in bathing trunks and tennis shoes
at the Bonneville Salt Flats in September 1948 for the American Class A and unsuperchared/unenclosed speed record of 150.313
mph, with salon photography by Cordero Studios and period photographs from the Edgar Motorsport Archive.
My article and photography titled CANEPA DESIGN: Taking Perfectionism
to a Higher Level was in the October 2005 issue of ROBB REPORT COLLECTION.
Also ... there are my magazine articles on David Hobbs' racing years in BMWs (Hobbs and the Bimmers August 2005 issue of BIMMER); Ruth Levy's Porsches (Mama Ruth September 2005 issue of EXCELLENCE), and James Dean's short but notable career (James Dean: Porsches & Posterity) in racing his Speedster viewed from the 50th anniversary
of his death and detailing the current media coverage of his life story (October 2005 EXCELLENCE); Ferrari F1 Clienti at Laguna
Seca (Coming to America February 2005 issue of FORZA); my review of Phil Hill's
new book from Dalton Watson, "Ferrari, A Champion's View" with photography by John Lamm and design by Chuck
Queener (August 2005 issue of FORZA). My article on the 2004 Concours d'Provenance at Paramount Ranch (Provenance at Paramount) was in VINTAGE MOTORSPORT magazine . My report on the
Petersen Museum's Tribute to Phil Hill & Le Mans is in the Jan/Feb 2005
issue of VINTAGE MOTORSPORT magazine.
June 2005's issue of ROAD & TRACK carried James Dean's
Last Race written by William Edgar and Michael T. Lynch.
My profile on 1969 AMA Champion Mert Lawwill and his new "Street Tracker" motorcycle (Plain Geometry, True Grit) was in the Summer 2005 issue of ROBB REPORT MOTORCYCLING.
Mert is well remembered also for being featured in Bruce Brown's film "On Any Sunday" along with Steve McQueen and
Malcom Smith.
For BIMMER magazine, the February 2006 issue carried my article Five Car Poker about Bobby Rahal, Tommy Milner, Rug Cunningham, Steve Earle and Christian Traber
driving BMWs in the newest addition to the 2005 Monterey Historics, the Historic IMSA GT class. The category brings
together BMWs with RSR, 934 and 935 Porsches, plus Dekon Monzas. Included in this class are Bruce Canepa and
Chris Cox in their 935s ... and Jimmy Castle Jr. driving his 1980 Le Mans Kremer 935 Porsche featured in
an article I am writing for EXCELLENCE magazine.
Also for EXCELLENCE, I am preparing an article on Bruce Canepa's Porsche 935, one of only
13 customer "Werks" cars built at Porsche AG in 1979, and driven by Canepa during 1979-81 in the hugely popular FIA/IMSA
GT class, including his 10 top-five finishes. This 720-hp car is still owned and raced by Canepa today in major
vintage events, with his winning the newly-created Historic IMSA GT class during the 2005 Rolex Monterey Historic
Automobile Races at Laguna Seca.
My article on Historic Grand Prix (Formula for Success)
was in the February 2006 issue of ROBB REPORT COLLECTION.
My article about Ontario Motor Speedway's August 9, 1970 Dedication Day Celebrity Pro-Am
race of 914/6 Porsches (Little Cars, Big Stars) featuring drivers such as
Paul Newman and Parnelli Jones, Dick Smothers and Bobby Unser, and Mario Andretti and Apollo astronaut Pete Conrad, appeared in
the April 2006 issue of EXCELLENCE magazine. My article on the Porsche 550 Spyders in the 1956 Sebring
12-Hour, featuring the John Edgar team's 550 driven by Jack McAfee and Pete Lovely, will appear in EXCELLENCE later in
2006.
Also look the recent publication of Jerry Hatfield's Flat Out
- a definitive biography of motorcyling's legendary Rollie Free (with sidebar written by me about John Edgar and Rollie,
plus a number of photos from Edgar Motorsport Archive).
Bill Pollack's autobiography Red Wheels and White Sidewalls: Confessions
of an Allard Racer" (includes sidebar by me about John Edgar and Bill Pollack, plus several photos from EMA) is available
through bookstores and its publisher, Brown Fox Books (Telephone 805-684-5951). Bill's book can be ordered
online by going to Brownfoxbooks.com
The following are more of my published magazine articles:
By William Edgar in VINTAGE
MOTORSPORT
The Return of the
Maser January/February 2004. The history and Don Heiny’s salon photography of Maserati
300 S s/n 3071 once owned by John Edgar, currently owned and raced in vintage events by Tony Wang.
A Riverside Reunion
March/April 2004. About the Riverside Raceway Reunion Night at the Petersen Automotive Museum (November 20, 2003) honoring
Dan Gurney and the many drivers and personalities who contributed to the history of the famous Riverside, California, racing
facility.
Out With a Bang!
September/October 2004. The story of John Edgar's MG TC that became a famous sports racing special in the early 1950s
at the hands of engineer Ernie McAfee and driver Jack McAfee, ultimately meeting its end when film director Stanley Kramer
acquired the car for a major crash scene in his 1959 movie "One The Beach."
By William Edgar in FORZA
One Hot Cookie
February 2004 – The history of ex-works Ferrari 275 Sports Barchetta s/n 0032MT (with 340 America engine) once owned
by Henry Manney III, then by John Edgar and raced by Jack McAfee in the 1950s.
Fame and Misfortune
April 2004 – The history of ex-works LeMans-winning Ferrari 375 Plus s/n 0396AM once owned by John Edgar, currently
in Pierre Bardinon’s collection at Mas du Clos, France.
The Best Ferrari I
Ever Drove May 2004 – The history of Carroll Shelby’s favorite Ferrari, the 410 Sport
s/n 0598CM built for Fangio then owned by John Edgar during its Shelby championship years, also raced by Phil Hill, Jack McAfee
and Bruce Kessler, now owned by Chris Cox.
Sexy Beast
June 2004 – The history of Ferrari 857 Sport s/n 0588M driven by Jack McAfee, Masten Gregory and Carroll Shelby during
its years of John Edgar ownership, now owned by Jean-Claude Bajol in France.
Shelby's Ferrari Days
November 2004 - Carroll Shelby's Ferrari drives in the 1950s.
Ferrari' West Coast
racing premiere April 2005 - Rearview Mirror, back page. Jim Kimberly's 166 Touring Barchetta
at Palm Springs, April 1, 1951. Photo by William Edgar.
Nassau: Naughty, but
not always nice May 2005 - Rearview Mirror, back page. Portago, Landaker and Gregory
relax with Edgar team Ferraris in the Bahamas, December 9, 1956. Photo by John Edgar.
