Books for the Car Guy in Your Life

The Tinkerer. The Race Fan. The Classic Car Buff. The Mechanic. There are many kinds of car lovers, and we have books for them all. For example, Lost Car Companies of Detroit features fascinating tales from many of the more than 200 car companies that tried their hand at making cars in Motor City. Explore the histories of classic names like Packard and Mustang. Thrill to the action-packed stories from the iconic oval of Charlotte Motor Speedway, to the hairpin turns of Watkins Glen, and the high-banked curves of Dover Downs in Delaware. Or, inspire your gearhead with San Diego’s fascinating Lowriders--intricately painted, low-to-the-ground cars with tricks up their sleeves. This year, give the gift of gears.
2 products
Cover image for Orange County International Raceway, isbn: 9781467162296
Orange County International Raceway
$24.99
Cover image for Indiana's Lost Michigan Road, isbn: 9781467162852
Indiana's Lost Michigan Road
$24.99

Orange County International Raceway

9781467162296

$24.99 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 248): Computation results in '-Infinity'%

The Orange County International Raceway (OCIR) was a dream come true for Southern California race fans. From 1967 to 1983, the raceway featured the best of the best from the world of drag racing.

All the stars of the sport flocked to OCIR just to say they raced there. Race fans from all over the United States and beyond came to experience the comforts and innovations built into Southern California’s super raceway. For spectators, the raceway offered reserved seating, electronic scoreboards, and restaurant-style food. It was also a dream come true for racers with running water in the paved pit area; shade trees; and parking for trailers, recreational vehicles, and big rigs. But eventually the land the track was built on became too valuable as the population in the area grew, and the Orange County International Raceway closed its doors for good on October 29, 1983. 

Author and photographer Steve Reyes made the 10-hour round-trip drive from his Northern California home to Southern California to attend and be a part of OCIR race coverage from 1967 to 1983. His publications with Arcadia Publishing include Southern California Top Fuel Dragsters, Northern California Drag Racing, and Southern California Funny Cars.

Cover image for Orange County International Raceway, isbn: 9781467162296

Indiana's Lost Michigan Road

9781467162852

$24.99 Save 0%

Discover the history of Indiana's lost Michigan Road through this collection of stunning photographs.

Indiana became a state in 1816, and soon after, roads were considered for the state to help bring in settlers. The first south-to-north road in the state, going from the Ohio River to Lake Michigan, was proposed in 1818 by Rep. William Hendricks. Deciding on where the road would begin on the Ohio River resulted in some discussions before Madison was finally selected. Michigan City was easily chosen as the northern end of the road. From Indianapolis north, South Bend was picked to avoid the Kankakee River’s swamps and marshes. It was called Michigan Road because it went to Lake Michigan. Construction on the road began in 1830 and was completed in 1837, and it covered 260 miles. Since 1837, the road has undergone many changes, but in the 21st century, most of the road is lost to history. The Historic Michigan Road Byway was created in 2011 to showcase the original route. 

W.C. Madden has published many titles for Arcadia Publishing, but Indiana’s Lost Michigan Road is his first statewide publication. Madden traveled to county historical societies around the state for historic photographs, postcards, and information about Michigan Road. 


Cover image for Indiana's Lost Michigan Road, isbn: 9781467162852