The Contents:

Chapter 1: WFO!
Chapter 2: Zounds, The Sounds
Chapter 3: Floyd Clymer Was Right
Chapter 4: Salud, Springer!

Glossary of Nicknames

Scalzo’s photo captions are always informative. The cutline below an image of riders at Ascot Park tells us much more than the photograph. “From 1959 to 1991 (Ascot) decided half a dozen Grand National championships. Another Ascot record was the seven future No. 1s it graduated: Myrtle the Turtle Lawwill, Burritto Romero, Mark Brelsford, Kenny Roberts, Gary Scott, Steve Eklund, and Ricky Graham.”

“Grand National dirt tracks came in four different sizes: mile, half-mile, short-track, and TT steeplechase, which was really flat-tracking complete with right-hand corners and a hurtling jump. Then came Grand National’s fifth and joker discipline-road racing across pavement.”

Scalzo’s profiles of Grand National greats read like mini biographies. Joe Leonard is summarized thusly…

“Hunky Hog hero and criminally handsome three-time No. 1, Leonard, during his reign of 1954, 1955, and 1957, was Grand National’s icon. Almost everybody wanted to be like ‘Gentleman Joe.’ When at home in California he won everywhere, including Hollister, which inspired Marlon Brando’s and Lee Marvin’s big, botched bike matinee (‘The Wild One’), the island Grand Prix at Catalina in the Pacific off L.A.; and at fast and fogbound Belmont below Frisco Bay. But most of Joe-the-Gentleman’s time was spent chasing the No. 1 and making reckless sorties beyond the Big Muddy so he could bag Daytona, Laconia, Springfield, Peoria…Joe later became a famous race-car chauffeur. One year he came up just nine miserable laps short of possibly winning the Indianapolis 500; in two others he was national titlist of Indy car racing.”

“Grand National: America’s Golden Age of Motorcycle Racing” earns four out of five lug nuts. Purchase it at SPEEDtv.com…Keyword, “Books.”


The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEEDtv.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or Speed Channel

Gregg Leary is a researcher/writer for Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain on SPEED. (Photo: SPEED)

Gregg Leary is a Researcher/Writer for "Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain","The SPEED Report", book reviewer and columnist for SPEEDtv.com. Leary was track announcer for Hooter's IHRA Drag Racing at National Events in the USA and Canada and entertained event crowds during "down time". He was Marketing, PR Director and track announcer at Lake Erie Speedway. Leary covered Auto Racing, Major League Baseball, the National Football League, and the National Basketball Association. Leary has conducted motivational seminars and performed stand-up comedy around the country. Leary is available for motorsports consulting on a limited basis. Contact him via email at

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