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Red Wheels and White Sidewalls:
Confessions of an Allard Racer
by Bill Pollack, Foreword by Carroll Shelby

THIS TITLE IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT

Bill Pollack, influential pioneer of the California sports car scene, first raced an MG at the 1950 Palm Springs event, but he is best known as the winning pilot of Tom Carstens' famous red wheeled, Cadillac-powered, Allard J2. Bill recounts his intimate story of racing through the fifties in this autobiography from Brown Fox Books.

A winner in just about every California race there was—including the main events at Pebble Beach (two times), Golden Gate Park, Reno, Torrey Pines, Stockton, Madera, Willow Springs, Palm Springs, and the Santa Barbara road races, Bill writes of these venues and more.

A complete list of race entries and an extensive index complete this well crafted book. Peter Vack served as an enthusiastic editor for this work, and Jim Sitz shared his detailed knowledge of racing history with the author. A foreword by Carroll Shelby, and side-bar contributions by Phil Hill, Bill Marriott, John Fitch, William Edgar, Ruth Levy Raymond, Ginny Sims, Mary Davis, Dave Brodsky, and Dave Fogg add additional perspectives or “Other Voices” to complete this vivid picture of early road racing.

We now have a third printing in stock, printed on digital press and coated paper.
RED WHEELS and WHITE SIDEWALLS. ISBN 1-888978-14-7, Soft cover,
6x9, 224 pages, including 32 pgs of photos.

For more book information:

BAbout

This autobiography features stories and photos portraying the people, locales and sports racing cars of this era known to many as the Fabulous Fifties.

6x9 inch, 224 pages, including 32 pgs of photos, Appendix & Index. With 87 great black & white photos on premium coated paper, for a total of 104 Black & white illustrations. ISBN 1-188978-14-7

Acrobat Sample:

The Acrobat Sample includes the table contents, index and a few chapter pages.

Bill Pollack 1925–2017

Bill Pollack passed away peacefully at his home on Sunday, July 16, 2017. Bill had just celebrated his 92nd birthday on July 7.

It was a great pleasure to work with Bill and to know him over the years. My introduction began in July 2003 when Pete Vack sent me a note regarding a manuscript he had been working on with Bill -- the title was Red Wheels and White Sidewalls.

In September 2003 I received the manuscript and by December I had done the book's cover design. Using a superb painting by Chuck Queener, originally created for the 1990 Monterey Historics, the cover and Bill himself were inspiration for the book production and illustration. In July of 2004 we mailed the first copies Red Wheels and White Sidewalls.

I am grateful to have known Bill and had the chance to laugh at the formidable wit he demonstrated as a master story teller and master of ceremonies. I am glad we have Bill's written stories -- the live renditions will be sorely missed.
Mark Godfrey / Brown Fox Books

SAMPLES OF CRITICAL PRAISE FROM THE REVIEWERS

. . . a charming autobiography . . . It’s really a history of early California road racing. . . . Pollack’s voice is witty and wry, and the book has the flavor of paddock chatter over a beer at the end of the racing day. Genuine. KevinWilson / AutoWeek

"Really a wonderful look back on the early days of California road racing, Bill Pollack’s autobiography is the most entertaining book we’ve read all year. Additional memories provided by Carroll Shelby, John Fitch, Phil Hill, and others only add to the fun, but Pollack’s quips and contributions to the sport are pure reading pleasure, and we found ourselves laughing out loud through all his adventures both on and off the racetrack." D. Randy Riggs / Vintage Motorsport

"This book contains a wide array of personal stories—not only about Bill, but also other colorful personalities who played a key role in that post WWII renaissance. We especially enjoyed his candor, and his wry, self-deprecating humor. . . he has a special gift for vividly portraying the excitement of an auto race in a flair that rivals the drama and excitement of a Seabiscuit race. This is highly recommended reading..." Chuck Warnes / Allard Register

From 1949 to 1958
Bill Pollack was a major figure
in the west coast sports racing scene

tamsoldracecarsite link
Bill Pollack & the Baldwin Special

SOME OF THE CARS BILL RACED INCLUDE:
MG TC, Jaguar XK-120, Allard-Cadillac J2, Morgan Plus 4, Siata 1400 GS, Ferrari 340 America, Cooper-JAP Mk VI, Ferrari 212, Jaguar C-Type, Glasspar Mameco-Mercury, Baldwin Special-Mercury, Porsche 356, Alfa Romeo Guiletta, HWM-Chevrolet, Chevrolet Corvette, Maserati 200 SI, Maserati 150S, Kurtis 500X, Cooper-Climax FII, Maserati 300S, Lister-Chevrolet, Cooper-Climax T39.

FOR OWNERS AS DIVERSE AS:
John Edgar, Bill Cramer, Tom Carstens, Ivan Smith, Tony Parravano, Bill Breeze, Bill Doheny, Joe Maybee, Joe Henderson, William Tritt, Ken Simpson, Bob Doidge, Lou Spencer, Clem Atwater, Dusty Miller, Bill Murphy, Lance Reventlow, and Al Dean.

AT HISTORIC VENUES LIKE:
Santa Ana, Sandburg, Carrell Speedway, Reno, Golden Gate, Madera , Pebble Beach, Seattle Seafair, Santa Barbara, March Field, Golden Gate, Torrey Pines, Willow Springs, Hansen Dam, Bakersfield, Pomona , Santa Maria, Montgomery Field, Buchanan Field, Pomona, Paramount Ranch, Sebring, Riverside, Laguna Seca.