Motor Racing Heroes

Robert Newman spent his whole working life in and around motor racing, first as a journalist and then - for 30 years - with Pirelli in a PR capacity, for most of the time with an international role based in Italy (1979 - 92) and then in the US (1992 - 96). Now retired and living in Italy, he is Italian editor for the American magazine Vintage Racecar Journal. In 1992 he worked with Juan Manuel Fangio on the book Fangio: The Pirelli Album, published to mark the five-times World Champion's 80th birthday.

Heroes at war: the World War II daring of William Grover-Williams (SOE), Robert Benoist and Jean-Pierre Wimille (French Resistance); Grover-Williams and Benoist were murdered by the Nazis. All-American heroes: racing aces from the early days (David Bruce-Brown, Ralph DePalma, Wilbur Shaw) to popular drivers of the 1960s (Richie Ginther, Masten Gregory, Dan Gurney). Swashbuckling British heroes: from pre-war characters such as Woolf Barnato, 'Tim' Birkin and Henry Segrave to a post-war variety including Roy Salvadori, Archie Scott-Brown, Innes Ireland and David Purley. Female heroes: Elizabeth Junek (who finished second on the Targa Florio), Helle Nice (showgirl turned racing driver) and Maria Teresa de Filippis (the first woman to race in F1). Father and son heroes: Antonio and Alberto Ascari, Graham and Damon Hill, Gilles and Jacques Villeneuve. Heroes known by the author: Stirling Moss, Juan Manuel Fangio, Luigi Villoresi, John Surtees, Michele Alboreto, Nelson Piquet, Giannino Marzotto and Karl Kling. And many, many more, including all retired Formula 1 World Champions, complete the selection of 100 heroes.