Professional motorsports found their way to Las Vegas in the mid-1950s at a bankrupt horse track swarmed by gamblers–and soon became enmeshed with the government and organized crime. By 1965, the Vegas racing game moved to Stardust International Raceway, constructed with real grandstands, sanitary facilities and air-conditioned timing towers. Stardust would host the biggest racing names of the era–Mario Andretti, Parnelli Jones, John Surtees, Bobby Unser, Dan Gurney and Don Garlits among them.
Established by a notorious racketeer, the track stood at the confluence of shadowy elements–secret wiretaps, casino skimming, Howard Hughes, and the beginnings of Watergate. The author traces the Stardust’s colorful history through the auto racing monthlies, national newspapers and the files of the FBI.
“Continuing with Apogee’s acclaimed NASA Mission Reports Series this latest entry covers all of the unmanned deep space probes including Pioneer 10 & 11, Voyager 1 & 2, Galileo and Cassini, NEAR, Stardust and Deep Space One.
With all of the press kits and flight data for each of the deep space probes including all of the latest information on Cassini’s mission to Saturn.
This is the most comprehensive study of NASA’s Deep Space Probe Program ever published!
The bonus DVD includes thousands of images from each of the probes.”
The Escort RS Cosworth, which started rallying in 1993, was one of the most ingenious designs of all time. What started as a shortened Sierra Cosworth 4×4 platform, topped off by a modified Escort cabin and outer skins, was soon developed into a versatile and sophisticated rally car, and eventually became Ford’s most successful since the legendary Escorts of the 1970s. Because it was smaller, lighter, and more nimble than any of the Sierras, the combination of Cosworth power, four-wheel-drive transmission, and an effective aerodynamic package made it a Rally Giant in all conditions. With five World victories in its first season, and success all around the world in later years, it was seen in every continent, in all conditions. Drivers like Carlos Sainz, Tommi Makinen and Francois Delecour added their own stardust to a glittering reputation. To meet a change in regulations, the Escort World Rally Car took over in 1997, and also enjoyed years of success. Until the all-new Focus WRC was launched in 1999, this generation of Escorts was the most effective rally car that Ford had ever produced.
