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Specialty Press |
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NASCAR Ford Taurus Racecar Tech Series by William Burt |
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Reviewed By Doug Hamilton #21985 |
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Ford Motor Company has been involved in NASCAR racing for a long time. Their latest model to take to the track is the
Taurus. Based on the street car of the same name, this race version bears little resemblance to its street legal cousin. This book,
in 112 pages of text and color photos and drawings details this car in a way usually found in aircraft profile books. In the first
of what is hoped to be a long series of books aimed at the automotive modeler, we find a good overview of the Taurus. With an introduction, seven chapters, and two appendixes the book covers the story of development, fabrication, race trim, and tons of detail information on the Taurus. Aimed at the modeler, this book has many high quality pictures, and an easy to read text. Starting where all good books should, at the beginning, we’re treated to a short history of Ford and it’s racing connection in NASCAR. As is common knowledge, Ford’s involvement with racing goes back to its founder Henry Ford. It’s been said that he started Ford Motor Company with profits from entering an early auto race. His early years are traced from young farm boy to head of a multi-million dollar company that is still producing cars and trucks we see today are chronicled showing an American success story. Henry passed away in 1947 before seeing the company that bears his name become one of the most respected names in racing. The seven chapters in the book are laid out in a logical manner beginning with fabrication of the chassis. This process is well documented in photographs and text, and explains the way teams build their chassis from assorted pieces of steel square and tube stock. Construction jigs are shown as they perform the critical job of aligning the numerous parts that become the chassis. A fabricators life would be miserable if it weren’t for the complex jigs used to assemble the chassis. The next two chapters cover the body and inner spaces in depth. The chapter on the body shows many of the body panels being fabbed, and painted. Quite a bit of work takes place in this stage and is documented very well. The inner spaces section deals with the myriad of interior details including the instrument cluster, seat and driver restraint systems, and fuel tank area. Again, highly informative text accompanies many photos of the areas being discussed. Chapter five deals exclusively with the suspension. This complex area of the car is critical to on track handling performance and while all the mysteries of suspension geometry aren’t explained, a good overview of what it takes to make the car handle is presented. To cover all the aspects of suspensions, a book about 15” thick would be needed, and an advanced engineering degree would be helpful!! Engine and drive train components are the next subject explored. NASCAR approved engines are the familiar V-8, normally aspirated engines found in most cars of 1950’s vintage. Not much has changed in basic layout and operation over the years under NASCAR hoods, but that doesn’t mean development has stalled. There is a continual development process that is underway as teams are always searching to find a few more horsepower under strict NASCAR regulations and inspections. Components such as cranks, cams, carburetors, and other engine parts are shown with emphasis on exterior engine parts to good effect. The text explains much of what happens within the engine, as well as other informative features, and gives the reader a good basic understanding of what it takes to produce a competitive engine. Chapter seven is the frosting on the cake, the Taurus on the track. Here we find many pictures of the car in action, along with shots of the teams prepping the cars at the shop for race weekend. The garage area is entered with pictures of team members working on the cars prior to getting on the track, and conveys the intensity of race day. Additional photos show the equipment teams bring to the track. Pit boxes, crash carts, and other such equipment are shown to illustrate the many facets of professional racing. Appendix A is a handy modelers section that lists the available (at press time) kits, aftermarket suppliers, and decals that will enable the builder to craft a fine model of the Taurus. Finally, Appendix B covers the specifications of the Taurus both stock and racing versions, highlighting the differences in the two. As said earlier, there is little resemblance between street and race versions. Nowhere is that more apparent here in Appendix B. Also included here is an impressive list of Ford NASCAR on track wins dating back to 1949. I’m very impressed by the amount of work that went into this book. The author had good access to the Taurus both in the shop and on the track, and researched the subject well. The accompanying photographs are very clear and insightful, as is the text. This book is a must have for any modeler wishing to build a great model of the racing Taurus. The photos are very helpful in detailing the many specialized areas of a NASCAR racer. Small details are shown, as is the paint and markings of the many teams that use this car. I recommend this book highly to both modelers and NASCAR fans that want to know about what they’re seeing on the track today. My thanks go to Specialty Press and IPMS 1st Vice President John Noack for supplying this sample for review. Also to the author, William Burt for producing a very fine work. |
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