Product Description
In 1969, two of the most famous sports car manufacturers in the world, one German and one Italian, built what even today
are considered the epitome of what a race car should be.
The ensuing fight between the Porsche 917 and the Ferrari 512 S, driven to the limit by some of the sport’s greatest stars,
has forever been regarded as a special two years in sports car racing, captivating a global audience and providing the
storyline for Le Mans, an epic Hollywood film.
The legendary Porsche vs. Ferrari duel started at the Daytona International Speedway in January 1970, and although the
battle lasted less than two years, ending at Watkins Glen in the summer of 1971, it left a trail of memories in its smoky
wake.
EIGHTY FOUR HOURS OF ENDURANCE captures many of those memories in a richly illustrated book that bundles
together the six American rounds of the FIA World Championship for Makes in 1970 and 1971. Daytona, Sebring and
Watkins Glen. 24, 12 and 6 hours in length. Times two.
Featuring 520 photographs, 230 black & white and 290 color, and supplemented by detailed race reports, results and
maps, you’re taken onto the high banks at Daytona, down the concrete runways of Sebring and around the short, fast
Watkins Glen circuit in upstate New York. The drivers included on the 244 pages of the book are a veritable who’s who of
1970s motor racing—Andretti, Ickx, Redman, Siffert, Rodriguez, Elford, Gurney, Larrousse, Cevert, Oliver, Posey, Beltoise,
to name a few.
EIGHTY FOUR HOURS OF ENDURANCE takes you back to the grid, onto the track, into the pits, around the paddock
and behind the scenes for a memorable ride through time.
Produced and distributed exclusively by: Autosports Marketing Associates, Ltd.
Niche publishing is nothing new in motor racing, which has spawned many fine books that are of interest only to a precious few.
It’s the nature of the business: motoring literature tends generally to be a labour of love rather than reward, unless your surname happens to be Clarkson.
If anything this is a niche within a niche. The concept might not sound too promising – a snapshot of two World Sports Car Championship seasons, viewed from a single continent – but this was the age of the Porsche v Ferrari, 917 v 512S, and for the most part this is a wonderful pictorial essay viewed through the lens of Michael Keyser, a handy driver, as well as a most accomplished photographer – in 1976 he and Al Holbert shared the winning Porsche Carrera RSR in the Sebring 12 Hours.
There are fleeting texts and race results to provide context, but the vivid imagery from Daytona, Sebring and Watkins Glen makes this particularly worthwhile. There are plenty of car shots, naturally, but it fizzes with atmosphere and features some wonderfully candid portraits (with Steve McQueen among the subjects). Not much to read, but plenty to absorb – Motorsport
This was two years of no-holds-barred, epic battles between two of the greatest endurance cars, Porsche 917 and Ferrari 512, built by two of the greatest performance and racing car constructors and driven by the top race car drivers of the day, including Donohue, Gurney, Andretti, Revson, Rodriguez, Ickx, Siffert, Brabham, Attwood, Posey, Oliver, Bell, Elford and, to add drama, movie star Steve McQueen proved he belonged with a 2nd-place run at Sebring. These were races by the top race car drivers of the day in the FIA World Championship.
The text for each race is presented in hour-by-hour detail, with glorious large format photos of on track action, smaller personal photos and shots of cockpits, and detailed results of each, all presented as only ex-racer Michael Keyser can. Each year had its own drama, with races after Sebring held at tracks across the world before they returned to The Glen.
These were two glorious years for the monster 917s and sleek 512s. This is a book that takes readers into one of the great dramas in racing. Don’t miss this ride! – Victory Lane
This book captures the battle fought between Ferrari, Porsche and Alfa Romeo for the World Endurance Championship during the 1970 and 1971 seasons. The weapons those factories created for this fight – Ferrari’s 512S, Porsche’s 917 and Alfa Romeo’s T33/3 – remain among the most formidable racing cars ever constructed, and are nicely showcased here.
During those two seasons, these cars raced at the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring and the Watkins Glen Six Hours in the United States, totaling 42 enduring hours each year and thus the 84 hours that give the book its title.
The pages are filled with more than 500 photographs from Keyser’s impressive archive (220 b/w, 290 color), accompanied by detailed race reports, results and maps that transport the reader magically to the three classic venues. The book opens with a capsule history of what went before and led the sportscar world championship to the two seasons under scrutiny here, how the rules evolved to provide the fertile soil in which these cars were nurtured.
While the text is illuminative, this is what I like to call a photos-with captions book, one that can transport the reader back to a time when the world was somewhat less complicated and more enchanting. – Vintage Racecar
These were two very special years in sports car racing, when giants raced—Ferrari vs. Porsche—with the sport’s greatest stars proving their mettle behind the wheel at three now-legendary race tracks. Richly illustrated with the era’s best photographers’ work, Keyser tells the story as only one who was there can, making the reader feel like they were there, too. It never got any better than Ferrari’s 512 versus Porsche’s 917 and this most excellent effort will be a valuable addition to any enthusiast’s motorsport library. – Vintage Motorsport
We’re big fans of former racer Michael Keyser’s projects. His latest book covers endurance racing at Daytona, Sebring and Watkins Glen in the 1970 and 1971 seasons – arguably the most spectacular era for prototypes – and will definitely appeal to fans of the legendary Porsche 917 and Ferrari 512.
Each chapter opens with a full report and results, while evocative paddock shots and candid driver portraits set the mood for the main race action. The author has clearly dug deep for fresh images, both monochrome and colour, and whether Mark Donohue’s battered Sunoco Ferrari 512M on the Daytona banking, or a beaming Steve McQueen reading a Michel Vaillant comic book, the photography really captures the atmosphere of these titanic races. Recommended reading. – Classic & Sports Car
There may not be an individual who is more passionate about early 1970s endurance racing than Michael Keyser—and that’s good for fans of the flat-twelve Porsche 917 and Ferrari 512. Keyser’s background as an author, filmmaker, and racer who drove in the great races has helped him pull it off once again.
Eighty Four Hours is an account of the endurance rounds of 1970 and 1971 at Daytona, Sebring, and Watkins Glen. Keyser’s books are self-published and presented in a truly unapologetic manner. Think of them as a printed version of his classic 1973 documentary, The Speed Merchants—one of the most brutal and honest motorsport films ever made. Keyser’s style is aggressive, and the cover of his new book shows how it really went down. A conservative publisher probably would not have gone for this group image of J.W. Automotive versus Maranello and the exchange of paint swatches. Keyser doesn’t deal in nostalgia—this book reveals as an accurate “you are there” time warp. It’s as if you flipped on the TV, pulled up the rabbit ears, and adjusted the vertical and horizontal hold. The fact that all this happened 45 years ago is utterly irrelevant. — Porsche Panorama