ROY SMITH
Alpine & Renault The Sports Prototypes Volume 2: 1973-1978
Chapter 1: The second coming
The return to racing, a new engine, new management, new ideas, 1973 season
Chapter 2: Domination
The 1974 season, all the races, developments and championship victory
Chapter 3: What might have been
The 1975 world championship, the new Turbo charged car, the trials and tribulations, the failures
Chapter 4: Close but no cigar
The 1976 world championships, first attack at Le Mans since 1969, fast car, but unreliable
Chapter 5: It all ends in tears
The 1977 season, concentration on Le Mans, Mirage uses Renault Engines
Chapter 6: Victory
The 1978 Season the Victory at Le Mans, mission accomplished
Chapter 7: What happened next! - Le Mans via Indianapolis to Bonneville
The remarkable story of how the engines from the Le Mans programme, formed the basis of an Indianapolis effort and today one is being used to attack a land speed record
Index
Story of the Alpine Renault Sports Prototypes in the modern era
First time the full story in English
Looks at the racing on the world sports car scene 1973 and 1978
Describes the efforts of Renault to get outright victory at Le Mans
Describes the full story of the European championship win by Alpine
Shows the developments and politics, Renault, Alpine and Gordini
Follows the development of the Turbo charged 2-litre engine
Features details of testing the cars
Looks behind the scenes and the drivers that made it happen
Each car and race covered, culminating with the victory outright at Le Mans
Description
Sports prototype racing is about endurance for the drivers, for the teams, and for the companies involved. Under the new management at Renault, and with assistance from Elf, the state-owned French oil company, Alpine made a remarkable return to sports car racing, vividly described here along with the reputations that were won and lost.
Synopsis
Sports prototype racing is about endurance for the drivers, for the teams, and for the companies involved. Under the new management at Renault, and with assistance from Elf, the state-owned French oil company, Alpine made a remarkable return to sports car racing, vividly described here along with the reputations that were won and lost.
Alpine won the European sports car championship and developed a new car, an innovatory vehicle that used a new engine. Not only that, it developed a turbocharged unit to try to win at Le Mans. We see the passion and dedication for racing over a long period, with stunningly fast slippery aerodynamic designs that allowed them to take many pole positions and fastest laps. We see ultimately the new management and a new name, Renault Sport, that still survives today, and the trials and tribulations of trying to develop a V6 turbo engine. We see great engineering and huge, even comical disasters. Despair, frustration and ultimately joy are all part of the effort to eventually take the greatest prize in sports car racing winning the Le Mans 24 hours.
