Superbears - The Story of Hesketh Racing

 This title has been shortlisted for the 2023 Royal Automobile Club Motoring Book of the Year Award, in the category Books On A Motor Sporting Subject With No Price Limit. In addition, Superbears has been shortlisted by the Historic Motoring Awards 2023 for 'Book of the Year'.

Superbears – The Story of Hesketh Racing has become the fastest-selling book we have ever produced. A second print run has already been delivered after the original batch of 1500 copies almost sold out in a little over two months.

Book of the Month in both Octane and Classic & Sports Car

Hesketh Racing was a Grand Prix phenomenon. In a time of increasing commercialisation and cars that had forsaken national racing colours in favour of sponsors’ logos, the team was privately funded by Lord Hesketh – a patriotic 22-year-old who was determined to take his promising young driver, James Hunt, to World Championship glory. Their car stood out on the track thanks to its pure white livery – and the team stood out in the paddock thanks to its lavish hospitality, its helicopter and yachts, and its infectious sense of fun.

But behind the playboy image was a highly professional team, expertly organised by Bubbles Horsley and including talents such as designer Harvey Postlethwaite, engineer Nigel Stroud and chief mechanic Dave ‘Beaky’ Sims. Having arrived in Formula 1 in 1973 with a rented March, Hesketh Racing then set about building its own car. It won the 1974 International Trophy at Silverstone and the 1975 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort – putting James Hunt on the road to superstardom.

This new book from Porter Press International is the first to tell the amazing full story of Hesketh Racing. ‘The biggest little team in the world’ captured the imagination of enthusiasts all around the world thanks to its unique approach and its famous teddy bear logo, and it continues to be one of the most evocative and charismatic names in Formula 1 history.

● The full story of Hesketh Racing, from its Formula 3 debut in 1972 to its final Formula 1 race in 1978.
● In-depth interviews with key team members such as Lord Hesketh, Bubbles Horsley, Nigel Stroud, Dave Sims, Peter Gaydon, Rupert Keegan and Frank Dernie.
● Never-before-seen images from Lord Hesketh’s personal scrapbooks and photo albums.
● A chapter devoted to the inside story of the Hesketh motorcycle.
● A collection of superb archive photographs in colour and black and white, with detailed captions.
● Foreword by Jools Holland.

Specification

Publication date: April 2023

Jacketed hardback

Page count: 264 pages

Dimensions: 315 x 270mm

Images: over 280

ISBN: 978-1-913089-33-7 (Classic Edition)

The author – James Page

James Page grew up around motorsport thanks to his father’s involvement in sprints and hillclimbs, and spent his childhood devouring the many car-related books and magazines that could be found around the house. After studying journalism at Falmouth University, during which he contributed race reports to Motoring News and Autosport, he had a brief diversion into the world of professional golf before joining Future Publishing in 2005 as a production assistant. James then served as deputy editor of Classics Monthly between 2007 and 2011, when he moved to Classic & Sports Car. After spending three years as deputy editor, he became the magazine’s editor in 2014. Two years later, he left to pursue a freelance career, and currently lives in South Gloucestershire with his wife, two children and a temperamental MG 1300.