Tony Bettenhausen & Sons: An American Racing Family Album
By Gordon Kirby with Merle and Susan Bettenhausen
Although only the eldest, Gary, came close to matching his father’s Hall of Fame achievements—earning inductions of his own to the Sprint Car and Midget Halls of Fame—both his siblings, Tony Jr. and Merle, also made their way up the racing ladder to Indycars. While there is surely enough text adorning the book’s high-quality paper stock to keep a reader occupied, this book is primarily a photographic archive of Bettenhausen family history, with an excellent selection of informative images and artifacts provided by the family telling the tale perhaps better than simply text alone would. Readers can also see how racing evolved in the aftermath of World War II, as cars became sleeker, lower, more aerodynamic and, of course, more powerful. And the Bettenhausens were right in the middle of it all.
Available for US$59.95 from enthusiast bookstores, or direct from publisher Racemaker Press at www.racemaker.com
