The Unfair Advantage

It provided a lot of insight to his character, and also into his work methodology. Like, winning the IROC series (back when they were driving Porsche 911s on road courses, not when it became NASCAR lite) meant the most to him of all his championships. That was specifically because all the cars were as equal as they could be made and he couldn't tinker with the setup. You see, (he said) he didn't think he was a very good driver. He thought he won all those races because he had the best car (The Unfair Advantage). He would reluctantly admit they were the best because he was very gifted at setting them up, but here was concrete proof he could drive, as well. I remember him crying on the podium when they handed him the championship trophy. He also believed that mechanical grip and balance needed to be set before messing with aero. There is a photo of him driving a Porsche 917K around a skid pad without any bodywork getting the suspension geometry right. He said the 917K as delivered by Porsche was almost undriveable on real world road courses because Porsche had concentrated almost exclusively on power (1100+ HP) from the boxer 12 and on body aerodynamics. So, through a tight (slow) corner it didn't stick and you couldn't get all that power down either. Porsche never said much about all that, but Roger Penske said the 917 was a winner because of Donohue. He was also the inventor of the "circle of friction" concept, and its resultant trail-braking technique. At the time, the belief was you would brake as hard as possible in a straight line and then turn in. Mark said, "The tire patch can generate x amount of G force and it doesn't much matter in which direction. So he said you would brake hard, but then turn in more smoothly and ease off the brakes at the same time. And then pick up the throttle as you unwound the wheel. The idea was to keep the G load on the tires the same (and as close to the max as possible) and just rotate the vector.

Mark Donohue was one of Americas best drivers and won in many different racing series including the Trans-Am,Can-Am,USRRC,FIA endurance racing,Indy cars and NASCAR. This book offers in detail and in Mark's own words his humble beginings and finally his triumphs when he joined Roger Penske and became a pivotal part of one of the most formidable racing teams in history. It also offers an insight into a complex and sometimes insecure man despite his many racing victories. The thing I liked most about the book was each chapter concerned Mark's detailed analysis of each particular car that he drove and what it took to make it a winner or in a very few cases why it never won. It is very well written and immersive with some great photgraphs, I highly recommend it to any racing fan.

Comprehensive account of the life of engineer, racing car driver, and race car developer Mark Donohue. The book is illustrated with photos of Donohue and his cars in Can-Am, Trans-Am, Indianapolis, and European racing sites. Covers Donohue's personal history and the innovative reasoning he applied to winning 1960's and 1970's competitions in racing but apply as well to life in general. Paperback edition bought used, in good condition; delivered promptly at a reasonable price. No issues.

Among his many achievements, Mark Donohue was one of the only men to tame the infamous, all-dominating, 1200+ horsepower Porsche 917 K. As it turns out, he did much more than drive it, he helped make it the beast that it was! More than just a driver, he was also an engineer who had a first hand role in the making of his winning cars, often giving him the "Unfair Advantage". This is something you just don't see anymore. Many of the techniques and inventions he created are now standard practice in racing world wide. He also raced in an era, when drivers would pilot just about anything with an motor. Unlike today, where most only participate in one type of racing, Mark Donohue competed in CanAm, TransAm, NASCAR, IROC, Le Mans, Formula One, Indy and more. ...Often simultaneously! Not only is his story truly amazing, but the book is well written too. Offering sometimes intimate and humanizing insights to a real hero. Full of fascinating stories, it's hard to put down and it's a book you'll be sad to finish, because you just want more.

I remember being in college in the '70's and seeing ads in Road & Track for this book. It sold back then for about $12.00 (first editions, no less!) Unfortunately, a full tank of gas in those days was $2.75 and a bag of White Castle hamburgers was less than $2.00, so the book was out of reach. And then it went out of print, became a classic and got further out of reach. About 8 years ago, I found a copy in our local library and finally got a chance to read it - which I did in one sitting. It was like having Mark Donahue sitting next to you spinning some yarns, telling tall tales and explaining "what it's like out there." I met Mark's son, David, a few years after that at a Porsche club meeting and asked if he had a copy of the book to sell! He told me he didn't even have one for himself. He did say that there was talk of doing a reprint and lucky for us, it has happened. If you want to relive one of the most exciting periods in racing (with remarkable insights into the growth of the Roger Penske juggernaught), by all means get yourself a copy of this book. I just received the soft cover version and it's a keeper. Another wonderful racing book is Sterling Moss's - "All But My Life."

This is a real insight into the ups & downs of a racing team, albeit one with a large budget. I have a collection of over 50 motorsport related books and this is by my bedside always. It's the only one I repeatedly re-read and offers an honest view of Mark's abilities and occasional failings. Would he have succeeded without Roger Penske's money, I don't know. I can recommend this to any serious motorsport fan as a must have book.

Not quite what I was expecting ... It is MUCH BETTER!!! I thought it might be a little shallow and deal mostly with the celebrity side of motorsports. Instead I found lots of technical detail and historic references that really took me back to the early days of sports car racing in America. I could easily envision the colourful people and places that Mark describes. He was a contemporary of Carroll Shelby, Roger Penske, Dan Gurney, AJ Foyt, Mario Andretti, Bobby Unser, Richard Petty, Parnelli Jones, etc.. He drove the original Ford GT, McLarens, Ferraris, Porsches, SCCA, Indy, Trans-Am, Can-Am, NASCAR, etc.. I bought this as a model builder and am now keen to locate/assemble a few of Mark's iconic rides.

Loving this book! Awesome for any race fan, it gives a behind the scenes look into how racing and race car development went on in the sports car scene of the 1960's and onward.

This book shows how the motorsport evolved in time. It shows how important it is to have a good setup and the playing with the limits of the regulations.