There is no other motor-racing circuit in the world with the history of Phillip Island. Since 1928 it has hosted the Australian Grand Prix, the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, the World Superbike Championship, the Armstrong 500 and many other races. Today, the Australian MotoGP attracts tens of thousands to the island every year. It is revered as the world's best MotoGP track and is the second-fastest in the world by just 0.1 km/h. Australia's champions of motorcycle racing are born there.
As a motor-racing journalist for more than 45 years, John Smailes has had extraordinary access to Phillip Island and to the leading names who have competed there. When Wayne Gardner, Mick Doohan and Casey Stoner won their championships, John was there. He has delved into the island's rich history, from the winner of the first Australian Grand Prix, Gallipoli hero Captain Arthur Waite, to Australia's F1 world champions Sir Jack Brabham and Alan Jones, and the astonishing political and business dealings over the years.
In Phillip Island, John Smailes delivers the definitive account of the circuit, featuring interviews with champions including Valentino Rossi and many others who made it the legend it is today. It's the gripping and untold story of an island unlike any other.
'Phillip Island is my legacy to Australian motorsport. I'm proud to have been part of its development. This book is a must-read.' Wayne Michael Gardner AM
'Still in its original shape, a super circuit for Supercars, world class.' Dick Johnson AM
By:
John Smailes
Imprint: Allen & Unwin
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 153mm,
Weight: 478g
ISBN: 9781761471216
ISBN 10: 176147121X
Pages: 384
Publication Date: 13 August 2024
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
List of Maps Prologue Part One: The Road Course, 1928-1940 1 The Making of Phillip Island 2 The Incredible Story of a War Hero 3 First Shots-The Prewar Grands Prix 4 The Bugs' Clean Sweep 5 Heroes of the '30s 6 Maintaining the Marriage Part Two: A Permanent Circuit, 1956-1962 7 The New Phillip Island 8 The Racer and the Gentleman 9 The Making of World Champions 10 The Race That Changed the Motor Industry 11 The End of the World Part Three: The Circuit Revisited, 1967-1978 12 Funland: Len Lukey Saves the Circuit 13 The Man in Pink 14 Lukey Unmuffles PIARC's Potential 15 Hear the Thunder 16 New Year for Bikes 17 End of the Lukey Line Part Four: The Grand Prix Circuit, 1989-2004 18 Saving the Circuit 19 Thinking Big 20 Wayne Gardner-Genesis and Genius 21 Winners and Losers 22 A Simple Case of Accounting 23 Four Wheels . . . Good 24 The Superbike World Championship- A Tale of Two Troys 25 The Doohan Factor 26 The Stoner Age Part Five: A Class of Its Own, 2004-Onwards 27 Selling the Farm 28 Building on Heritage 29 A Day at the Races-Australian MotoGP, 2023 30 Future Shock Epilogue Acknowledgements Bibliography Index
John Smailes is a journalist, motorsport commentator and publicist. His speciality is the automotive industry and motorsport. He has covered and broadcast rounds of the World F1 championship (Australia, Singapore, India, Monaco), the World Rally Championship (Australia, NZ, Greece), MotoGP, the Le Mans 24 hour race and Goodwood Festival of Speed. John was part of the commentary team for the first live broadcast of F1 in Australia - along with Sir Jack Brabham.
