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Beast: The Top Secret Ilmor-Penske Engine That Shocked the Racing World at the Indy 500
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About Beast: The Top Secret Ilmor-Penske Engine That
Product Description The Beast was the nickname of a shocking new race engine unveiled for the 1994 Indianapolis 500. The massive effort to design and build it in a seemingly impossible timeframe is still hailed as one of the most herculean efforts and well-kept secrets in the history of the Indy 500. In the new book, Beast, bestselling author Jade Gurss chronicles the subterfuge and debunks the myths about this legendary engine that persist twenty years on. Gurss interviewed key players involved in the race to undercover the story of how this engine powered the Penske PC23 chassis to one of the most talked-about Indy 500 races in history. The British race-engine experts at Ilmor Engineering offer detail about the design and manufacture of the engine. Roger Penske’s team reveals how the engine and car were tested and developed, and how Mercedes came to be involved in the project. The story unfolds as Roger Penske and Mario Illien and Paul Morgan of Ilmor play every card they possess to create an incredible race engine--even rare World War II fighter planes and supersonic jets roar into the heart of this high-tech tale. Drivers Al Unser Jr., Emerson Fittipaldi, and Paul Tracy provide details on the tense weeks leading up race day. The book reaches a suspenseful climax at 240 miles per hour at the Indy 500 noone can forget. Wrapped up in the drama and intrigue are real business and motivational lessons which made Roger Penske one of the most successful businessmen in the world and that helped Ilmor and its cofounders, Mario Illien and the late Paul Morgan, design and manufacture Indy car and Formula 1 championship–winning engines. Beast is not only a must-read for sports and race fans, but a compelling narrative for those who enjoy genuine lessons in business and technology or thrilling mysteries based on actual events. Review Gurss' prose style is madly gripping and emotional, so that it feels like you're part of it--an impressive feat for a writer who wasn't even there! When parts of the engine fail at the very last second, I was sitting there holding my breath, a ball of dread in my stomach. When all three Penskes were absolutely killing it in Indy 500 practice, I was hyped enough that I was smiling. --Elizabeth Blacklock, Jalopnik This book is one of the best I've read on the subject of motorsports. The book flows easily and describes in detail how this immense project was conceived, developed and refined. The anecdotes are entertaining as the players involved are easy to follow and their individual personalities are explored and uncovered. Gurss places you in the dyno room in England, various board rooms of corporate America, the snow-covered Nazareth Speedway and inside the walls of the Brickyard. If you're a fan of racing in general this a must-have, but also a good read for anybody interested in corporate espionage and covert gamesmanship. --Steve Zautke, Racing Nation dot com Beast is a fascinating story inspired by great characters, and it's beautifully told, too . . . The technical detail here is consummate, accompanied by crisp line drawings by Patrick Morgan, son of the late (and much-missed) Ilmor co-founder. But it's the human-interest angle that raises this story to the highest levels. A good motor racing book? No, simply a great book, full stop. We urge you to read it. --DS, Motorsports Magazine About the Author Jade Gurss wildly popular motorsports books have been on the NYT bestseller's list multiple times, and include In the Red (Octane Press, 2012), Driver #8 (Warner Books), and the smash hit, Racer (Octane Press, 2020).
