This is the latest title from Porter Press, and a definite guide which looks at every race Derek Bell drove for Porsche in detail.

Having met Derek Bell many times over the years I can tell you, he is a thoroughly nice bloke and if there is one person I would like to sit down and find out all the juicy gossip from his illustrious racing career it is this man!

So imagine my delight when Porter Press publish exactly that, all the juicy details put together from the –  five times Le Mans winner, twice World Sportscar Champion and three times Daytona 24hr winner – Derek Bell MBE himself co written with Richard Heseltine and edited by James Page.

Destined to be a farmer, Derek enrolled at Cirencester Agricultural University in ’62, but the lure of all things automotive made him enrol as a marshal at Goodwood for a spell before he finally achieved that first club race in a Lotus.  “The sense of achievement from winning on my debut was overwhelming it was additive and motor racing has been my drug of choice ever since.”

It was his races at Le Mans which came to define his career, and in 1971 he did his first Le Mans race in a Porsche – the Gulf liveried 917 – the era of the big banger Porsches is one of bravery beyond brave and of course long before the chicanes were added to the Mulsanne straight. In his words  “I did about 225mph in the works 512S in 1970 but 246mph in the 917 ‘long tail’ a year later. The Ferrari was strong, but the Porsche much much faster. The Curve de Mulsanne was flat, too!”

For a Porsche racing buff or fan of Group C racing – this is a must have purchase! The book is highly illustrated with lots of LAT photographic’s finest images throughout the 70s and 80s and contains many fascinating anecdotes for each race through the years.  Loved it.

Retailing at £45 – ISBN: 978-1-907085-65-9  To buy it now – Click here!