Biography | Team Management | Vic Elford now | Photo Gallery | Store | Contact me | Policies | Links
Team Management In September 1975 Vic Elford was hired by the French company Inaltera to create, organize and run the Inaltera team for the Le Mans classic. Starting with little more than a set of engineering drawings and an entire crew of novice amateurs, he led the team through a rapid build, test and development program terminating in the 24 hours in 1976, where both cars started - and finished - a feat never accomplished before or since, by any other team, not even by the might of Ferrari or Porsche. Although many had tried before, it was only the second time that V8 Cosworth powered cars had finished the 24 hours of Le Mans. In 1977, Inaltera was back, under Vic's leadership. And they did it again - three cars started, three cars finished! Later, as team manager of the ATS Formula 1 team, he took them from barely qualifying to scoring world championship points in less than three months In 1984, Vic Elford left Europe for the United States to become Director of Competitions for the newly formed Renault/Jeep Sport, under the presidency of Roy Lunn, one of the leading figures in the Le Mans winning Ford GT40 teams of the 1960's. There Vic was responsible for the successful running of the Renault Cup, a two car team in the IMSA Champion Spark Plug championship and the off-road championships with Jeep in the western deserts of America. Vic created and ran the Porsche Owners Driving School for Porsche Cars North America. Subsequently, he worked as a senior instructor with the Skip Barber Racing School. Antonio Pizzonia and Juan Pablo Montoya are just two of the drivers who have benefited from his experience during their junior years. Vic also found time to write three books: a French book "La Victoire ou...rien!" with the help of Michel Delannoy; then another all by himself: the "Porsche High-Performance Driving Handbook" and his biography: "Reflections on a Golden Era in Motorsports" recently published by David Bull Publishing. He is currently working on a fourth book.
About "Reflections on a Golden Era of Motorsport": Vic Elford is the epitome of the classic racing driver: smart, brave, and above all, versatile. His autobiography offers a personal perspective on the initiative and skills required to build a career in racing in the 1960s and ‘70s. Consider Vic’s 1968 season. It began with his win in the prestigious Monte Carlo Rally followed by a win the next weekend in the Daytona 24 Hours. He was second at Sebring a month later, then in May scored an epic victory at the Targa Florio, which is considered the greatest win in Targa Florio history. Two weeks later Vic won the Nürburgring 1000 Kilometers. Then in his first F1 race in July Vic took a badly out-classed Cooper T86B to a stunning fourth-place finish in the soaking wet French Grand Prix. As he relates his experience Vic provides insight on the drivers, team personnel, and cars that defined a glorious era in racing. Vic’s keen sense of humor comes to the fore as he describes the hugely entertaining and seldom discussed “in between” moments racers experienced traveling from race to race. Richly illustrated with photographs from Vic’s collection, Vic Elford: Reflections on a Golden Era of Motorsport is a vivid, intimate account of a remarkable period in racing and of the man whose character gave it so much of its appeal. About "Porsche High-Performance Driving Handbook" The highly acclaimed Porsche High-Performance Driving Handbook, published in 1994, is still a best seller today. To order your signed copy now click here.
Until a few years ago Vic was still active in Historic racing in the United States driving a TransAm Pontiac and CanAm McLaren among others.
|
