A good sign of growth and positivity for the future of the Indycar series is by going to the races and seeing young fans experiencing a race track for the first time, seeing the cars, meeting the drivers, an autograph or the 21st century equivalent, a selfie.
Grabbing the attention of a young fan can only be a good thing, this is where I introduce Chris Workman, author of 'The Spectacle', a book which helps bring the history and story of the Indianapolis 500 from the beginning to a new audience.
Grabbing the attention of a young fan can only be a good thing, this is where I introduce Chris Workman, author of 'The Spectacle', a book which helps bring the history and story of the Indianapolis 500 from the beginning to a new audience.
The story leads off with a scenario that I am sure is one which familiar to many a parent, when a child asks you about something he found tucked away that belongs his father... a toy racing car.
Following the narrative of the father telling his son about the origins of the 500, through various stages of history, from the Marmon Wasp in 1911, the Golden Era, Miller and Offys, the introduction of the Hulman era, the British Invasion (a personal favourite), the four timer club, closest finishes right up to the present day and Alexander Rossi winning the 100th race, to name but a few!
Following the narrative of the father telling his son about the origins of the 500, through various stages of history, from the Marmon Wasp in 1911, the Golden Era, Miller and Offys, the introduction of the Hulman era, the British Invasion (a personal favourite), the four timer club, closest finishes right up to the present day and Alexander Rossi winning the 100th race, to name but a few!
The forward is written by Ryan Hunter-Reay and the connections are clear to his charity Racing for Cancer, with a portion of the proceeds going to the charity. The book has also been fact checked by Donald Davidson so you know can trust what you are reading! Oh, look out for the prominent legend who might just be something of a hero to Chris.
If you have a young child, maybe you have taken them to the race or maybe you were thinking about introducing them to the Indianapolis 500 this would be a great start, introducing the keys cars, drivers, traditions and key figures that have shaped the race for over 100 years.
If you have a young child, maybe you have taken them to the race or maybe you were thinking about introducing them to the Indianapolis 500 this would be a great start, introducing the keys cars, drivers, traditions and key figures that have shaped the race for over 100 years.
I caught up with Chris to talk more about the new book.
Let's start at the beginning, what first drew you to Indycar and the Indy 500?
I grew up in Milwaukee so IndyCar and the Indy 500 were very popular (we had the Road America and Milwaukee Mile race back then). I watched the Indy 500 on TV with my family and raced AFX slot cars with my brother; then when I was a little older I began going to races at RA and "The Mile"... RA being the first race I ever saw "live" (and why RA was the inspiration for the setting behind "Josef, The Indy Car Driver." I've been a fan ever since (just fyi for you... but admittedly leaning firmly towards the CART / ChampCar side of things for awhile)
Tell us about 'The Spectacle' book.
"The Spectacle - Celebrating the History of the Indianapolis 500" is the first illustrated children's book that offers kids a century's worth of information on "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing." From Harroun to Rossi, many of the top drivers, cars and dramatic moments are captured in a series of short topical sections aimed at educating and entertaining kids and instill a desire to learn more about the Indy 500. A dialogue between a father and his kids helps tie it all together and lighten the tone of the book a bit. I tried to not only showcase the evolution of Indy Cars over the first 100+ years of racing, but also showcase how the track itself as changed over the years. Naturally, not everything I wanted to include would fit, but I am pleased with how much I was able to fit within this book. The overall flavor is very different from my other IndyCar-themed book, which is much more of traditional children’s picture book storyline format. A school-age kid could pick up this book and have a strong jumping off point for a report on the history of the Indy 500!
What made you target the children's book market with your new release?
There are some great kids books that featuring racing to help kids who like cars learn counting or the alphabet, and of course there are the Pixar movies. But, there are few authentic kids' books that are rooted in reality, drawn with authenticity and designed to entertain & educate kids about racing. I had a vision to start building these Apex Legends books several years ago with my first book about Le Mans, and then quickly shifted focus to IndyCar and the 500. I have several more under development that will focus on other types of racing, but I plan on a few more in the IndyCar space over time for sure.
This is not the first Indycar book you have written, tell us about Josef the Indycar Driver?
"Josef, The Indy Car Driver" was a big step up from my first book, "The Longest Day." I knew I wanted to do a book in IndyCar and I wanted to feature a driver... as I looked around the paddock Josef Newgarden was the perfect subject for the book. And, once Road America was announced for the 2016 calendar, it became the perfect venue! The book's storyline is somewhat broken into two different sections. The first half is designed to show kids a "path" to becoming a driver themselves based on Josef's personal journey. Then, the book takes kids through a fictitious (but very realistic) race at Road America. Throughout the book kids learn about the types of tracks, cars, what happens throughout a race weekend, and what a driver experiences throughout a race.
What is it like to have Ryan Hunter-Reay and Donald Davidson play a part in supporting the book?
The overall support for this project within the IndyCar community has been great. Donald Davidson is a very cordial, helpful guy and a wealth of knowledge. I really appreciated his willingness to review the book and and provide fact-checking support of its contents. It was fascinating to get additional backstory from him on several of the content points in the book that, sadly, would have been too much to include in this type of text. I take a small amount of pride in knowing most of the content was correct; I spent a significant amount of time researching information and distill the information down to manageable chunks for young readers. And, I learned a lot of information in the process. I think many adult readers will learn some tidbits from this book too! As a recent Indy 500 winner and father of young children, RHR's interest in writing the Foreword definitely helped bolster the project and provide added relevant context. He and I share a common goal regarding increasing awareness around the importance of early cancer detection, so I am proud to support Racing for Cancer with a portion of sales proceeds. I will add that a number of other teams reviewed and approved images and text, which was a huge help to make sure everyone was on the same page.
A certain driver / team owner from Texas features in the book, is it safe to say he is something of a hero to you?
For sure, but including him the book came to be for a few reasons. I have this old AJ Foyt Racing toy car, trailer and van from when I was a kid, and my kids have asked me about it, which of course opened the door for explaining a bit about "Super Tex." As I was trying to figure out the perfect way to set up the book that toy and conversation became my inspiration. Add in the fact that I have always really impressed by A.J. Foyt's versatility behind the wheel. Aside from Mario and Dan Gurney, and perhaps these days guys like Montoya, Tony Stewart and Kyle Larson, he is one of these guys that could hop into anything at any time and adapt quickly and compete at the highest level. Growing up I was also a really huge fan of Rick Mears too. But, including A.J. fit the overall historical approach to the book very nicely.
And finally, do you have a plan in mind for the next book?
For sure! As mentioned above, I have several more that are already in the works with announcements coming over the next few months. Both are exciting new challenges - one of them involves a major manufacturer. So far my books have been most appropriate for kids 5 & up (although I receive plenty of feedback from parents that their 3 yr old loves them too), so I am also planning on creating a few books aimed at much younger readers.
One other fun comment... I am trying to build continuity in some of the characters that appear my books. The young boy in my Le Mans book set in 1956 is now the grand parent in Josef & The Spectacle. The kids appear in both, and now there is a dad and mom in The Spectacle. The idea is to show the generational bond formed by racing, the value in sharing experiences together (at the track, talking about the sport, etc.) and that it is fun to be a fan of many types of racing. The boy, Jamison, will likely appear in the 60s, 70's, 80's, etc. as other books come out, with the dad in the Spectacle as a boy going to his first event somewhere along the way. And yes, it is all somewhat premeditated... although the sequencing of the books themselves is largely driven by the order in which I am able to solidify opportunities, desire to shift into different types of racing, etc.
Let's start at the beginning, what first drew you to Indycar and the Indy 500?
I grew up in Milwaukee so IndyCar and the Indy 500 were very popular (we had the Road America and Milwaukee Mile race back then). I watched the Indy 500 on TV with my family and raced AFX slot cars with my brother; then when I was a little older I began going to races at RA and "The Mile"... RA being the first race I ever saw "live" (and why RA was the inspiration for the setting behind "Josef, The Indy Car Driver." I've been a fan ever since (just fyi for you... but admittedly leaning firmly towards the CART / ChampCar side of things for awhile)
Tell us about 'The Spectacle' book.
"The Spectacle - Celebrating the History of the Indianapolis 500" is the first illustrated children's book that offers kids a century's worth of information on "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing." From Harroun to Rossi, many of the top drivers, cars and dramatic moments are captured in a series of short topical sections aimed at educating and entertaining kids and instill a desire to learn more about the Indy 500. A dialogue between a father and his kids helps tie it all together and lighten the tone of the book a bit. I tried to not only showcase the evolution of Indy Cars over the first 100+ years of racing, but also showcase how the track itself as changed over the years. Naturally, not everything I wanted to include would fit, but I am pleased with how much I was able to fit within this book. The overall flavor is very different from my other IndyCar-themed book, which is much more of traditional children’s picture book storyline format. A school-age kid could pick up this book and have a strong jumping off point for a report on the history of the Indy 500!
What made you target the children's book market with your new release?
There are some great kids books that featuring racing to help kids who like cars learn counting or the alphabet, and of course there are the Pixar movies. But, there are few authentic kids' books that are rooted in reality, drawn with authenticity and designed to entertain & educate kids about racing. I had a vision to start building these Apex Legends books several years ago with my first book about Le Mans, and then quickly shifted focus to IndyCar and the 500. I have several more under development that will focus on other types of racing, but I plan on a few more in the IndyCar space over time for sure.
This is not the first Indycar book you have written, tell us about Josef the Indycar Driver?
"Josef, The Indy Car Driver" was a big step up from my first book, "The Longest Day." I knew I wanted to do a book in IndyCar and I wanted to feature a driver... as I looked around the paddock Josef Newgarden was the perfect subject for the book. And, once Road America was announced for the 2016 calendar, it became the perfect venue! The book's storyline is somewhat broken into two different sections. The first half is designed to show kids a "path" to becoming a driver themselves based on Josef's personal journey. Then, the book takes kids through a fictitious (but very realistic) race at Road America. Throughout the book kids learn about the types of tracks, cars, what happens throughout a race weekend, and what a driver experiences throughout a race.
What is it like to have Ryan Hunter-Reay and Donald Davidson play a part in supporting the book?
The overall support for this project within the IndyCar community has been great. Donald Davidson is a very cordial, helpful guy and a wealth of knowledge. I really appreciated his willingness to review the book and and provide fact-checking support of its contents. It was fascinating to get additional backstory from him on several of the content points in the book that, sadly, would have been too much to include in this type of text. I take a small amount of pride in knowing most of the content was correct; I spent a significant amount of time researching information and distill the information down to manageable chunks for young readers. And, I learned a lot of information in the process. I think many adult readers will learn some tidbits from this book too! As a recent Indy 500 winner and father of young children, RHR's interest in writing the Foreword definitely helped bolster the project and provide added relevant context. He and I share a common goal regarding increasing awareness around the importance of early cancer detection, so I am proud to support Racing for Cancer with a portion of sales proceeds. I will add that a number of other teams reviewed and approved images and text, which was a huge help to make sure everyone was on the same page.
A certain driver / team owner from Texas features in the book, is it safe to say he is something of a hero to you?
For sure, but including him the book came to be for a few reasons. I have this old AJ Foyt Racing toy car, trailer and van from when I was a kid, and my kids have asked me about it, which of course opened the door for explaining a bit about "Super Tex." As I was trying to figure out the perfect way to set up the book that toy and conversation became my inspiration. Add in the fact that I have always really impressed by A.J. Foyt's versatility behind the wheel. Aside from Mario and Dan Gurney, and perhaps these days guys like Montoya, Tony Stewart and Kyle Larson, he is one of these guys that could hop into anything at any time and adapt quickly and compete at the highest level. Growing up I was also a really huge fan of Rick Mears too. But, including A.J. fit the overall historical approach to the book very nicely.
And finally, do you have a plan in mind for the next book?
For sure! As mentioned above, I have several more that are already in the works with announcements coming over the next few months. Both are exciting new challenges - one of them involves a major manufacturer. So far my books have been most appropriate for kids 5 & up (although I receive plenty of feedback from parents that their 3 yr old loves them too), so I am also planning on creating a few books aimed at much younger readers.
One other fun comment... I am trying to build continuity in some of the characters that appear my books. The young boy in my Le Mans book set in 1956 is now the grand parent in Josef & The Spectacle. The kids appear in both, and now there is a dad and mom in The Spectacle. The idea is to show the generational bond formed by racing, the value in sharing experiences together (at the track, talking about the sport, etc.) and that it is fun to be a fan of many types of racing. The boy, Jamison, will likely appear in the 60s, 70's, 80's, etc. as other books come out, with the dad in the Spectacle as a boy going to his first event somewhere along the way. And yes, it is all somewhat premeditated... although the sequencing of the books themselves is largely driven by the order in which I am able to solidify opportunities, desire to shift into different types of racing, etc.
'The Spectacle' is available from the 22nd April on Amazon UK (Yay for no US Shipping!)
A Freeview of the book can be found on Chris Workmans website
A Freeview of the book can be found on Chris Workmans website
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