The inspiring autobiography of Britain's three-time World Touring Car champion, and almost certainly this country's best-kept sporting secret … until now!For someone who grew up on a small island with a speed limit of just 35 mph, Andy Priaulx drives his car awfully fast. But then the man from Guernsey is a hugely determined figure who has been fighting against the odds and performing the role of underdog throughout his entire career.In this his first book, Priaulx tells of how he has fought – tooth and claw, with virtually no back-up – for every sponsor, every car, every penny on his way to achieving his dream of one day becoming a world champion.With refreshing honesty, Priaulx reveals how he and his wife risked everything financially to get on the lower rungs of the motor racing ladder, even spending some time living in a borrowed caravan at the Silverstone circuit in an attempt to save money. «Pikey Priaulx» was his nickname at the time, but the story only goes to show how sacrifice and sheer bloody-mindedness can pay off.Priaulx's reserves of energy, enthusiasm and dedication – not to mention his natural talent – served him well as he won the European Touring Car Championship in 2004. Motor sport's governing body, the FIA, recognises only three world championships – Formula 1, World Rally and World Touring Cars. Priaulx has won the WTC championship for the last three years, an unprecedented achievement.In fact, such has been Priaulx's success that he has been universally hailed as the greatest touring car driver of all time, and widely dubbed «Britain's Schumacher». In 2007 Priaulx received the ultimate accolade when he was awarded the Gold Medal of the British Racing Drivers' Club «in recognition of outstanding contemporary racing success». This was only the eighth time the Gold Medal has been awarded.Told in Andy's energetic and engaging style, this is the story of that most rare of sporting beasts – a true British world champion.
Оглавление
Andy Priaulx. Andy Priaulx: The Autobiography of the Three-time World Touring Car Champion
Andy Priaulx. Triple World Champion
Table of Contents
FOREWORD. by Dr Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director
1 INTO THE UNKNOWN
2 DUBAI: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
3 HARD TIMES AT SILVERSTONE
4 A GUERNSEYMAN FOREVER
5 SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST
6 FAMILY MATTERS
7 STUBBORN AS A MULE
8 I AM A RACING DRIVER
9 MAKING A NAME FOR MYSELF
10 EARNING A LIVING
11 RACING INTO EUROPE
12 FINDING MY EDGE
13 MACAU: BEATING THE ODDS
14 STAYING AT HOME
15 AND NOW?
ANDY PRIAULX CAREER
INDEX
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Copyright
About the Publisher
Отрывок из книги
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Title Page
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I have always been someone inspired by facing adversity. That is when I am at my strongest. I dig deep, and can find inner strengths to fight back and win. I was not one of the biggest of kids, but I was pretty wiry and tough, and have always been strong for my size. I am tough mentally, too. That’s another byproduct of being bullied at school and learning to look after myself. I don’t let things defeat me in advance – instead I will work out my own way of winning, making sure I know what I am going to do. I can visualise things and use that technique to help me succeed.
Back then, though, as I drove up through the English counties, I could not even visualise where I was going to park the caravan that first night. Or if it would be safe. Or how I would get to sleep. Did I know how to park up easily and legally? Did I have enough food? How was I going to get started on the job? The motor racing season was about to start. I had some contacts and plenty of ideas but nothing in this business is definite…I knew that. Yet I had so much enthusiasm, belief and desire that I knew I would get there somehow, one way or another. If I am honest, I don’t think I even cared how I would do it. I just knew I would succeed, whatever it took…