Not Another Pit Stop Book

Bob Gerard was one of the most successful racing drivers of his era. In his outdated ERA he consistently beat aces like Fangio and Ascari. His nephew Julian recalls the journey from out of his shadow to running a race winning team. The story is split in two halves (with a quirky book rotation). Starting as a young nephew, Julian aged 7 7⁄8, recalls those crazy days when he tagged along for the party. Now aged 77 7⁄8, he looks back and wonders why he inherited his Uncle’s disastrous passion for motorsport.

‘…one of the funniest and most original racing books ever written.’
VeloceToday

A few bits from the book

“Without those blasted piss stops, I’d be World Champion”, once lamented Bob Gerard, unsung hero of the British Grand Prix..... until Bunty, his famous hot-water bottle, fulfilled his dreams.

“Joan Dear, How could you mistake the sign to Dijon for Dior?".

'The Gerard boy will do the honours.'
Nuvolari was first for a top up, closely followed by Lord What-What, Amazing Ray and Swerving Moth.

'Wham’s Andrew Ridgeley crashed so many cars, Renault ran out of body shells...'

‘ ..Uncle loved pricking pomposities, especially the ones he called ‘Zeppelin’ pilots, bringing their inflated egos crashing down to earth...’

Here's what our readers say

Uncontrollable laughter from every page......
it works hilariously for me......

Simon Taylor, motor sport journalist & TV pundit

One gets hooked immediately

Pete Vack of VeloceToday

...a rich and well written memoir… I promise you’ll be getting your phone out to check whether it’s all true.

Edward Bick – The Bulletin – Vintage Sports Car Club

...Thoroughly entertaining. Captured exceedingly well the flavour of racing after WW2... enjoying it hugely.

Ian Titchmarsh, motoring historian and F1 commentator

It’s a fabulous book…a genuinely exciting memoir.

Ben Jackson, Radio Leicester

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Meet the authors

Julian Gerard

By nature Julian is self-effacing and like his Uncle Bob, enjoys pricking pomposities. If there were to be any hi-jinx in the paddock it would normally be found at the Gerard camp. A great wit and raconteur, Julian now shares his banter in the written word - his passion for motor sport, revelling in its ups and downs, successes and failures. To survive in this sport requires a bit of ducking and diving - and Julian has done his fair share. As a driver he put in some serious lap times in a Ford GT40 and as team owner had real success cleaning up the Renault 5 GT Turbo and Clio Championships.

Pip Greasley

When Pip was writing music for Leicester’s Phoenix Theatre, he shared an office with Sue Townsend, who at the time was bombarding him with draft scripts about some dysfunctional youth called Nigel Mole. They were funny and brilliant, and he once said to her ‘you must get these published’. She did. And the Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13¾ became the best seller she so deserved. She once said to Pip - ‘you should have a go at writing’. So he has – with this book – and the eagle-eyed among you will have spotted ‘aged 7⅞’ in the title - a passing tribute to Sue.