It's like Christmas!

The postman should perhaps be wearing a red suit!

I love the serendipitous twists life throws us once in a while. I got chatting on FB with Tony Adamowicz, who some of you will probably know as a vintage racer who has a Formula 5000 Eagle. Anyhoo... he likes my artwork and put me in touch with Michael Keyser (Sebring 1976) who wrote "French Kiss with Death" and "The Speed Merchants". I did some quick poster work for him (for Friends of Steve McQueen!) and am working on some really fun vintage artwork featuring lots of racing goodness.

This package arrived yesterday, all of the books were either written, or edited by Keyser. I am really going to enjoying working through this pile!

Nice score! Where's the hotlink to your artwork?

Good stuff! I did not know Bernard Cahier had written such what looks like an all-encompasing book. It just went to the top of the list to obtain.

My website is under construction, and should be "live" by the end of the week, but here's a FB link to some work I did for the Toronto Sun:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=63722&id=515956307&l=65902989d7

I read a few days ago about you doing something with McQueen...coolness.

Also something about another racer....

awesome doodles...

Really cool.

"A French Kiss With Death" looks like a book for future purchase as the movie is one of my favorites.

Let us know when your site is up!

Stan

I'm about a quarter into the book... it is a MUST for any racing fans. I can't put it down, it's so full of history and anecdotes. He describes the Le Mans course as only someone who's intimately familiar with it could. The nice thing too, is that he doesn't romanticize McQueen too much - the guy had some serious issues when young.

I was so impressed when I googled Keyser for some background - he has serious racing cred, from LeMans to Sebring... Toad Hall Porsche and cool Chevy Monzas. Wonderful story-teller, I love opening his emails.

I am totally Jelly!

Keep up the good work.

I hope to one day write something that someone will be excited about.

Lesley wrote: The postman should perhaps be wearing a red suit! I love the serendipitous twists life throws us once in a while. I got chatting on FB with Tony Adamowicz, who some of you will probably know as a vintage racer who has a Formula 5000 Eagle. Anyhoo... he likes my artwork and put me in touch with Michael Keyser (Sebring 1976) who wrote "French Kiss with Death" and "The Speed Merchants". I did some quick poster work for him (for Friends of Steve McQueen!) and am working on some really fun vintage artwork featuring lots of racing goodness. This package arrived yesterday, all of the books were either written, or edited by Keyser. I am really going to enjoying working through this pile!

That's a great gift package, Lesley!

Keyser is a real talent; I spent a lot fence-time watching him wheel around Rd Atlanta's IMSA races. And Cahier's photography was incredible; I believe his son has carried the torch with similar results.

Is that your Andretti commemorative print on the right-side of the pic. It's awesome!

Hey, yes it is, thanks a lot!

I'm really looking forward to working with Keyser on some racing prints. He has an encyclopedic knowledge and seems to know absolutely everyone from the last 30 years of racing. I've got my nose buried deep into the Le Mans book, haven't even cracked the others yet. He was kind enough to inscribe them too!

friedgreencorrado wrote: Lesley, great score!! I really need to buy Keyser's DVD of "The Speed Merchants", the only copy of it I have is a home VHS I recorded from a local Atlanta TV station 25yrs ago. It was edited for TV, and looks like it was a 16mm print of the film in the first place. I bought the hardback copy of "A French Kiss With Death" for full price on Amazon right after it was published. Yeah, I'm *that* much a fan of the film. Yeah, Keyser is the real deal. He was a GT driver during that era, I *still* don't know how he had the time to make that wonderful film about the prototypes while driving GT class cars at the same time. If you're actually working with him, would you please ask him how on Earth he could do it all at the same time? His finishing record seems to indicate that he was pretty quick "back in the day". EDIT: Holy Cow! I did a little more research, and discovered he drove one of the Dekon Monzas back then!! http://www.scharch.org/Cars/My_Monza/Racing_Monzas/Monza-DeKon_1003/Monza-DeKon1003_MichaelKeyser-P3b_IMSA1976.jpg http://www.scharch.org/Cars/My_Monza/Racing_Monzas/Cars_MonzaDeKon1003.htm

EDIT again...apologies, m'dear..you actually told us that he drove one in an earlier post. I just missed it.

Lesley wrote: My website is under construction, and should be "live" by the end of the week, but here's a FB link to some work I did for the Toronto Sun: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=63722&id=515956307&l=65902989d7

All great work.
I commend you for capturing the true essence of the Wienermobile!

Lesley, your work never ceases to amaze me. I really liked the Batmobile!

Thanks, that's a really old piece!

I can't put the Le Mans book down, you guys must read it

friedgreencorrado - yeah, that Monza is pretty cool... I'm going to surprise him with a drawing of it as thanks for the books and the ream of posters he sent me... including a panoramic 70s Le Mans that is going to look great above my computer.

Lesley wrote: I'm about a quarter into the book... it is a MUST for any racing fans. I can't put it down, it's so full of history and anecdotes. He describes the Le Mans course as only someone who's intimately familiar with it could. The nice thing too, is that he doesn't romanticize McQueen too much - the guy had some serious issues when young.

I've read the Marshall Terrill biography on McQueen...his mom was a piece of work...no wonder he didn't trust women.

Yep, so was his dad. Le Mans is officially on my bucket list. Too bad teleportation isn't possible, I sure would love to see those 917 longtails in action.

Lesley wrote: Thanks, that's a really old piece! I can't put the Le Mans book down, you guys must read it friedgreencorrado - yeah, that Monza is pretty cool... I'm going to surprise him with a drawing of it as thanks for the books and the ream of posters he sent me... including a panoramic 70s Le Mans that is going to look great above my computer.

Yeah, I had the same reaction to FKWD. I hate to admit it, but all the stuff about Steve's consumption problems back then kept me just as interested as the stuff about the movie.

Also, I had a friend in high school that had one of the V-8 Chebby Monza street cars. I turned him into a road racing fan (he was into NASCAR) in 1976, as I showed him issues of Autoweek documenting Al Holbert's IMSA championship in a Dekon.

http://alex62.typepad.com/imsablog/2006/02/dekon_engineeri.html

I still recommend buying the real thing from Mr. Keyser's place..

http://www.autosportsltd.com/aboutus.php

But for anybody who's wondering why some of us talk about that movie, I'll just leave this here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s14Vx2v3UDk

Yeah, I like the movie star trivia as much as the interesting details behind the race.

But even more interesting... are the tales Mr. Keyser tells

Lesley wrote: But even more interesting... are the tales Mr. Keyser tells

Tell him you won't give him the panorama unless he starts writing his own bio!..

Read this link, he's a character!

http://ashcom.homestead.com/files/PDFFiles/124_tte.pdf

Lesley wrote: Read this link, he's a character! http://ashcom.homestead.com/files/PDFFiles/124_tte.pdf

Thanks for that, Lesley. A great read. Personally, I think Micheal would enjoy himself if he just managed to find his old GT class 911, restore it, and go vintage racing.

I agree, who wouldn't!