Searing pavement. Roaring engines. Heart pounding adrenaline. The prestigious Carrera Panamericana is one of the most technically demanding races in the world, testing drivers' endurance and skill at every stage. Over one hundred classic sports cars from the 1940s to 1960s are pushed to their limits as they take on Mexico’s' diverse and often treacherous terrain from sea level to over 8000 feet at flatout speeds up to 200 mph.
After four years of negotiations with the organizers of La Carrera Panamericana, Los Angeles-based artist Sam Gezari arranged an embed for the entire 2000 mile, seven day race from the southern tip of Mexico to the US border. The race starts in Tuxtla Gutierrez and makes it's way through Oaxaca, Mexico City and countless other villages and cities until the last of the remaining cars arrive just over the northern border in Nuevo Laredo, Texas. On the first day alone there were a dozen crashes and by Day Five, nearly fifty-percent of the vehicles either had major mechanical issues or were totaled.
Working with the finest presses and book makers in LA, this 100 copy limited-edition book has 275 pages overflowing with vibrant, exciting photographs.
"Few motoring exploits can generate as much excitement as driving on public roads without speed limits, and The Carrera Panamericana does just that," says Leslie Kendall, Curator of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California.
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