The Deadliest Decade transports readers back to the most perilous era in the history of auto racing, when the pursuit of speed outpaced the science of survival. Starting in the mid-1960s, an unprecedented infusion of money from corporate sponsorship and fierce manufacturer rivalries funded groundbreaking technology ranging from aerodynamics to turbocharging. In Formula 1, Indy cars, NASCAR, and drag racing, speeds skyrocketed to levels unimaginable only a few years earlier, even as manifestly lethal tracks remained unchanged, and safety issues were ignored. The inevitable result was a staggering loss of life—nearly 1,400 racers and spectators killed during the ten-year stretch from 1964 to 1973. You can check out an except from the book, on the podcast episode below.
Drawing on the firsthand recollections of survivors from this period, each chapter of the book examines a pivotal moment, technological innovation, or catastrophic event, from the critical role television played in broadening the audience for racing to the botched rescue efforts that prompted international outrage after Roger Williamson’s death during the Dutch Grand Prix in 1973. But the overarching theme is how a handful of visionaries, led by Jackie Stewart, refused to accept the carnage as business as usual. Safety became not only a stated goal but also the foundation of a new industry that introduced fire suits, full-face helmets, fuel cells, and other protective gear that forever changed the sport.
The Deadliest Decade is a powerful and unflinching account of how racing confronted its own mortality—and how the growing emphasis on safety helped transform the dangerous, low-budget sport of the ’60s into today’s lucrative business entertainment leviathan.
With an official publication date of July 7, 2026, The Deadliest Decade is available for preorder now from Octane Press.
To reserve advance copies or discuss excerpts for publication, please contact Jo Snyder at jo@octanepress.com or
1.512.507.7867.
 | Title: The Deadliest Decade Subtitle: How Speed, Money, and Technology Transformed Auto Racing Author: Preston Lerner ISBN: 9781642341843 Publication Date: July 7, 2026 Format: 6 x 9 in., Jacketed Hardcover Pages: 496 Retail Price: $39.95 ORDER NOW |
About the Author
Preston Lerner is a former daily newspaper reporter and longtime feature writer whose work has appeared in publications ranging from Wired and the New York Times Magazine to Sports Illustrated and Men’s Journal. He contributed for many years to Automobile Magazine and Road & Track and has written seven books—Shelby American: The Renegades Who Built the Cars, Won the Races, and Lived the Legend; Scarab: Race Log of the All-American Specials; Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman (with coauthor Matt Stone);
History’s Greatest Automotive Mysteries, Myths, and Rumors Revealed (also with Matt Stone); Speed Read Ferrari: The History, Technology and Design Behind Italy’s Legendary Automaker; and Ford GT: How Ford Silenced the Critics, Humbled Ferrari and Won Le Mans. (tune in below).
He’s also the author of a novel, Fools on the Hill. Racing has been his lifelong passion, as a fan, as a journalist covering the sport, and as a participant—of absolutely no distinction—competing in SCCA club races. Praise for Preston Lerner:
- “Lerner is an inspired writer, a wordsmith who never muddles a thought with a cliche, just his original storytelling.” —San Diego Union-Tribune
- “Preston is not a race reporter. He approaches racing history as if pursuing an unorthodox PhD, yet he has the honed talents of a man who has been published over the past three decades in most of America’s top-flight men’s magazines. He can spin a tale.” —Forbes
- “Lerner does an excellent job of dovetailing development with racing.” —Motor Sport
About Octane Press
Octane Press has published more than 200 books since 2010, won forty independent book awards, and reached more than one million readers. Social Media Handles for Octane Press: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest: @octanepress | Instagram: @octane_press | YouTube, LinkedIn: Octane Press
