15th
The Driver
The Driver by Alexander Roy was blood-pressure-raising first-hand account of “his dangerous pursuit of speed and truth in the outlaw racing world.” Alex raced a “modified” E39 M5 often disguised as a German Police car in numerous road-rally events including the Gumball, Bull Run, and set a new world record for the Cannonball (a race from NYC to LA) in 31 hours and 4 minutes. Oddly, my father and I received the recommendation from the painter from my parents’ house remodel who was also a Bimmer fanatic and hard-sold the book after seeing all of the BMWs in our driveway.
Alex described his winning strategy in great detail which was far more than fast speed and luck; he broke it down to a science which included thousands of hours of planning/reconnaissance and technology including: multiple police radios, CB radios, night vision systems, laser scanners, sirens, taillight switches, and of course a V1. It was inconceivable to me, before reading this account, how much time and skill was invested in to this pursuit to outwit modern-day law enforcement and BMW electrical gremlins that stood in his way.
All of this kept me up late for many nights turning pages and lit my pipe-dream of quitting my day job and taking an impromptu trip to LA (or why not Alaska?) myself. To me, there’s little more alluring than the freedom of open roads, clear skies and a full tank. For now, I can’t ever imagine investing nearly as much time as Alex so I’ll have to settle for living vicariously through his accounts, or settle for a trip of my own that’s a little more “legal.” I would highly recommend this quick read for anyone looking for a little bit of escapism in more ways than one and Bimmer fans everywhere.
