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Used, Fair condition, Limited quantities. “Eddie Called Me Boss” by Dick Sommers is one of the most enjoyable racing books I have ever read. It is the entertaining story of a group of men who teamed up to go racing at the Indianapolis “500”. Just 17 years ago they were able to purchase a car and two engines and then watched it practicing at competitive speeds for the total outlay of less than $15,000! His book is unique in many respects, not the least of which is the fact that Dick never used a collaborator in its preparation. There is great sadness when Sommers recounts the joy of hiring both of his two favorite race drivers, Eddie Sachs and Jim Hurtubise, only to watch Sachs perish and Hurtubise all but lose his life in Sommers-owned cars within days of each other. Sommers remarkably was able to smile as he told friends of the latest blown engine, ironic official ruling, or ill-advised purchase and he does so again in his book. For anyone who has known Dick Sommers, the contents will be a delight, for it is truly “The Best of Sommers,” a complete accounting of his adventures as a car owner, mingled with all of his favorite anecdotes. For those who don’t know him, the book will be equally as refreshing, for he frequently reveals the financial details of sponsorship arrangements and equipment purchases. While he discusses his drivers Sachs and Hurtubise, Sommers also tells of a number of his experiences with A.J. Foyt. The book oozes with nostalgia and is packed with human interest stories from behind the garage doors. Some years Sommers and his partners would watch the start of the ‘500’ believing that this would be the year they would win; other years they would heave a huge sigh of relief when they had put their car in the race on the final day of qualifications. Rarely did they receive sponsorship money or tire company financial support like many of the heavily subsidized so-called super teams. It was understandable but regrettable when they finally bailed out, for the cost of operating a team had skyrocketed beyond their means. They were just about the last of a vanishing breed, the individual sportsman car owner. – Donald C. Davidson
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