BS Levy Cult Classic The Last Open Road Series Gain Worldwide Distribution

As of June 1, “The Last Open Road” and its sequels are full throttle onto a new international highway: A new contract with mainstream mega-distributor IPG will ensure author/racer Burt “BS” Levy’s cult classic novels will be available as hard copies and as downloadable E- and audio books through major mainstream and web retailers worldwide.

Originally turned down by major publishers who said there was “no market for ‘race car’ fiction” and “ people don’t read,” Levy and wife Carol took out a second mortgage, formed a company, and self-published “The Last Open Road” in July 1994.

Thanks to glowing reviews in both the mainstream and motoring press and enthusiastic word-of-mouth support, The Last Open Road is now in its 11th hardcover printing with more than 50,000 copies sold; has spawned six successful sequels; and is now available in a unique, award-winning, “Best Motoring Book of the Year” audio version.

Levy's books have become genuine cult classics on the motorsports and collector-car scenes, and many racers, collectors and car enthusiasts proudly display “The Last Open Road” decals on their favorite vehicles. The fast-paced novel has also been used in several high school and college-level English classes and is on the recommended reading lists at many libraries, schools and book clubs.

“The books have become amazingly popular and successful with racers, fans and gear-head enthusiasts—those ‘people who don’t read,’ right?—but our market niche is something like a mile deep and five inches wide,” Levy explained. “This new distribution agreement will give us access, visibility and availability we’ve never had before through mainstream book stores and online retailers.”

The Last Open Road is a coming-of-age story about a 19-year-old New Jersey gas station mechanic getting swept up in the glamorous, dangerous, upper-crust and occasionally decadent world of open-road sports car racing during the Eisenhower fifties. All the history, events, characters and ambience of the era are presented very much as they were, and the author’s painstaking research, keen sense of humor, and personal experiences as a championship-winning racing driver, driving instructor, mechanic, shop owner, ad-hoc stunt driver (when The Blues Brothers movie was shooting in Chicago) and upscale used-car salesman (he once had a used Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow convertible taken from him at gunpoint on a test drive) lend accuracy and authenticity to the story.

The books have received universally enthusiastic reviews from both the motoring and mainstream press. Notably, England’s Classic & Sports Car picked it as one of the top 20 motoring books of all time—and it was the only fiction novel on the list.

For the audio book version, Levy re-wrote The Last Open Road as a 1950s radio play, and produced it in a sound studio and on location utilizing professional Hollywood voice actors in the major roles, authentic car and racing sounds, correct period music, incredible sound effects and Mystery Celebrity Guest Voices from the racing and motoring world—including motorsports luminaries David Hobbs, Ray Evernham, Brian Redman, Tommy Kendall, Patrick Long, Skip Barber, Bill Warner, Marino Franchitti, John and Alex Doonan and many others—in key supporting roles.

The finished The Last Open Road audio book is 20 hours long, immensely entertaining and the perfect traveling companion for long, cross-country drives. It was also honored with two “Best Motoring Book of the Year” awards (one from the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters’ Association and another from the Automotive Heritage Foundation) and, in both cases, it was the first win ever for either an audio book or a work of fiction.

As of June 1st, The Last Open Road audio book—for the first time ever!—will be available for download from all major online retailers.