Max’s First Season
Max Navaero is a ten-year-old boy who goes to his dad’s first race meeting and manages to take part in the racing himself. On the way, he meets and befriends many of the racing drivers, including Lord Oftenbroke, Grayson Smidt, Crazy Pete, Parky Ranger and the nasty Baron von Cheetah. It is all very realistically portrayed, accurately describing various characters who support the race series, such as Padrick Dragon, Steve the Spook, Pater Goblin, Rock Bernie (he’s a Rock Troll) and each and every Andy McMillimig.
Each chapter is a stand-alone story covering an entire race meeting for the Caterham Classics. Some parts of the stories actually happened in real life and all the characters, apart from Baron von Cheetah, are based on real people.
For details about all of the characters in the book, scroll down to beyond the book purchasing details. Below this is a summary of each of the chapters.
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Max Navaero – Racing Driver is now available from Amazon as a paperback or Kindle. To order, follow the appropriate link:
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Character List
Permission has been granted from each of the characters, who are listed in alphabetical order:
Drivers
Trevor Mint
Marc Navaero
Max Navaero
Colin Netherfree
Lord Michael Oftenbroke
Crazy Pete
Parky Ranger
Grayson Smidt
Master Steve
Thomas Teapoux
Support
Goblins, Dragons and Spooks
Pater Goblin
Padrick Dragon
Steve the Spook
The Rock Trolls
Rock Bernie
Team McMillimig
Andy McMillimig
Andy McMillimig
Andy McMillimig
… and so on
Scrutineering
Farmer Keith.
Other Characters
Jeanette the Genie
Phoebe Navaero
Zandra Navaero
Lady Rose Oftenbroke
Only Driver Not Based on a Real Character
Baron von Cheetah
Chapter Summaries
Chapter 1 – The Beginning
Donnington Park
Max arrives this East Midlands circuit, looking forward to watching his dad compete. Here, Max meets plenty of strange but friendly characters. From then onwards life will never be the same again, as Max accidentally steals his dad’s racing car and even more accidentally takes part in his first race.
Chapter 2 – A Dragon goes Missing
Anglesey
Max makes some even stranger friends, including Padrick Dragon. On circuit, Max learns how to race safely in conditions so windy that he cannot even stand up properly. Meanwhile, Farmer Keith cannot start his combine harvester and Padrick goes missing.
Chapter 3 – George and the Dragon
Pembrey
It’s a timely moment for Max to meet the strangest character so far. How is it possible to have a team full of identical people, all sharing the same name of Andy McMillimig?
Max learns how to dice safely with other drivers while worrying about how Padrick can escape from the menaces of an unwelcome visitor – Saint George, who wants to slay a dragon. He also listens in to another driver, who explains his new experience as a Safety Car driver.
Chapter 4 – The Genie in the Bottle
Silverstone
Max experiences racing in the wet, where the rain is coming down so hard that he cannot see where he is going.
Chapter 5 – A Marshal’s Life
Croft
It’s raining again, even harder than before. That doesn’t stop Max from shadowing a marshal for the weekend, learning all about the work they do.
Chapter 6 – The American Way
Rockingham
This circuit was built for oval racing, as explained to Max by Pater Goblin. He examines oval racing cars close up, then watches them in action.
Chapter 7 – The Track’s the Limit
Snetterton
Track limits are this weekend’s subject and it becomes obvious as to why they are so important.
Chapter 8 – Saving Andy McMillimig
Spa Francorchamps
One of the greatest racing circuits in the whole world, Max meets all his friends bar Andy McMillimig, who is missing. Max tracks him down and saves him from a returning Saint George. Does the legend really deserve to be regarded as a hero? Maybe Andy isn’t the only one saved.
Max also meets a motor racing legend and wonders what all the fuss is about. By the end of the weekend, Max is smitten.
Page updated by Peter Tattersall, Jan 2021