"Racing legend John Fitch dies at 95"

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20121031/alms/121019873

Saw this and by coincidence an article in the latest Road and Track summarized his remarkable life. I had forgotten that he is generally credited with gunning down a Nazi jet from his seat in a P51. He of course came up with the energy barriers that we see on interstate bridge abutment, after the horrific 1955 LeMans tragedy and led the early corvette race teams until GM officially quit racing. What a full creative life. I really would have liked to have known him. Were any of you acquaintances?

How ironic. I was just reading that article at breakfast this morning. He was one of the first people inducted into the SCCA Hall of Fame.

I saw John at Lime Rock on many a race weekend and had the pleaseure of talking to him on occasion. I was aware of his involvement in the history of Lime Rock , but did not know he was diving for Mercedes in the 1955 LeMans until watching the BBC documentry "the Deadliest Crash" where John is extensively interviewed. Watch it on youtube.

An amazing life, RIP John

Tom Riley

John Fitch was intimately involved in the history of Lime Rock. And, naturally, he was a neighbor of the track and spent many happy afternoons driving over in his beautiful Fitch Phoenix roadster to see us race and share his stories.

He was a great racer, great man, and great American.