The Stig
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by The Stig on Aug 28, 2008 17:49:22 GMT -5
auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/phil-hill-1927-2008/I'm pretty sure I'm the only person here who follows Formula 1 racing, but I figured such an important figure in American motorsports deserves a mention here. Sadly, the mainstream media will probably ignore this, as they've ignored Hill for most of his life. Phil Hill won the Formula 1 World Championship in 1961. He remains the only American-born driver to win the championship at the highest level of motorsports. He also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times, and the 12 Hours of Sebring three times. Le Mans and Sebring are the two most prestigious sportscar races in the world. Perhaps most remarkably, Hill never suffered a serious injury in a race car, despite driving in racing's most dangerous era.
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Nevada Hoya
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Post by Nevada Hoya on Aug 28, 2008 23:24:23 GMT -5
I used to follow it, when I was in grad school at Cornell. They used to have the US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. I went over one year to see it, and I was impressed. To see those racing machines slow down on the 90 degree turns and accelerate to 150 mph right away was magic. I remember seeing Graham Hill there, and maybe Jimmy Clark.
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SirSaxa
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
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Post by SirSaxa on Aug 28, 2008 23:40:32 GMT -5
auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/phil-hill-1927-2008/I'm pretty sure I'm the only person here who follows Formula 1 racing, but I figured such an important figure in American motorsports deserves a mention here. Sadly, the mainstream media will probably ignore this, as they've ignored Hill for most of his life. Phil Hill won the Formula 1 World Championship in 1961. He remains the only American-born driver to win the championship at the highest level of motorsports. He also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times, and the 12 Hours of Sebring three times. Le Mans and Sebring are the two most prestigious sportscar races in the world. Perhaps most remarkably, Hill never suffered a serious injury in a race car, despite driving in racing's most dangerous era. Mario Andretti also won the Formula One Championship.... in the '70s. But Phil was great. No denying that. Dan Gurney also raced Formula One, Le Mans and Indy too, but never won a F1 world title. Eddie Cheever was another American who did well in F1, the most demanding racing in the world. I am sure there've been others... I know Michael Andretti had a miserable time during his brief stint with F1. Jim Hall was a big time US racer and car builder for LeMans and Sebring, and even Indy. OK... enough of this "back in the day" stuff. Thanks for posting The Stig, I didn't see that. Phil will be missed. |
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The Stig
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by The Stig on Aug 29, 2008 0:18:27 GMT -5
Wow, I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who knows who Phil Hill was. Here's some more on his career and his remarkable personality: www.formula1.com/teams_and_drivers/hall_of_fame/493/Mario did indeed win the World Championship racing under the American flag. However, he was born in Italy. All of those others you guys have mentioned were indeed legends (except Eddie Cheever, who I can't stand!). Graham Hill was a great driver, one of the most underrated of his generation. He won the Monaco Grand Prix five times. His son Damon also won the World Championship in 1996. Sadly, Graham wasn't alive to see it, as he died in a plane crash in the 1970's. Jimmy Clark was perhaps the best of them all. He was a quiet and humble man, who was a farmer at heart and just saw racing as a hobby. He should have won the Indy 500 on his first attempt, and ended up winning it a couple years later. One year at Watkins Glen his rear suspension collapsed late in the race, but he had such a big lead that he managed to drive the last couple laps on three wheels and still win. Tragically, another suspension failure a couple years later would take his life during an unimportant Formula 2 race. The Lotus cars were dominant back then, partly because they were so much lighter than their competition. That cost of that low weight was a very fragile car, and in those days a part breaking could be fatal. Mario Andretti could drive anything and win in anything. He won in dirt track cars, stock cars (including the Daytona 500), F1, Indycars, and sportscars. Front engined, rear engined, ovals, road courses, street courses, dirt tracks, paved tracks, it didn't matter. If it had 4 wheels and a steering wheel, Mario could win a race in it. He has also been a the best ambassador for the sport that the US has ever seen. Dan Gurney was one of those very rare people who could build a car, then drive it to a win. He's the only American to ever win an F1 race in an American car. He won the 1967 Belgian Grand Prix on the mighty Spa track in his All American Racers Eagle chassis. He's also been a great ambassador for the sport, and ran several successful racing teams after his retirement. Jim Hall invented the winged race car. He slapped a big wing on one of his sportscars over a year before anybody tried it in F1. He stayed in racing up until 1996, and was competitive until the end (his team won a race in its last year). Happily, Hall, Gurney, and Andretti are all still with us. |
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Nevada Hoya
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Post by Nevada Hoya on Aug 29, 2008 19:24:26 GMT -5
A stock car race destroyed my enthusiasm for car racing. Watching a stock car (dirt track) race at the NY State Fair in '68, I was hit by a piece of one of the cars (flywheel?) and rendered unconscious. I was the one in 15000 in this case, and I was seated two rows from the back of the stands. I had a skull fracture with aphasia and had to take a semester off from grad school. Fortunately, no brain damage, but close. Haven't been back to a car race since. But I still had great respect for those F1 drivers, especially Jimmy Clark, whom I really liked.
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Nevada Hoya
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Post by Nevada Hoya on Aug 29, 2008 19:30:49 GMT -5
Speaking of Mario Andretti, look who won the NCAA outdoor 400m this spring:
1 Andretti Bain SR Oral Roberts 44.62
Yes, named after the great Mario.
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SirSaxa
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Post by SirSaxa on Aug 29, 2008 22:30:51 GMT -5
A stock car race destroyed my enthusiasm for car racing. Watching a stock car (dirt track) race at the NY State Fair in '68, I was hit by a piece of one of the cars (flywheel?) and rendered unconscious. I was the one in 15000 in this case, and I was seated two rows from the back of the stands. I had a skull fracture with aphasia and had to take a semester off from grad school. Fortunately, no brain damage, but close. Haven't been back to a car race since. But I still had great respect for those F1 drivers, especially Jimmy Clark, whom I really liked. Yikes Nevada... so THAT explains it! Just kidding. Another great driver, not one of my favorites but hugely successful was AJ Foyt. indy cars, NASCAR, Le Mans, but never F1. I only follow F1 a bit, not so easy here. Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher were pretty successful too. Jackie Stewart was another.. going back to the '60s era we were on before. Emerson Fittipaldi is another one who won F1 and Indy too. |
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Nevada Hoya
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Post by Nevada Hoya on Aug 30, 2008 13:27:15 GMT -5
Yes, SirSaxa, that's it. Sometimes the curves life throws at you have car parts attached to them.  My niece in the Philippines was a great follower of Michael Schumacher. |
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SirSaxa
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
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Post by SirSaxa on Aug 30, 2008 13:52:17 GMT -5
Mario did indeed win the World Championship racing under the American flag. However, he was born in Italy. Didn't realize the distinction included "Born in the USA" to quote the Boss! In that case, Phil would be the only one. |
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