Sports car racing archives complete archive of john fitch usa complete archive page 3 settings login rsc home drivers john fitch archive complete archive of john fitch page 3. John cooper fitch was an american racing driver and inventor. The cars of celebrated driver john fitch get their own celebration at. Hes been a bluewater sailor, a fighter pilot, a test pilot, a professional racing driver, a team manager, race course director, prolific inventor, highway safety expert, automaker, entrepreneur and dreamer. The american driver john fitch, who has died aged 95, first made his mark by winning the 1951 buenos aires grand prix for sports cars. John fitch a tribute to the legendary race car driver. Hes been a bluewater sailor, a fighter pilot, a test pilot, a professional racing driver, a team manager. John fitch racing driver wikimili, the best wikipedia. John fitch racing driver 19172012, racing driver, inventor of innovative safety devices and descendant of john fitch inventor john a. He raced competitively for the next 15 years, after what he. He was a works driver for hwm, healey, cunningham and frazer. John fitch racing driver interesting stories about. Fitch 18811959, writer and professor of labor relations. At the age of 91, legendary race car driver john fitch is still racing, most recently at the bonneville salt flats.
Click on the year to see the standings for that year. John cooper fitch born august 4 1917 was a racecar driver born in indianapolis, indiana. After obtaining an engineering degree from lehigh university, he began racing in europe. John fitch, legendary race car driver and an influential figure in developing professional road racing, was born in indianapolis, indiana on august 4, 1917. Sebring 12hour race in 1953, and in the same year was declared driver of the year by. You should definitely spend your quarantined time learning more about him. This is a virtual cemetery for those some time forgotten heroes.
Army air corps bomber and p51 pilot during world war ii, racing at le mans in the early 1950s, acting as a chevrolet corvette test driver, to inventing the fitch inertial safety barrier that is now in widespread use on american freeways. John fitch has led a life that would beggar a scriptwriter. Even if john fitch had never sat in a racing car, his extraordinary life would. And so many great drivers of the past showed up and took out any car they could find. In 1950 fitch raced his ford flathead engined fiat 1100, which he soon modified into. He was the first american to race automobiles successfully in europe.
He was the first american to race automobiles successfully in europe in the postwar era. The worst crash in racing history compelled a racing. The cars of celebrated driver john fitch get their own. New york he seemed bathed in golden sunlight, this john cooper fitch, who put on goggles and a polo helmet and drove racing cars as fast as. John fitch racing 2000 corvette hall of fame national. He was the first american to race automobiles successfully in europe in. John fitch, the racer whose life would have been entirely. Click on the number of races to see individual races for that year. The man many believe to be the worlds greatest living racing driver has spent the last halfcentury regaling his fans with stories of a golden decade of speed. John fitch, who has died aged 95, was a dashing american fighter.
Mercedesbenz remembers legendary race car driver john fitch. Fitch lived with his wife, the former elizabeth huntley, in an apartment. John cooper fitch august 4, 1917 in indianapolis, indiana october 31, 2012 was an american racing driver and inventor. John cooper fitch stuffed a lot of living into his nine decades on this earth, including u. Fitch later became team manager and driver on corvettes first major racing outing at sebring in 1956, and he would go on to race corvettes at sebring and le.
At age 95, american john cooper fitch the first sports car club of america national champion and a star in european sportscar racing in the 1950s and 60sdied at 1. John fitch is well known as a true pioneer in corvette racing, and is. Fitch was present at the creation of american sports car racing, driving in the earliest races at longlost places like bridgehampton and in the. Many, many racing drivers have lost their lives, often whilst at the wheel. John cooper fitch, 95, racing car driver and adventurer. Racing driver who survived a major crash during the le mans 24hour race and later created a lifesaving road safety system.
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