A fitting tribute to Phil Hill, see Vintage Motorsport magazine
Phil Hill was lucky to grow old, and the rest of us were fortunate to share the reward. Phil’s best known racing days were in the 1960’s; a period filled with danger for racing drivers. Many of Phil Hill’s contemporaries of that period died in racing accidents, while Phil managed to perform at the highest levels with barely a scratch.
There were many equally famous racing drivers in Hill’s generation, but something made him stand out in my mind. I think part of it was that he drove intelligently and always was mindful of his car. He rarely broke and he seemed to have an uncanny ability to get a sick car to the end of a race.
Of course becoming the first American Formula One champion ensured Phil Hill’s special place in the hearts of all of us American fans. After his retirement from professional racing in 1967, Hill continued to be a prominent spokesman in the racing community. He became a broadcaster briefly and a long time contributor to Road & Track. His insights and recollections made for fascinating reading.
I never met or spoke to the man, but I was lucky enough to see him race several times and managed to capture a few pictures of him. You can see some at http://www.chazimages.com/automotive-art-gallery.php.
Read the tribute to Phil Hill in the Nov/Dec 2008 issue of Vintage Mortorsport, http://vintagemotorsport.com/, it’s the best I have seen.
Phil Hill at Sebring in 2002
