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View Full Version : Phil Hill, Racing Legend, Dead At 81


JalopnikMatt
08-28-2008, 11:30 AM
We just got the sad news that Phil Hill (http://jalopnik.com/5043145/phil-hill-racing-legend-dead-at-81) Died.

He will be missed. A great racer and a great writer.
buickfunnycar.com
08-28-2008, 02:07 PM
Wow...just saw him a few years ago @ the Monterey Historics.Got his autograph too.

RIP Phil Hill
Steve1968LS2
08-28-2008, 02:30 PM
Sad to hear.. but we should all be so lucky as to make it to 81!

RIP Phil Hill
jaybee
08-28-2008, 06:58 PM
One of the greats, he will be missed. My favorite Phil Hill story centers on the 1955 24hrs of Le Mans. Not a successful race as it ended in a DNF, but he wrote of something amazing. Phil was standing on the pit wall watching the action. He noticed a friend from home and they waved at each other. At that point Hill had a sudden urge to drop to the ground behind the wall. Looking back he couldn't say that he had seen anything or heard anything, but that was the moment when the Mercedes of Pierre Levegh careened out of control, killing Levegh and 80 spectators. A crew member jumped on Hill and forced him to stay down, so he found out the extent of the carnage after the race.

Returning home to California Hill was troubled because he had no idea if his friend were safe until a knock came at the door. It was his neighbor, who told him "I didn't see a thing and I don't know why I did it, but when you dropped to the ground I did the same. When I got back up everyone around me was dead." The car had been airborne over the top of him, mowing down everyone but him. Sometimes it just isn't your day to go, thank God.
buickfunnycar.com
08-29-2008, 08:21 AM
wow...amazing story.
JEFFTATE
08-29-2008, 12:18 PM
He was one of The Greats.
He drove for a lot of people over he years.
More info:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Hill

He even did some of the driving in the " Grand Prix " movie.

R.I.P. Phil .
David Pozzi
08-29-2008, 04:30 PM
I've seen him many many times at Laguna Seca over the years. Once a buddy and I invited him to sit with us when having lunch at the track, we asked him about driving the Chaparral back in the day.

He will be missed.
David