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08-28-2008 #1
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Phil Hill, Racing Legend, Dead At 81
We just got the sad news that Phil Hill Died.
He will be missed. A great racer and a great writer.
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08-28-2008 #2
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Wow...just saw him a few years ago @ the Monterey Historics.Got his autograph too.
RIP Phil Hill'67 Buick Skylark GS400 funny car "Ingenue" 8/10 HRM / Gasoline (Swedish) cover & feature 2/12
World's only Buick-powered Buick Funny Car!
Used to be known as musclecarjohn
www.buickfunnycar.com
http://www.facebook.com/ingenuebuickfunnycar
08-28-2008 #3
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Sad to hear.. but we should all be so lucky as to make it to 81!
RIP Phil Hill"A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for."
1968 Track Rat Camaro:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGHJ5c1yLIo&t=2s
1971 Chevelle Wagon with a few mods:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBVPR3sRgyU
08-28-2008 #4
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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.
08-29-2008 #5
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wow...amazing story.
'67 Buick Skylark GS400 funny car "Ingenue" 8/10 HRM / Gasoline (Swedish) cover & feature 2/12
World's only Buick-powered Buick Funny Car!
Used to be known as musclecarjohn
www.buickfunnycar.com
http://www.facebook.com/ingenuebuickfunnycar
08-29-2008 #6
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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 .Last edited by JEFFTATE; 08-29-2008 at 12:20 PM.
Jeff Tate
U.S.A.
"The best thing about participating in these events is that you get to hang out with a group of intelligent like minded people who live to achieve things in their lives. You won't find a lazy, mean, or dumb bone in their bodies." Bret Voelkel, RideTech
08-29-2008 #7
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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.
DavidDavid Pozzi http://www.pozziracing.com67 Camaro RS that will be faster than anything Mary owns.
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