vettecpl98

Hi All. My latest article, A memory of John Fitch: What do you say to your heroes?, is about a chance encounter I had with the legendary John Fitch at Corvettes at Carlisle in 2003 and may be viewed here.

As always, questions and comments are welcome.

Enjoy!

BrentF

Here's a great BBC documentary about the 1955 Le Mans, in which over 80 spectators were killed, and in which John Fitch was a works driver for Mercedes. This incident prompted John Fitch to devote much of his life to track safety. John appears many times throughout this documentary:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asGtbXjYdK0

60-vette

He actually was the co driver of Pierre Levegh on the 300Sl Mercedes which was thrown into the crowd killing all those people.

For me he was a hero all of his life. I adored him for all his activities. After I had met Karl Kling, who had stopped his Mercedes at the Jaguar pits when he saw the disaster of the accident, and Norman Dewis who had driven aJaguar D.Type race car on road from England to Le Mans, I would have liked to meet John Fitch in person. I did not get a chance in this life, may be later....

3JsVette

Truely a great man! Here's more from Road & Track.
http://www.roadandtrack.com/racing/m...ife-well-lived

VetteJohn

The latest Car & Driver has a list of automotive personalities that passed away this year. Each name had short obituary and John Fitch's was very much to the point. I can't remember the exact quote but basically it said: "John Fitch. 95. Racer, pilot, inventory, gentlemen, and witness to everything that made the twentieth century cool."

We should all hope to be remebered this well.