Ferrari Mailing List: Re: Fwd: Phil Hill, 1927 - 2008

[Michael Morgan (mmorgan]

My local Ferrari Owners Club was fortunate enough to have Phil join us for a 
day of driving and then a luncheon. Lottery tickets were sold, if you won, Phil 
got to drive your car (with you as passenger) on the drive. Unfortunately I was 
not a winner.
 
At the end of the drive, we arrived at the La Costa resort here in the San 
Diego area. I was seated at a table near the back with my girlfriend. My friend 
and event organizer, informed me to join them at the head table. I was floored 
to realize that I was going to be having lunch at the same table as Phil Hill.
 
At one point everyone at the table left to get food from the buffet, and it was 
just me and Phil sitting at the table. We had about 5 minutes of converstation 
before the others returned. These were the most remarkable minutes of my life. 
Sitting there with my hero, for a few precious minutes.
 
Phil then gave the group a slide show of his personal photographs that he took 
over the years of his racing career, it was just fabulous. Seeing the racing 
side of things from his perspective.
 
After the slide show, the event ended and there were a few of us still at the 
table milling around with Phil and Alma, they gave us a brief look into what 
their home and personal life was about. They could not have been more 
personable. 
 
I saw Phil at a number of other events, but just for a brief chat and picture. 
I'll forever remember seeing him drive some old race car of his at the historic 
races here in San Diego, shouting his name and having him wave back to me.
 
This was pretty much the high light event of my Ferrari experience, second 
being on the track at California Speedway in MY Ferrari going down the back 
stretch into the banking.
 
I'll miss seeing you Phil, thanks for the memories.
 
Mike

________________________________

From: red5hilser [at] aol.com [mailto:red5hilser [at] aol.com]
Sent: Thu 8/28/2008 7:23 PM
To: Michael Morgan
Cc: The FerrariList
Subject: [Ferrari] Fwd: Phil Hill, 1927 - 2008




Back in the 1950's and early '60s, a time when you could just walk into the 
pits at sports car races without a care, Phil Hill was my hero and I discovered 
that Ferrari was my marque of choice. Since Southern California was a hotbed of 
sports car racing in the Western U.S., I attended most of the races held there 
during that time. Phil and Richie Ginther drove Ferraris for John von Neuman, 
along with John's daughter Josie. Carroll Shelby, wearing his bib overalls, 
drove a 4.5 Maserati belonging to John Edgar, who usually watched the races, 
sitting in a director's chair atop his car hauler. For some reason, their pits 
really attracted me.

I usually hung out around Hill's pits for a while before he raced and found him 
to be a very friendly guy who would answer my dumb questions with a smile. It 
saddens me that we have lost such a fine friend, true Tofosi, and ambassador of 
our sport.

RIP Phil, yer pal, Bill


















~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUGUST 28, 2008 Update:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~











Word has just reached us that America's first World Champion, Phil Hill, passed 
away this morning due to complications from Parkinson's disease.
All of us at The Motorsport Collector wish to extend our deepest sympathy to 
Phil's wife Alma, his son Derek and daughters Vanessa and Jennifer.

We have fond memories of the many autograph sessions and other contact we had 
with Phil over the years. He was a20true gentleman and a great Champion.
He will be missed.


He will be missed.

Paul Zimmermann and the TMC Staff















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