Ferrari Mailing List: RIP - Phil Hill- Ferari Bubba

[Dick Petrick (rtpetrick]

Hola Bubba and the list! 

The news of Phil Hill's passing is indeed sad. For those of us who were
alive during his racing career, there are many stories, and so, here is
mine. I was a single parent child. In 1955, my mother, who was both mother
and father to me, decided that we needed to see a sports car race. I was
eleven at the time. So off we went to Road America near Elkhart Lake,
Wisconsin. The feature race had 2 D-Type Jags in the front row of the grid.
In the second row, sat another D-Type and a Ferrari 750 Monza, which was
driven by Phil Hill. I should point out that I had never heard of a Ferrari
before this event, and that my idea of the quintessential sports car was the
MGTF. Anyway, the flag drops and Phil Hill squirts out between the 2 D-Types
in the front row and either out drags, or out brakes, both of them into the
first corner. Phil went mano a mano with a guy by the name of Sherwood
Johnston. Phil ultimately won the race. Johnston was second in a D-Jag and I
believe he was killed in race somewhat later in his career. So, when Phil
Hill crossed the finish line as the winner, I turned to my mother and said
something like "A Ferrari, eh? Someday, I'm going to own one of those" .
I've been a tifosi ever since and 47 years later I bought Testarossa, and I
owe it all to my mother, and Phil Hill. God bless both of them.

Rest in peace, Phil...

 

Regards