Ross -- Can you forward this msg to your CTZCC mailing list? I've included some links to info about John, for those who are not familiar with this racing legend!!
Thanx, Jan Elliott (NJZCC)

TO RACING FANS -- I've received an open invitation to the
95th birthday of JOHN FITCH,
famous racing driver, car designer, and inventor of the safety feature, the Fitch Barrier system (those big yellow barrels at many highway and interstate intersections that have saved
countless lives).

The party is at his home in Lime Rock, Connecticut, on Sunday, August 5. The open invitation is below; hope to see you there!

Thanks, Jan Elliott

Info about John Fitch:
http://kilometermagazine.com/artman2/pu ... Fitch.html,
http://www.amazon.com/Racing-With-Merce ... 0970507364,
http://www.mshf.com/hof/fitch_john.htm, http://www.racesafety.com/,

Info about the 1955 Le Mans disaster:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1955_Le_Mans_disaster

“The Old Man of the Rock” Turns 95 on Sunday August 5th
You are cordially invited to share in His Special Day, At his Lawn Party, (or indoors if necessary) at The Fitch Homestead, 3pm ...
433 Salmon Kill Road, Lime Rock in Lakeville, Ct. 06039

Guests will enjoy conversations with John, on his own Front Porch.
Friends are invited to bring a Photo Memory, and personal story to tell John, of you and he, back in the day! This is the BEST Gift you can bring!

If you would like anything Autographed…NOW is the time…I will have Photos and Poster Prints available to add to your own Keepsake Collection. Also, if you can bring a snack, or favorite Cocktail
Party “finger food”, it will be most welcome on “The sharing Table”

Bring a Camera, Tape Recorder, Sunscreen, Bug Spray, Sun Hat, Lawn Chair, and even a Fishing Rod for the Salmon Kill, right on his property!

Please RSVP to Terry at: tr7terry@hotmail.com or 860-248-1799
Let’s help John make his 94th Birthday Wish Come True!
(Overnight accommodations are available at Terry’s B&B)

_________________
Ross Williams
1978 280Z Black Pearl Edition 38k Original Miles

OH! I CANNOT miss this! John Fitch has become one of my life's personal heroes. Three years ago I had never heard of him. Then I accidentally bumped into him at Lime Rock Park and spent an hour getting to know him, and learned some fascinating things he's done with his life.

After growing up 'racing' an old MGTC on the family's backwoods fields which is now LRP, John and others used his family property to carve out the actual racecourse and supporting park. He raced increasingly faster sportscars at various tracks around the Eastern US.

During WWII he became a fighter pilot for P-47 Thunderbolts and P-51 Mustangs, and was one of the very first American fliers to shoot down a German Messerschmitt ME-262 jet fighter with a piston-driven prop plane (Nov44). John gives full credit to the German pilot (who ejected), saying "he leveled off and flew directly thru my guns like a proper gentleman". John was later shot down and spent the remainder of the war in a German POW camp.

Upon his release, when every GI in Europe was trying to get home, John stayed in Europe and spurred every government to resume Grand Prix racing. He was eventually picked up as a front-line driver by Mercedes Benz, and was co-driver for car #20 with Pierre LeVegh at the 1955 LeMans 24hr race.

For those who are too young to remember this, LeVegh was killed that day in what is commonly referred to as 'the greatest tragedy in motor racing history'. Fitch had turned MB 300SLR #20 over to Pierre, who was speeding past the pits at more than 120mph in the 300SLR (trying to catch Hawthorne in the leading Jaguar D type), when an Austin Healey 100-4 pulled in front of him. The speeding Mercedes climbed the sloped trunk of the 100-4 and flew into the air. It hit a pole about 12ft up, splitting into pieces and bursting into flames. The parts (including the flaming engine) cut thru the packed grandstand at more the 100 mph, killing about 95 spectators and injuring more than 100 others. The burning magnesium body and frame could not be extinguished, and burned many victims.

Fitch spoke to the MB team leader and convinced him that MB should withdraw from the race out of respect to the French victims they had just killed and maimed. There was an excellent chance that MB would have won that day, in spite of the accident. The team leader agreed with John and withdrew his cars with apologies to France for the carnage. Co-driver for another 300SLR was a young Sterling Moss, who had never earned a world championship title because he was so far outclassed in those years by Argentina's Juan Manuel Fangio. But 1955 had been very good to Moss, and not so good to Fangio. So if the MB team had won that race, Moss would surely have become world champion for 1955. Because MB withdrew, Moss lost his only chance at a world's driving championship (which he never achieved). To this day Sir Stirling blames John Fitch for that. Safe to say Sterling Moss will NOT attend John's birthday event!

John returned to the USA after the 1955 tragedy and became the Track Master for LRP for years. He built his own sportscar (the Fitch Special), based upon the new Chevy Corvair. He made ONE prototype, which he drove for more than 50 years before donating it to a museum last year.

Every time I drive down an American highway and see those big yellow plastic "Fitch Barrier" barrels full of sand and water, I remember John Fitch.

_________________
1970 240Z