The great Phil Hill of Road & Track magazine has died...

[Cooley Hurd]

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-me-hill29-2008aug29,0,5179464.story

By Jim Peltz, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

August 29, 2008

Phil Hill, a reserved Californian who became a gifted race-car driver and the only American-born driver to win the Formula One international auto-racing championship, died today He was 81.

Hill died at Community Hospital of Monterey Peninsula of complications from Parkinson's disease, according to John Lamm, a close friend who is also editor-at-large of Road and Track magazazine.

"It's a sad day," said Carroll Shelby, a close friend of Hill's who won Le Mans himself in 1959 and then became a celebrated sports car builder. "Phil was an excellent race car driver with a unique feel for the car, and his real expertise was in long-distance racing."

Hill won the Formula One title for Ferrari in 1961. He also was the first American to win the 24-hour endurance sports-car race at Le Mans, France -- a race he would win twice again -- and he won the Sebring 12-hour race three times, among many other victories.

"Phil set the standard" for other American drivers who competed overseas, such as Dan Gurney and Mario Andretti, said the late Shav Glick, longtime motor sports writer for the Times, in 2006.

Rest in peace, Phil...:(

[cliffordu]

1. I loved that magazine when I was a kid.

[Cooley Hurd]

2. Me too, and I remember Phil's articles on test driving new sports cars...

[Hangingon]

3. I followed Phil Hill's career for years.

He was a great driver.

[karlschneider]

4. I'm ashamed to admit I probably assumed he had died long ago

and Shelby too. I followed them both when I was in high school. Saw Hill drive at Sebring way back in...I guess the mid 60s?...

[Stinky The Clown]

5. He was in his heyday when I was young and had only been mainlining gasoline and testosterone .......

..... for a few years.

One more for ya, Phil ........