I realize so many have noted Phil Hill's passing including the guys at Speed, but I thought I would add this thread for comments if you wish:

Spa was a crucial victory for Phil Hill on his way to winning the 1961 World Driving Championship. This was the old Spa, the way it was pictured in the 1966 movie, "Grand Prix". So, any comparison to the new Spa is almost impossible. The old circuit was over 8 miles in length, most of it public roads, with trees and houses bordering the track and no one had heard of such a thing as "run off areas". It was an astonishingly fast and dangerous circuit and motor racing is better for most of the new safety procedures, but the greatness that was Spa and The Nurburgring and Monza and on and on, you can ascribe to the current PR line coming from F1, but it's not the same.I'm not saying today's F1 is un-interesting, far from it, but it's just not what F1 in the 60's was, period.


The podium finishers were:

Winner:Phil Hill - Ferrari
2nd:Wolfgang von Trips - Ferrari
3rd:Richie Ginther - Ferrari
As Bob Varsha said this morning in the Phil Hill Tribute, Hill's victory over von Trips was by 7/10ths of a second at an Ave: Speed: 128.15 mph:



Now, I know the record is 145 or so, but when you examine the cars, the engine size and the circuit itself, plus the 47 years since the race took place, and 128.15 mph is pretty spectacular.Well, I think so anyway. Check out the specs for the Ferrari Dino and see what I mean. http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/129/Ferrari-156-F1--Sharknose-.html

I got to meet Phil Hill once, at the '64 Le Mans race where he was driving one of the GT40's. I was wearing a USC sweatshirt and Phil noticed that and said with some skepticism "You're going to USC?" And then he heard my So Cal accent and knew I probably wasn't making it up. Phil Hill was a USC grad himself and since I was in a special area and had the pass to get there, he let me slide.

Besides the GT 40's, I saw Phil Hill drive when he teamed up with Jim Hall in the Chaparrals and Hill was fast right to the end of his career, including Phil's victory for Chaparral with co-driver Jo Bonnier in the 1966 1000K at the Nurburgring. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaparral_Cars

Phil Hill -- World Champion -- Le Mans Master -- Sports Car legend -- Gentlemen and Always Fast.

Good write up anybody find any tribute screensavers/wallpapers for phil hill?