all-conquering German racing team in the 1950s. He joined in time to run in
the last Carrera Panamericana (the Mexican Road Race - now THAT would make a
great sim!) and stayed long enough to see the mighty Mercedes-Benz 300SLRs
win the World Championship in 1955. He was also a witness to the terrible
tragedy at Le Mans that year when a 300SLR crashed into the crowd and killed
84 spectators, the worst accident in the history of the sport. (Fitch later
went on to race the Chevy Corvette SS with Zora Duntov, build hot-rod parts
for the Corvair Monza, and invent the water-and-sand-filled safety barrels
that now protect our bridges and tunnels.)
The book is full of quotes from the greats of his era...and beyond--Fangio,
Moss, Gurney, Jack Brabham, Phil Hill, Bobby Unser and Mario Andretti--plus
a short biography by Beverly Kimes (who reveals, among other anecdotes, that
the steamboat was invented by one of Fitch's ancestors, not Robert Fulton).
The book was assembled by historian Art Evans and includes a passel of
period photos, many never published before. Fitch's description of being
thrown into a race at the Nurburgring, a course he had never seen before,
with the Porsche factory team, is worth the price of admission ($24.95,
available from Photo Data Research, 800 S. Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo
Beach CA 90277).