An engineer, WW II P-51 combat pilot & POW, car builder and Corvette factory racer, John Fitch may be best known in racing circles as the only American on the Mercedes-Benz factory team!
The first American to successfully race in postwar Europe, John Fitch was also the first manager of Chevrolet’s Corvette racing team and raced the Corvette SS, above with Zora Arkus-Duntov, right, against the best from Ferrari and Maserati, below. He was a technical consultant for the film, The Racers and a design consultant for racetracks, including Lime Rock Park where he served as its first general manager. He consulted on the designs for Watkins Glen and Mosport. In 1953, Speed Age magazine named him, Sports Car Driver of the Year.
While best known for his exploits as a championship driver during the golden age of sports cars, he is also the man behind the Fitch Barrier System (yellow drums filled with sand) used on racetracks and highways and the Fitch Compression Barrier and Fitch Displaceable Guardrail.
John Fitch, left, was honored by Mercedes-Benz in 2006 at the Pebble Beach Concours where he was presented the Star Driver award. This award pays tribute to distinguished Mercedes-Benz race drivers, recognizing their unique contributions to great moments in motorsports history. The previous winner was Sir Stirling Moss.
Please visit Mike Gulett’s My Car Quest Blog for more about John Fitch, http://mycarquest.blogspot.com/2011/03/john-fitch-great-racing-driver-and-much.html?