Racing Legend John Fitch dead at 95

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of racing legend John Fitch. How do you summarize John Cooper Fitch? He was a decorated WWII air corps pilot and POW, Purple Heart medal winner, SCCA and LeMans champion, team manager, racing and auto safety pioneer. These titles all apply.

John Fitch was born on August 4th, 1917 and from an early age was introduced to car racing. He was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. His stepfather was an executive for Stuz and introduced him to racing, but he was not initially impressed with it. It wasn't until he returned from WWII that he fell in to car racing as many did. During the war, Fitch was a decorated pilot in the Army Air Corps who was shot down and captured by German troops and locked in a POW camp.

After the war he began racing cars, only sports car racing rather than the typical oval track racing he witnessed at Indy. And Fitch was good, better yet great. During the early 50s, Fitch raced for driver and car designer Briggs Cunningham. He later became the only American to race for Mercedes Benz in their racing efforts. In 1955, the crash at the 24 Hours of LeMans greatly affected Fitch. He would go on to develop the Fitch Inertial Crash Barrier. Yellow barrels filled with sand that are still seen on racetracks and highways to this day.

After Mercedes, Fitch was approached by Chevrolet to help develop and manage their Corvette racing efforts and to make the Corvette a true race car. The eventually led to Fitch driving a Corvette at LeMans in 1960, and winning with co-driver Bob Grossman. Fitch would retire from professional driving in 1966. However, he did do some further driving for others, including a failed attempt at a land speed record in a 300 SL gullwing Mercedes owned by Bob Sirna. He was also re-united with his LeMans winning 1960 Corvette at LeMans in 2010. That car is now owned by Lance Miller, a friend of ours and owner of Carlisle Events.

Fitch had a great passion for inventing and a prime example were the Fitch Barriers mentioned above. He also developed many performance and appearance products for the Chevrolet Corvair. And there was the Fitch Phoenix, a Corvair bassed sports car.

Even until earlier this year, Fitch was a staple at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut. Where he also had served as manager.

God Speed John Fitch. You will be greatly missed.

By: Austin On 09:30

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Who want's to play Steve McQueen?

Also part of this past weekend's Icons of Hollywood auction was the original "Michael Delaney" hero fire suit worn by Steve McQueen in his iconic 1971 film Le Mans. Estimated to sell for $200,000 to $300,000. Bidding went crazy, with a final bid of $800,000, plus a $184,000 buyer premium for a total of $984,000. This may very well be the single most valuable piece of Steve McQueen movie history that isn't a car. And certainly the record for a piece of motorsport memorabilia.  The story goes that the suit was donated The Observer, a British news paper to be given away in a Le Mans contest and was won by a 12 year old boy by the name of Timothy Davies. He sold the suit a number of years later, and probably for a sum no where near this figure.

In August the 1970 Porsche 911S owned and driven by Steve McQueen in the opening sequence of Le Mans set a record sale at $1.375 million dollars.

Source & Photos: Profiles in History.

By: Austin On 21:37

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What's in a name? Ex Steve McQueen Porsche 911 sells for $1.25 Million.

There's hardly a person out there who doesn't know who Steve McQueen is. It is also no secret that he had a great passion for anything powered by gasoline. He owned and raced numerous cars and motorcycles, and even on occasion few a few airplanes before his untimely death in 1980. In recent years, there has been a resurgence in anything and everything Steve McQueen. However, on the rare occasion, you can find something that he actually owned. Take the case of this Slate Grey 1970 Porsche 911 S. This car was purchased new from Porsche by McQueen for use while filming his movie LeMans. Not only was it owned by McQueen, but it also appeared in the opening sequence of LeMans as Michael Delaney's personal car. After filming wrapped, the Porsche was sent back to Porsche for some upgrades (the car was already heavily optioned including a leather interior and A/C) before being shipped to LA. In late 1971 McQueen put the Porsche for sale, the theory is due to his also owning a 1969 911 S that was nearly identical, but having an upgraded stereo installed (that car is still in the McQueen family today).

Since that time, the 1970 has passed through several collectors hands, all knowing the cars unique place in history. It also remains largely original, having only received a fresh coat of paint and a new interior along with the usual maintenance items. Also surprising is that the car has covered well over 100,000 miles. So it's been driven, just the way Steve would have had it. The current owner elected to offer the car for sale and commissioned the car to RM Auction's Monterey sale (fitting) and with an opening bid of $200,000, the Porsche quickly rose to $1 million dollars and ending just short of the high auction estimate of $1.35 million.

This is another car, that I personally would love to have in my collection, even if it didn't have the Steve McQueen pedigree. There is something about the early 911s that just look so right, even today. And when topped with the subdued slate grey paint color, it makes for one classy ride. Congratulations to the new owner, and hopefully the 911 will be see out on the road and at car events rather than locked away in a garage.

Photos: RM Auctions.

By: Austin On 09:22

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Chevrolet to return to ALMS with Corvette C6.R in 2008

There had been some speculation that Chevrolet was not going to continue to participate in the American LeMans Series(ALMS) after the 2007 season due to lack of competition inf the GT1 class. Though today Chevrolet has announced that they will participate in the full 12 race 2008 schedule. So expect to see the familiar images of the competition yellow C6.R Corvettes thundering down the straights next year.

Competing in the series for 2008 will be an important part of General Motors 100th anniversary celebration in 2008.

Since the teams debut in 1999. Corvette Racing has won seven consecutive GT1 manufacturers and team championships and six straight drivers championships in ALMS. The team also holds the series' records for class victories (57) and 1-2 finishes (40).

Source: GM.

Press Release:

Chevrolet Factory Team to Run Entire ALMS Schedule and 24 Hours of Le Mans

DETROIT – Corvette Racing, the most successful team in the history of the American Le Mans Series, will compete in the GT1 class in all 12 events on the ALMS schedule in 2008. Chevrolet's two-car factory road racing team will also return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in pursuit of a sixth GT1 title in the world's most famous sports car race.

"Corvette Racing was conceived as a long-term program to showcase the performance, technology, and value of Chevrolet's world-class sports car," said Mark Kent, director of GM Racing. "Since the team's competition debut in 1999, Corvette Racing's success in top-tier road racing has produced a strong return on our investment, paying dividends in marketing, engineering, technology transfer, personnel development and other areas of our business. Corvette is now a performance icon that's recognized around the world, and Corvette Racing's continued participation in the ALMS and the 24 Hours of Le Mans will be an important element in the global celebration of GM's 100th anniversary in 2008."

Corvette Racing has won seven consecutive GT1 manufacturers and team championships and six straight drivers championships in ALMS competition. The team holds the series' records for class victories (57) and 1-2 finishes (40).

"Our decision to compete in all 12 rounds of the ALMS schedule in 2008 reflects our commitment to our sponsors, our suppliers, and to Corvette enthusiasts worldwide," said Steve Wesoloski, GM Racing Road Racing Group manager. "There is a reason why thousands of Corvette owners attend Corvette Corrals at ALMS events and why the autograph line at Corvette Racing is the longest in the ALMS paddock: Racing is an integral part of Corvette's history and heritage, and we are continuing that tradition.

"Experience teaches us that motorsports is cyclical, and the GT1 category is currently in transition," Wesoloski observed. "Would we like to see more competition in GT1 in the ALMS? Absolutely! But in the absence of season-long competition, we are absolutely committed to controlling our own destiny. We are pushing hard to develop our chassis and powertrain, to refine our race strategy, and to continuously improve every element of the program. We know that the competition at Le Mans will be intense, and we will use the ALMS series to hone the race cars, the drivers, and the team to prepare for it."

Corvette Racing will test two new Compuware Corvette C6.R race cars in February in preparation for the season-opening round of the ALMS series, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, on March 15, 2008.

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the annual global industry sales leader for 76 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 280,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries. In 2006, nearly 9.1 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.

By: Austin On 09:18

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Audi to enter European LeMans series

Here is some exciting news out of Germany. Audi is going to go balls to the wall with their racing effort for 2008. Not only will they compete heavily in the American LeMans Series, and the 24 Hours of LeMans. For 2008 they will also make the jump into the European LeMans series with the R10 TDI. And the DTM series with the newly redesigned Audi A4.

In the European LeMans series, Peugeot has been the class leaders with their 908 HDi, just as how Audi was king of the hill in the American LeMans series LMP2 field. So this should make for some interesting competion with both teams competing more often.

In June, Audi will be going after their sixth victory at the 24 Hours of LeMans, and will enter three R10 TDI race cars. For the American LeMans series, Audi will have two R10s aswell as another pair for the European Series.

For the 2008 DTM series, Audi will again be defending their title as champion. They will again be working with their partner teams from ABT Sportsline, Rosenberg and Pheonix. These teams will campaign eight cars in the series. Customer team Futurecom TME will campaign an additional two cars.

To see Audi and Peugeot go at it head to head on some of Europes greates racetracks will make for some great racing. Unfortunately I doubt we'll get to see much coverage of the series from the Nascar Chan.......I mean SPEED.

Source: Audi

PRESS RELEASE:
Audi with clear commitment to motorsport

• Most extensive factory involvement in company's history


• Race version of the new Audi A4 celebrates debut in DTM


• Entry in the Le Mans Series in Europe planned
  

AUDI AG makes a clear commitment to motorsport for the 2008 season with the most extensive factory involvement in the company's history. In addition to defending the DTM title with the new A4 and the entry of three diesel-powered sportscars in the 24 Hour of Le Mans, Audi Sport plans the continuation of its involvement in the American Le Mans Series and its entry in the Le Mans Series in Europe.

As a result, Audi competes on a factory level in a prospective 30 races and three championships with two different types of car in 2008. The near 460-hp race version of the new Audi A4 celebrates its debut in the DTM. The third generation of the revolutionary R10 TDI diesel sportscar is developed by Audi Sport in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm.

"Without its successes in motorsport, Audi would not be the most sporting and fastest growing brand in the premium segment," stresses Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of AUDI AG. "Everybody at Audi knows just how important motorsport is for the brand. We will continue to concentrate on racing series that bear a close relationship to production and which accelerate the development of our production car range. This is the case with the DTM and the Le Mans sportscars."

Proven driving squad in the DTM
Audi starts the 2008 DTM season as defending champions. The well-proven partner teams of Abt Sportsline, Phoenix and Rosberg enter a total of eight factory cars for Audi. The customer team, Futurecom TME, brings two additional A4 cars to the grid. Audi remains loyal to the motto "Never change a winning team" where its driver squad is concerned: The four latest generation Audi A4 DTM cars are driven by DTM Champion Mattias Ekström, Tom Kristensen, Timo Scheider and Martin Tomczyk.

Also on board again are youngsters Alexandre Prémat and Mike Rockenfeller who impressed from the word go and were able to claim podium positions in their debut DTM season.

The identity of their team-mates and the line-up within the Phoenix and Rosberg teams will be revealed following driver evaluations in December. The same applies to Vanina Ickx's successor at Futurecom TME. The occupant of the second seat in this team will again be allocated by the Bavarian-based Audi customer outfit itself.

Three Audi R10 TDI prototypes at Le Mans
Audi Sport also backs proven teams and drivers for its sportscar programme: The entry of the three cars at the 24 Hours of Le Mans will once again be undertaken by Audi Sport Team Joest, which has already taken five victories for Audi in the French long-distance classic. At the wheel of the three Audi R10 TDI prototypes are the same drivers as in June 2007: Frank Biela/Emanuele Pirro/Marco Werner, Dindo Capello/Tom Kristensen/Allan McNish and Lucas Luhr/Alexandre Prémat/Mike Rockenfeller.

Audi plans to enter two cars in the American Le Mans Series and the Le Mans Series in Europe through Audi Sport North America in the USA and Reinhold Joest's team in Europe. "Stable regulations with the clear positioning of the LM P1 sportscar as top category and good TV marketing in Europe are conditions for Audi's factory involvement in both of the Le Mans series," explains Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich.

Lucas Luhr jumps from the DTM to the R10 TDI
Regular drivers for the sportscar project in the 2008 season will be Dindo Capello, Allan McNish, Marco Werner and Lucas Luhr, the latter moving from the DTM to the Audi R10 TDI. Meanwhile Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro, the two longest serving and most experienced Audi factory drivers, compete again with the R10 TDI. Audi also wishes to commit the experienced duo to the brand for the long-term as a result of their unstinting service and loyalty to Audi after their active careers.

Detail-optimised Audi R10 TDI
The Audi R10 TDI is further developed for its third season. The Audi Sport technicians, under the direction of Technical Director Dr Martin Mühlmeier, concentrate on detail improvements to the 650-hp TDI engine and the transmission and aerodynamic areas. The first race for the 2008 model R10 TDI is scheduled to be the 12-hour race at Sebring on 15 March which acts as a dress rehearsal for the 24 Hours of Le Mans for Audi Sport Team Joest.

DTM car based on the new Audi A4
Significantly larger than the R10 TDI "facelift" is the step between the old and new Audi A4 in the DTM. Emerging from within the framework of the relatively restrictive DTM regulations is a new car which will have a new outer skin and new aerodynamics. The development started in June 2007 immediately after Audi's latest victory in the 24-hour race at Le Mans. Components of the new A4 DTM, named "R14" internally, have already been tested successfully. The roll-out of the 2008 car will be held before the New Year. An extensive test programme then follows before the first race at the Hockenheimring on 13 April.

"Quite obviously the target in the DTM is to make a successful title defence," says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. "The new A4 road car is a big step forwards and it had already won many benchmark tests and important awards before its market launch. We will do everything possible to put a race car on the track that will do justice to the production car's reputation."

While Audi goes head-to-head again with Mercedes-Benz in the DTM, the Audi R10 TDI's main opponent will be Peugeot. "We are sure that Peugeot will make a big step forward in its second season and are expecting a hard fight at Le Mans," says Dr Ullrich. "Generally, with such an extensive programme, the 2008 season will be an enormous challenge for Audi Sport. However, Audi has never been shy of a challenge."

By: Austin On 19:39

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