<VV> Fitch/Phoenix Autoweek/Moss/'55 LeMans

[Taruffi57 at aol.com]

First, let me say that I am as great an admirer of everything about John  
Fitch as anyone.
 
On pages 32 - 35 of the Jan. 2013 issue of Hemmings Sports & Exotic  Car, 
there is an article entitled "The Immoral".  Words and pics of  Stirling Moss 
- "in his own words".  As to the greatest racing disaster of  all time - 
the start/finish straight at LeMans 1955, which took the lives of  over 80 
people, Moss says that "John Fitch was a real pain in the ass" for  insisting 
that the Mercedes team manager - Alfred Neubauer, call the  directors of 
Mercedes Benz back in Germany to have their cars pulled from the  race.  
Further: he says "Fitch is a very nice guy, but it was the wrong  thing to do".  
Race management couldn't stop the race because ambulances  would not have been 
able to get out of the circuit, and Mercedes was not at  fault.
 
The Mercedes 300 SLR that crashed into the crowd was driven by  Pierre 
Levegh and Fitch was the co-driver in that car.  The crash happened  because 
Mike Hawthorn in a Jag D Type - who had a slight lead on Fangio in  a Mercedes, 
abruptly cut across Lance Macklin's Austin Healey prototype at pit  entranc
e.  This caused Macklin to move left to avoid the Jag, but put him  in the 
path of the coming Mercedes of Levegh.  Levegh's Mercedes hit the  left rear 
of the Austin Healey and launched into the crowd.  Those D Type  Jags had a 
top speed of at least 173, and Hawthorn & his co-driver went on  to win the 
race after Mercedes pulled out.
 
I have been avidly reading sports car magazines since 1960, and only about  
2 years ago have I finally read a clear account of what caused this 
horrific  accident, and am surprised to now read this commentary from S. Moss.
 
Joe Dunlap
Florida
(a keen student of motor racing)