Hi Stacy,

Wildly exaggerated and highly inaccurate.

Phil Hill began racing in midgets, but decided that they were too dangerous. He
switched to sports cars in 1947 (MG TC).

He did suffer from ulcers and retired from racing in March 1954 on doctor's
orders. He was back racing in by July 1954 with his ulcers under control. In
those days ulcers were treated with a bland diet (baby food was not unusual).
Hill did suffer from pre race butterflies throughout his career, but once in a
race there was no sign of hesitancy in his driving. Not well known he was the
first driver to break the nine minute lap record at the Nurburgring then the
first to break the eight minute mark at the same track.

He also held the lap record at Spa, which was considered one of the fastest and
most dangerous tracks.

After years of being frustrated by not getting an F1 ride he was finally given a
Ferrari GP car at Reims in July 1957 (practice only). After several Ferrari
drivers died in 1958 Hill joined the F1 team in 1958.

He often said that drivers who died at the wheel did so due to driving errors.
If he was terrified by racing he did not show it. Phil Hill and Phil Walters
were standing on the pit wall at Le Mans in 1955 when Levegh went into the
crowd. Walters retired on the spot. As we know Hill continued racing for another
12 years. It was a time of extremely dangerous cars and circuits, long before
modern safety features and cleaned up stadium courses. Looking at the number of
great drivers who died in accidents during the period, that Hill had few
accidents and no serious injuries while winning his share of races speaks to his
skill lack of nerves.

Hill won Le Mans three times, Sebring thrice (two more times 1st in big GT
class), Nurburgring 1000 km and the 1961 F1 driver's championship.

Hill may have made some bad career moves (staying with Ferrari in 1962 and
joining Cooper are two), but his driving was always superior, if not
spectacular.

best wishes,

David

Stacey Hopkins wrote:

> This is from the article "10 American Sports Heroes You Won't Find on a
> Wheaties Box" by Eric Trex (p. 33) in the May-June issue of Mental_Floss. I
> felt rather annoyed as I read on. Can anyone attest to the accuracy of this
> entry? 7. Formula One Racing: Phil Hill Formula One, the elite international
> driving circuit characterized by curvy courses, is a sport dominated by
> Europeans. It's also a sport that rewards aggressive driving. Both are reasons
> why Phil Hill, an American who's petrified of racing, should not be one of the
> greatest Formula One drivers of all time. After a boyhood spent obsessing over
> cars, Hill began racing Jaguars in 1950 in Southern California's burgeoning
> road-racing scene. Successful as he was, Hill remained terrified of racing's
> dangers. Worried that he was going to kill himself on the track, Hill
> developed serious stomach ulcers that prevented him from keeping down solid
> foods before a race. To keep his energy up, he began a pre-race regimen that
> included feasting on jar after jar of baby food. In 1956, Hill made the jump
> to European racing as a member of the famed Ferrari team. With a few key wins,
> including France's grueling 24 Hours of Le Mans race, he established himself
> as a star. Then in 1961, Hill got behind the wheel of the legendary
> "shark-nose" Ferrari 156 and became the first American to win the coveted
> Formula One World Drivers' Championship. The victory not only secured his
> place in racing history, it also assured that Phil Hill could afford the
> finest baby food for the rest of his career.