Although I'd surmise that many today outside the UK
Don't know who he was?
By now, presumably Y'all have heard of
British Racing legend Sir Stirling Moss's passing on Easter Sunday, Righto?
Yet for Mwah, it's pretty Funny that the
first thingy' that comes to mind is a very old post from the No Fenders
Archives, now an Uber long 12yrs ago - when this Blog-site was in its infancy;
Aye Karumba! As 'Ol Salt ex-Blogger Mark of Full Throttle Fame was giving me
some good natured grief upon posting a picture of Stirling along with the story.
Whilst Mark was
also responsible for christening Max Mosley Thee littlest Curve' in deferance
to his Bondage Fascinations; Ja Volt! For whom I followed up by calling him Sir
maXXam! But careful Y'all, as Max is a bit touchy over that subject Ja-Ja!
As it was my take upon a wonderful interview
by Dave Despain on that long missed television Talk Show called Wind Tunnel
which got scuttled during the mighty Fox Sports neutering of the Speed Channel;
Sigh!
Since although Ye
Mighty Windbag Messer Despain is still on the Airwaves, now on MAV TV, it's on
a Freakin' Pay Channel on my Spectrum Cable TV Service, Alas I Don't get It!
Since we All know how Overpriced Cable TV is these Days, El Correctomundo!
Although my favourite memory of Moss has to
be upon walking past the mangled front bodywork of an extremely rare Shelby
GT350R at the Monterey Historics that he'd crumpled against his opposition upon
giving it the Rowdy Holmes treatment, as Moss’s solution to the crumpled front
fender was to autograph it and simply walk away! (Although you’re NOT supposed
to have any contact when Vintage Racing…) Whilst I no longer remember which
Hystericals' event this was...
As Stirling raced during a time of Chivalry,
when Formula 1 racecars ran in Thar Nation's colours sans thou litany 'O Sponsors!
And Moss's overlying Dedication to keep a Stiff Upper Lip and Drive only
British marques whenever possible seemingly cost him opportunities to become a
Formula 1 World Champion, albeit I wasn't aware of his turning down somebody
named Enzo initially!
Whilst Thar are countless tributes right now over
Sir Stirling, and I was tempted to use Sir Jackie's, it was the remembrances of
a Wee lad Idolizing him that paints a most wonderful portrait of Moss
instead...
And although Stirling is best known for
finishing runner-up or as Ye Bloody Brits enjoy calling Vice Champion four
times while amassing 16 Grands Prix victories in 66 F1 Starts. Moss was an
All-rounder' for which I'd say his mercurial 1955 Mille Miglia victory aboard a
Mercedes Benz 300SLR, finishing 32mins ahead of Mercedes Benz team-mate Juan
Manuel Fangio has to be his most impressive win.
And I also enjoy knowing the trivial fact
that his father Alfred, a Dentist contested the 1924 Indianapolis 500 and
finished 14th. Which I tend to recall it was Grizzled F1 Journo' Joe Saward
telling me this in one of his myriad 'O F1 Fascinating Factoids.
Actually I first learned this fact when reading
Donald Davidson's 1st edition massive Autocourse Book Detailing the History of
the Indianapolis 500 many, many years ago...
While Stirling showcased his racing diversity
by taking victory in the 1954 12 Hours of Sebring in a small displacement OSCA MT4
Sports Car with unheralded Yank' Co-driver
Bill Lloyd in a Briggs Cunningham entry. Just one of his Mega' 200+
victories over 500+ starts! Claiming a 40% Winning Average - Not too Shabby, Eh?
As Y'all can read
a more Honed version of Sir Stirling's Motor Racing exploits in the following
Obituary...
