Readers may recall that last month we brought you the story of John Fitch’s planned attempt to break an existing class record at Bonneville in a Mercedes Gullwing. Unfortunately, Fitch’s attempt was thwarted partway through, due to mechanical problems.
Fitch was attempting to drive car owner Bob Sirna’s Mercedes Benz 300SL Gullwing 170 mph through Bonneville’s measured mile to break the existing F/GT class record. However, during an early 130 mph run to earn the license that would allow him to make the full record attempt, Fitch’s Gullwing suffered problems with the Mercedes’ mechanical fuel-injection system. Though attempts were made over the next several days to repair the induction system, the team was unable to get Fitch back on the salt for his record run.
Undaunted, the ever-upbeat 86-year-old is already making plans to return to Bonneville next year to make another try at becoming one of the oldest record breakers in Bonneville history.
