Vic Elford is this year’s recipient of the Phil Hill Award from the Road Racing Drivers Club. RRDC President Bobby Rahal made the presentation at the club’s recent dinner prior to this year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona. The Phil Hill Award has been presented annually since 1993 to the person who the RRDC feels has rendered outstanding service to road racing—whether a driver, entrant or outstanding member of a sanctioning body.
Elford, the English speedster widely known as “Quick Vic,” was a true all-rounder who excelled in rallying, endurance racing, Can-Am, Trans-Am and single-seaters. He first made his mark in rallying, winning the 1967 European Rally Championship and then the 1968 Monte Carlo Rally in a Porsche 911. His other successes that year came in the 24 Hours of Daytona, the Targa Florio and the Nürburgring 1000 kilometers, all in a Porsche 907. That same summer Elford also made his Formula One debut at the French GP, driving his Cooper-BRM to a fine 4th–place finish, but it would turn out to be his best F1 result.
He qualified his long-tail Porsche 917 on the pole for Le Mans in 1970, recording the first 150-mph lap of Le Circuit de la Sarthe, and won the 12 Hours of Sebring in the Martini 917K in 1971, sharing with Gerard Larrousse.
In his acceptance speech, Elford said, “Phil Hill was a great friend, competitor, of course, and I’m speechless. I’m just honored and thrilled to have received this award in his name.”
