Tragedy marred this year’s Walter Mitty Challenge when historic racer, car preparer and 2-time Sebring champion Bob Akin was killed while driving a 1988 Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo during a Friday practice session.
Details of the accident are still not entirely clear, but apparently Akin was being overtaken by another GTP car as the two went through Road Atlanta’s fast downhill section between Turns 3 and 4. The two made contact resulting in Akin’s Nissan careening off course and making heavy multiple contacts with the barrier near Turn 4.
Accounts indicate that Akin’s car virtually disintegrated on impact, caught fire and ended up on the other side of the barrier. Thanks to the heroics of several other drivers (who received burns during the rescue) they were able to pull Akin from the burning wreckage. Akin was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital where he was listed in “critical and unstable” condition with disrupted C5/C6 vertebrae, a broken left leg, right arm, left shoulder and burns to 15% of his upper body. By Saturday, Akin was upgraded to critical condition, but tragically, he lost his battle late Monday night, April 29.
Akin began racing dragsters in 1957, but quickly moved to road racing by 1959. In 1961, he retired from racing to concentrate on the family business, Hudson Wire Co., but returned to racing in 1973 with IMSA, where he won the World Endurance Championship in 1986. The Akin family requests that contributions be directed to the Robert M. Akin Fund at Hakely School, 293 Benedict Ave., Tarrytown, NY 10591.
