Story by Preston Lerner • Photography by Kristina Cilia • Historic Photography Courtesy Z Car Garage
Jim Fitzgerald didn’t need a nametag at Nissan’s traditional Runoffs dinner. Jovial and larger than life, Fitzy was a well-known character in club racing, and as a past national champion in a Datsun Roadster, he was Nissan royalty. Still, a badge was pinned on his lapel …
Good article minus some details I think. The inital restoration of this car was completed by Bob Postell and John Williams in Atlanta in the early 2000s. John drove the car in a couple of events, but don't know that he had it completely sorted out before it was sold. Even though the bits to restore the car to its original CP configuration came with the car, the IMSA bodywork in the Activision colors was already done when Postell bought it and he finished up the livery. This is how the car looked (photo of car at Road Atlanta with the Elva in the background) when Adam Carolla acquired it.
My wife and I enjoyed watching Paul and Jim race at Road Atlanta. I was able to snap this picture at his last race there. 
Maybe Fitzgerald was a great guy, I don't know, but everything I read about him as a racer is a turnoff.
Nader said:Maybe Fitzgerald was a great guy, I don't know, but everything I read about him as a racer is a turnoff.
Ditto....That BS on Freddy's Jag at the start of the race says it all. He couldn't beat the Jag straight up, so he tried a d-bag move that shows his real character.....
I won't call on a racer's motivation. My time with Fitzy was @ Road Atlanta Drivers School. My girlfriend had given me the class as a Christmas present. When I showed up Fitzy had us select a car, Z-cars, 300s I think. One had a crumbled fender and I asked aboput it. "Oh, Cruise was here last week with Newman & he crunched that fender." So I sez, "OK, I'll take that car & if I mess up maybe Cruise can pay for it?" Got the stink eye from Fitzy. The other student in the class was a showroom stock semi-pro, there to get tuned up for an upcoming event. We went to the skidpad & I just couldn't do it, I'd always recover from the skid, never got it down, really pissed Fity off. When we got to the track time, I always left about foot off the apex, Fitzy is riding with me & just cussing away, "Hit the friggin apex!", running into turn 12 he just reached over, grabbed the wheek & drug the car to the rumble strip. "That's what I'm talkin' about!" Then the two of us, the semi-pro & I were turned loose for free laps. He never caught me, when we got in he told Fitzy, with a look of amazment, "That guy is fast." The next year I was there in my Formula Ford and looked up Fitzy. "Yeah, I remeber you, couldn't work the skidpad, and wanted Cruise to pay for any damage you did." "You're wheelin' that Ford pretty good, try hittin' a closer apex in 12 will ya?" He told me to come to a track I wasn't familiar with. When I asked him what it was like, "Well the front straight's pretty long, then they got a tight righthander, then a left, a straight or two, couple more turns and you're back to that front straight. Great track."
He just loved racing, I don't think the particulars, other than speed, mattered to him.
You'll need to log in to post.
