A Gullwing at Twilight: The Bonneville Ride of John Fitch
by Chris Szwedo, szwedo.com , $29.95

Chris Szwedo follows his film Lime Rock: The Secret Valley of Racing with an extraordinary look at octogenarian John Fitch’s reunion with a Mercedes-Benz Gullwing at Bonneville. The idea of an 87-year-old driver using a golden-anniversary car to try to travel faster than any car of this stock class may seem outlandish, but A Gullwing at Twilight shows us the wisdom behind the endeavor.

Legendary racer John Fitch (center) with A Gullwing At Twilight's Sam Posey, and director Chris Szwedo (right). (courtesy Jack Brown)

Fitch gained fame as the first American to drive for the mighty Mercedes team in the 1950s. Later his automotive safety firm developed those barrels filled with sand that save so many lives at highway exits.

A Gullwing at Twilight explores Fitch the man, whose reputation as the consummate gentleman racer persists. But the power of this film lies not in reliving the past, but rather in its focus on Fitch continually challenging himself, and on our outdated notions of what elderly persons can accomplish.

Szwedo’s cinematography captures the grandeur of the desert, the toil and emotions of the team’s effort, and the transformation of Fitch from idea generator to man of action when he climbs behind the wheel of what still looks like a futuristic rocket.

Racing, people and nature unite in this thoughtful documentary.

5 Helmets  —MIKE COVELLO

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