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# Phil Hill races into Santa Monica
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/phil-hill-races-into-santa-monica/
- Published: 2003-03-04T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T01:43:08.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Business, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*By Daily Press staff*

Il Fornaio Restaurant will dedicate a room next week to racing champion and Santa Monica native Phil Hill. The 10-seat banquet room will feature an array of Hill’s racing memorabilia — including vintage photos that Hill took himself.

The ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, March 11, at 5 p.m. at Il Fornaio in Santa Monica. Hill will attend the ceremony. Reservations can be made by calling the restaurant.

Hill is regarded as one of the most respected champions in racing history and was America’s first Formula One World Champion. He was among the first dozen members of the California Sports Car Club in 1947, and he won his first victory in a San Fernando Valley rally when he was 19 years old.

In a few short years, Hill developed into a very successful racing driver and had many victories. He won the 24 hours of Le Mans three times and by 1958 was driving in Formula One races. In 1961, Hill became the first American to win the Formula One World Drivers Championship, the ultimate competition in all of motorsports.

For 17 years his record was unchallenged and today is shared with only one other American, Mario Andretti. Hill remains the only American-born Formula One champion.

After retiring from racing, Hill launched the Hill & Vaughn automobile restoration business. Hill now devotes his attention to his own collection of vintage automobiles. He also works as contributing editor for Road & Track magazine and is involved with son Derek’s racing career. Derek is currently the principal American in Formula 3000, run concurrently on the same weekends with the European Formula One events.

Hill was born in Miami but moved to Santa Monica in 1928 and has lived in the same house ever since. His father served as the city’s postmaster.

Il Fornaio President Michael Mindel, along with Terry Karges, Marketing Manager for Roush, America’s largest racing company, thought there should be a tribute to Phil in his hometown. Knowing of Phil’s love of Italian racing cars, language and cuisine, Il Fornaio decided to create a special room dedicated to the champion, to commemorate his myriad achievements in racing and his involvement in the Santa Monica community.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 4, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/030403.pdf?ref=smdp.com)