The passing of Sir Stirling Moss OBE last Sunday came as a shock to me bearing in mind I had alluded to his extraordinary performance in the 1955 Mille Miglia in my Saturday column the previous day.
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On Sunday afternoon, on impulse, I had dug out Dennis Jenkinson's 1997 book in which he reproduced a 20,000 word blow-by-blow description of the 1000-mile race as navigator for Moss.
Despite his many years as a journalist and competitor Jenks frequently marvelled at Moss's perception of what lay ahead, his incredible car control and the amazing level of concentration.
To those like me who love motor sport history and appreciate great achievements it's a compelling story that reminds me of the privilege I experienced sitting beside one of our all-time greats, Jim Richards, for 26 years.
Some time after I finished reading the story I opened my computer and was totally stunned to see that Moss had passed away and I had just finished reading about his greatest victory.
It was a sobering moment for someone who regarded him as one of the best, despite never winning the world championship, and a driver who was successful in all categories of the sport.
From the start of his career in 1948, when he raced his father's 328 Fraser Nash, up to his career-ending crash at Goodwood on April 23,1962, Moss drove over 80 different cars in his racing career.
They included Cooper 500, Cooper Climax, ERA, BRM, Lotus, Maserati, Mercedes Benz, Porsche and Vanwall single seaters, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Maserati, Jaguar and Mercedes Benz sports cars plus Jaguar saloons in touring car races.
Moss was also a competent rally driver winning three consecutive penalty-free editions of the tough Alpine rally, and he finished second in the 1952 Monte Carlo rally each time driving a Sunbeam Talbot 90.
Moss competed in 529 races during his career ...
One year Moss competed in over 60 events covering numerous categories including Formula 1, sports cars, touring cars and even record speed attempts.
Imagine today's pampered F1 drivers lining up for that sort of schedule. No I can't.
Moss competed in 529 races during his career, winning on 212 occasions and there would have been as many seconds and thirds as well.
Moss won his first GP at Aintree in 1955, becoming the first British driver to win his home championship race and in 1958, scored the first ever win for a rear-engine car in the championship when he won the Argentine GP in a Cooper Climax.
He scored 16 wins from 66 starts in the Formula 1 world championship and was acclaimed as the greatest driver never to win the championship.
Moss finished second to the great Juan Manuel Fangio in 1955, 56 and 57 but then in 1958 his sportsmanship at the Portuguese GP cost him the title.
Championship rival Mike Hawthorn spun his Ferrari on an uphill section on the last lap while in second place and the car stalled leaving him stranded, which meant he would not score any points
Moss had already taken the chequered flag and on the slow down lap, which was 7.5 kilometres long, arrived on the scene, realised the problem and stopped beside the stricken Ferrari.
He yelled to his rival to let the car run downhill for a jump start so he could turn around and go and cross the finish line.
The stewards then disqualified Hawthorn for reversing, which was illegal, but Moss intervened and finally convinced the stewards he did not reverse and the decision was overturned meaning Hawthorn picked up vital points.
At the end of the season Hawthorn claimed the championship by just one point clear of Moss.
Moss was also supreme in sports cars, winning many long distance races but success at Le Mans eluded him with two seconds and eight DNFs from ten starts.
He enjoyed success racing in Australia, winning the 1956 Australian GP and the 1958 Melbourne GP at Albert Park plus the Warwick Farm 100 in Sydney in 1961 and 1962.
Moss also won the New Zealand GP in 1956, 1959 and 1962.
In 1976 he joined forces with his great friend Jack Brabham to race a Holden Torana in the Bathurst 1000, but at the start with Brabham at the wheel the car was rear-ended requiring extensive repairs.
The car returned to the track after three hours but suffered engine failure with Moss at the wheel.
Moss never raced at Longford but he did compete in the inaugural Targa Tasmania in 1992 with his wife Susie in a Mustang Fastback to finish 20th outright and third place in the Classic division.
The term legend is often used without a real understanding of its significance and whether it is appropriate, but there is no question that Sir Stirling Moss OBE was a legend and a champion driver.
Sadly the mainstream media have chosen to ignore his passing but I guess it's more important to tell us how soon we may see the footy codes back in action.
