William Pitt (15 December 1926 – 23 February 2017) was an Australian racing driver and motor racing official.
For most of his racing career, Pitt was associated with Jaguars, competing with XK120 and D-Type sports cars, a Mark VIII rally car and a Mark 1 touring car with the assistance of Queensland's Jaguar agents Cyril and Geordie Anderson of Westco Motors.
Pitt first became involved in racing as an official at the 1948 Australian Grand Prix, but gradually moved into competing himself. By the mid-1950s, he was a front running sports car driver. Pitt co-drove a Jaguar XK120 to a four lap victory in what for 48 years was Australia's only 24-hour motor race, the 1954 Mount Druitt 24 Hours Road Race, driving with Geordie Anderson and Charles Swinburne.
In 1956, Anderson purchased a Jaguar D-Type in which Pitt placed fourth behind two factory-entered Maseratis and a Ferrari in the Australian Tourist Trophy at Albert Park in November of that year.John Blanden, Historic Racing Cars in Australia, page 178 The car was badly damaged the following weekend, but was rebuilt and, with Pitt driving, became the dominant feature of Australian sports car racing. Frequently, because of his domination of sports car racing, Pitt raced the D-Type against Grand Prix type machinery in search of competition, finishing third in the 1957 Queensland Road Racing Championship, a race which counted towards the 1957 Australian Drivers' Championship.1957 Gold Star race results, dandsshaw/images Retrieved via web.archive.org on 11 September 2013
The D-Type was sold in 1959 and Pitt and Anderson next invested in a Jaguar Mark 1 Saloon to race in the growing touring car category. After finishing second behind David McKay in the 1960 Australian Touring Car Championship, Pitt became the first Queenslander to win the title, achieving the victory at his home circuit, Lowood, in 1961.Graham Howard & Stewart Wilson, The Australian Touring Car Championship, 30 Fabulous Years, 1990, pages 26-32
Pitt retired from racing in 1963 but continued in his role as a Queensland representative of the National Control Council of the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport until 1964.
Career results Year Title Position Car 1956 Australian Tourist Trophy 4th Jaguar D-Type 1957 Australian Drivers' Championship 12th Jaguar D-Type 1957 Victorian Tourist Trophy 3rd Jaguar D-Type 1958 Victorian Tourist Trophy 3rd Jaguar D-Type 1959 Australian Tourist Trophy 2nd Jaguar D-Type 1960 Australian Touring Car Championship 2nd Jaguar 3.4 Litre 1961 Australian Touring Car Championship 1st Jaguar 3.4 Litre 1962 Australian Touring Car Championship 2nd Jaguar 3.4 Litre 1962 Australian GT Championship 3rd Jaguar 3.4 Litre
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