He moved to the United States in 1980, driving for Dick Barbour Racing, and capturing the IMSA Camel GT Championship in the process.

[1][2] Fitzpatrick had little racing experience before he entered the British Saloon Car Championship [BSCC], with his pre-career largely unknown.

From 1963, Team Broadspeed, employed Fitzpatrick to race their Austin Mini Cooper S in the three of the closing rounds of the year.

The new regulations introduced that year seemed to provoke Fitzpatrick to end his driving career in the series, as he entered the world of endurance racing full-time after 1971.

After the pair finished 4th in Monza in their Ford Escort RS 1600, Fitzpatrick would race solo in a selection of events, winning the first of these, the Austria-Trophäe, at the Salzburgring.

He won five of the nine races in the inaugural European GT Championship, en route to the title, beating his nearest rival, Claude Haldi by more than double his points (125pts v 61pts).

This switched back to Ford, saw him triumph again in the Austria-Trophäe, at the Salzburgring alongside raising Touring Car star, Dieter Glemser.

Although the new Porsche 911 Carrera RSR had no competition, the title chase was entertaining, but only because of the Cologne rivalry between Kremer and Georg Loos (Gelo Racing) teams.

[19][20] 1976 saw the eagerly awaited World Championship for Makes[WCM] based on silhouette cars arrive, but only one marque was ready; Porsche.

During the Silverstone 6 Hours, the works Porsche of Jochen Mass and Jacky Ickx hit trouble along with the fast turbo version of the BMW CSL of Ronnie Peterson and Gunnar Nilsson, allowing Fitzpatrick and Tom Walkinshaw through to the win by a mere 20 metres from Bob Wollek and Hans Heyer in a Porsche 935 K2.

Following a second place in the RAC Tourist Trophy, he triumphed in the Hardie-Ferodo 1000 in an Australian Group C Holden Torana L34 touring car with Bob Morris driving for Ron Hodgson Motors.

His last appearance as a driver in Australia was to have been the 1982 James Hardie 1000, but after Morris qualified their Ford XE Falcon in 6th place, Fitzpatrick had a front wheel break going through Forrest Elbow during the Saturday afternoon practice session causing the car to crash heavily into the wall.

Fitzpatrick found himself partnering Tim Schenken, together they raced eight times for Jaguar, they only finished once, in the Grand Prix Brno, held on the old Masaryk Circuit, albeit in 16th place following an exploding tyre.

When the series arrived in the United States, Heyer was replaced by Peter Gregg, for a race at the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen, helping Fitzpatrick and Hezemans to victory.

The next round was back in Italy, the 6 Ore di Vallelunga, which although Fitzpatrick did not win, he did finish on the podium in second and third places!

Gelo continued their good form, into the next round, with Fitzpatrick; Wollek and Schurti taking the spoils in the ADAC 1000 km Rennen.

This was a good choice, as the Englishman swept the IMSA GT Championship and beat everybody, including the 1979 Champion, Gregg, winning seven of the fourteen races.

These included some of top races; 12 Hours of Sebring and Los Angeles Times Grand Prix, where he was partnered by Barbour and the WCM round at Mosport Park, where Redman joined him.

The 935K4 would not reappear until Road America, where Fitzpatrick took another convincing win, then again at Mid-Ohio, sharing with Englishman David Hobbs.

Another Englishman, Derek Bell, partnered Hobbs to assist Fitzpatrick to his third Los Angeles Times Grand Prix win in four seasons.

[52] Thanks to a high level of sponsorship from J. David, Fitzpatrick was able to purchase two Porsche 956s to run in the World Endurance Championship [WEC] series and did in fact become the privateer to field a multi-car team of 956s.

When the 956 was returned to Europe, to race in the Grand Prix International 1000 km, at Brands Hatch, it featured many enhances not seen on the works cars.

Only one further victory was gained, this being in a DRM round at the Norisring with Thierry Boutsen behind the wheel, perhaps this was not really surprising, for by then there were so many top-class 956s in action that wins were spread very thinly amongst them.

One car was leased to Manuel Lopez and raced with sponsorship from Canal 9 Peru; it was written off at Silverstone and had to be rebuilt around a new 962 chassis.

[50] For the 1985 Norisring round of the WEC, the works Porsches were not entered, which left one of their lead drivers, Bell, without a drive, so Fitzpatrick offered him one.

[51] After the 1000 km di Mugello, where he finished 4th with Hobbs and Boutsen, Fitzpatrick hung up his helmet, preferring to concentrate on team organisation.

[50][55] John Fitzpatrick intended to expand the team into CART for the 1984 season with J. David sponsorship using March customer chassis but the project did not come to fruition.