JimHurtubise

James Ernest Hurtubise, known affectionately as "Herk," was an American racing driver whose career spanned Championship Cars, sprint cars, and stock cars. Born on December 5, 1932, in North Tonawanda, New York, Hurtubise became a fan favorite due to his fun-loving attitude and hard-driving style. While he achieved significant success in sprint cars, champ dirt cars, and stock cars, including a victory at the 1966 Atlanta 500, his promising start at the Indianapolis 500 never fully translated into the top-tier results his rookie qualifying run suggested. During that debut, he famously out-qualified pole-sitter Eddie Sachs by three miles per hour, nearly breaching the 150-mph barrier, a remarkable feat that set high expectations for his Indy career.

Early Career Foundations

Hurtubise's racing journey began in the early 1950s, where he competed in the Sportsman class alongside his brother Pete. Driving his number 56 coupe, he frequented venues across Southeastern Canada and Western New York, including Merrittville Speedway in Ontario and Cuba Lake Raceway in Cuba, New York. Following the 1955-1956 season, Hurtubise relocated to California, initially racing modifieds before transitioning to sprint cars. It was in sprint car racing that he truly began to establish his reputation, becoming a champion on both the International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) and California Racing Association circuits.

Championship Car Endeavors

Jim Hurtubise's presence in the USAC Championship Car series spanned from 1959 to 1968 and again from 1970 to 1974, accumulating 97 career starts. Throughout this period, he demonstrated consistent performance, securing 38 top-ten finishes and achieving four victories. His wins came at Sacramento in 1959, Langhorne in 1960, and a double triumph at Springfield in both 1961 and 1962. A testament to his resilience and dedication to racing occurred in 1964. Following a severe accident during the Rex Mays Classic at the Milwaukee Mile, Hurtubise sustained serious burns. When doctors inquired how he wished his hands to be permanently shaped, his response was characteristic of his racing spirit: he instructed them to pin his hands in a position that would allow him to hold a beer can, understanding that if he "could hold a beer can, (he) could hold a steering wheel." This remarkable determination to return to the sport was later recognized with the Ralph DePalma award.

The Indianapolis 500 Journey

Hurtubise competed in ten Indianapolis 500 races between 1960 and 1974. His initial impact at the Brickyard was significant, earning him the title of 1960 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year. Despite the early promise of his qualifying speed, his best finish at the iconic event was a thirteenth place in 1962. His Indianapolis 500 career was marked by both technical challenges and memorable displays of character. In 1965, he attempted to qualify with a Novi engine, a power unit considered obsolete for several years prior. The engine failed on the very first lap of the race, leading to a last-place finish. The following year, 1966, saw him adapt to the evolving landscape of IndyCar racing by entering a rear-engine car, a design that was rapidly replacing the traditional front-engine roadsters as the standard for the race, ultimately finishing 17th. After failing to qualify in 1967, Hurtubise made a notable statement in 1968 by entering what would be the last front-engine car to date in the Indianapolis 500. This car, affectionately named "The Mallard," was a unique creation, designed and built by Hurtubise and his brother Pete in their garage. Hurtubise asserted that the Mallard's lighter construction would enable it to compete effectively against the increasingly dominant rear-engine cars. However, from 1969 through 1971, despite his efforts, he was unable to qualify the roadster for the race, as the field had become fully comprised of rear-engine machines. The 1972 Indianapolis 500 provided one of Hurtubise's most legendary moments. He had successfully qualified a rear-engine car in thirteenth position. Yet, on "bump day," the final day for qualifying attempts, he famously positioned his Miller Beer-sponsored Mallard roadster in line for a last-ditch qualification attempt shortly before the 6:00 pm deadline. As time expired before his turn, he dramatically removed the engine cover, revealing not an engine, but five chilled cases of his sponsor's product, which he then shared with other pit crews and race officials, a gesture that further cemented his status as a fan favorite. His attempts to qualify continued in the subsequent years with rear-engine cars. He missed the field in 1973 and 1975, but successfully qualified 28th in 1974, though his race ended prematurely on lap 31 due to an engine blow, resulting in another 28th-place finish. This would be his final successful qualification for the Indianapolis 500. Undeterred, Hurtubise returned to his front-engine Mallard roadster for the 1976 and 1977 races, but the car lacked the necessary speed to make the field. His 1978 attempt with the Mallard was met with controversy when chief steward Tom Binford refused to allow him a qualifying attempt, citing the car's inability to demonstrate race speed during practice. In protest, Hurtubise sat in entrant Bob Harkey's car for ten minutes, refusing to move. After eventually exiting the car, he ran onto the track, where he was tackled and apprehended by the police. Hurtubise continued his persistent efforts to get the Mallard into the field, making his final attempt in 1981. This marked the last attempt for any front-engine car in the Indianapolis 500, thirteen years after the last such car had qualified and seventeen years since one had last won. The Mallard also saw action in other IndyCar races, qualifying last (26th) and finishing 23rd at Michigan in 1972, and qualifying last (33rd) and finishing thirtieth at the Pocono 500 a year earlier, marking the last time a front-engine car would ever run in an IndyCar race.

NASCAR Forays

Beyond his open-wheel career, Jim Hurtubise also made intermittent appearances in NASCAR. He began his NASCAR Cup career in 1957, competing in two races. Over the next two decades, he entered a total of 36 races, achieving one victory at the Atlanta Motor Speedway and accumulating eleven top-ten finishes, showcasing his versatility across different disciplines of motorsport.

World Championship Participation

During the period from 1950 through 1960, the Indianapolis 500 was officially part of the FIA World Championship, meaning drivers competing at Indy during these years were credited with World Championship points and participation. Jim Hurtubise participated in one such World Championship race, finishing eighteenth and, as a result, receiving no points. This singular entry connects his career to the broader international motorsport stage, albeit indirectly through the unique status of the Indianapolis 500 at that time.

A Legacy Beyond the Track

Jim "Herk" Hurtubise passed away on January 6, 1989, at the age of 56, following a heart attack near his home in Port Arthur, Texas. He was interred at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis. His fun-loving attitude and hard-driving style endeared him to fans throughout his career, making him a beloved figure in American motorsport. His contributions and character have been recognized posthumously through several prestigious inductions. He was part of the inaugural class of the FOAR SCORE (Friends of Auto Racing Seeking Cooperation of Racing Enthusiasts) Club in 1985, inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1993, and honored as the 1998 pioneer selection for the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame. In 2004, he was also named to the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame, solidifying his place as a respected and memorable figure in racing history.