Comments on: Jim Hurtubise: More Than A Showman

By: Harry D. Salverson

Harry D. Salverson — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 03:19:13 +0000

Mr. Hurtubise as I knew him, was one of my lifes hero’s and mentors as a young boy growing up. Living just down the street, I would visit him while he worked on his cars. He never told me to leave, as I’m sure today I was pain in his back side with my never ending questions. I remember him test driving his cars down Shawnee Rd.! His crazy stunts in his airplane! I remember Mrs. Hurturbise dropping their children off for my parents to look after as she raced to the airport to meet him at the hospital after his chashes. I remember a man who loved his family, his friends and his passion for racing. Mr. Hurtubise was a man filled with determination, hard drivin and a man who new no strangers. Thank you Mr. Hurtubise for your Influence on my life!

By: Herman Flowers

Herman Flowers — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 21:18:40 +0000

I saw Jim race in the mid 60s after he was burned driving a modified at the Monroe County Fairgrounds, a 1/2 mile dirt track.He was the show,driving way past the point where the other drivers lifted,then hard back on it sideways through the turns, way on the outside passing everything.I also watched him time trial at Syracuse in a Silver Crown car.He flipped it in the third turn.As he was towed back to the pits just about every driver that was in line waiting to go out pointed to the seat of their car offering their ride to Jim.I have never seen anything like that in racing.

By: Perry J. Grouns

Perry J. Grouns — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:58:14 +0000

I was in attendance at the 1965 indy ’500, I watched ‘herk asd he took the lead on the first lap, that ‘novi was screaming as he came down the main straight-a-way, it had a certain sound like none other and literally made the hair on the back of my neck stand up, as the fan’s stood cheering for ‘herk ‘,herk….., he most certainly deserved to win that race, but of course he never did,..He should alway’s be remembered as one of the greatest open wheel recer’s who ever lived!

By: The Paddock Pulse: January 11 Edition | hotchickswithwheels.com

The Paddock Pulse: January 11 Edition | hotchickswithwheels.com — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 10:40:33 +0000

[...] Jim Hurtubise: More Than A Showman [Oilpressure]Thanks to George for writing this, because really Jim Hurtubise ought to be known for being more than another one of Robin Miller’s old-school “racers who make today’s drivers look like total puss-wads.” [...]

By: Jim Gallo

Jim Gallo — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:07:15 +0000

Amen!!!

By: JohnMc

JohnMc — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:37:05 +0000

Mike, I am a PJ fan as well and when I look at Ol’ Calhoun I can understand Herk’s reluctance to get into a rear-engine car.

By: Mike R

Mike R — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:39:42 +0000

I remember first hearing his name when we’d listen to Indy on the radio. when I was a kid.
I had idolized P.J. because of my Dad’s involvement with his racing (Bill Stroppe and the Holman/Moody stock car) when I was an eight year old kid. When I found the bio-book “Parnelli” (by Bill Libby) I snatched it right up and devoured it several times. That was when I became more familiar with Herk’s (and many others’) prominent status in Indy cars in the early and mid 60s.

If memory serves me correctly (I could go back and look), Herk qualified the Mallard for the Inaugural California 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway (the second Indy Car race I attended in person) in September 1970. I started working on Indy cars in 1977, and he was garaged next to us (I was on Gurney’s team, Pancho Carter’s Jorgensen Eagle – interesting you mentioned Quinn Epperly, his son John was on that same AAR team).

Though I wasn’t on pit lane when it happened, I was saddened to hear the talk about what had happened with Herk regarding the qualifying debacle in ’78. I suppose I understand it from the USAC point of view (the car hadn’t practiced fast enough to “justify” a qualifying attempt, and it kinda drove Jim over-the-edge that they wouldn’t let him run), but found it a bit heartbreaking that his career was winding out the way it was. I remembered him from the book, from the memories on radio…from being my childhood hero’s very good friend. It was pretty tragic to see it go that way for him.
From my point of view, you can write about these legendary drivers anytime. It isn’t just filler to me. This is good stuff. Young fans would do well to read them and gain an appreciation of the sport’s history. Good piece, George.

By: james t suel

james t suel — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:04:49 +0000

That was a great piece George! I was lucky as a 10 year old to see
HERK AT INDY an many sprint car races. HERK WAS AS GOOD AS THEY COME. ITS A SHAME FEW KNOW WHAT A GREAT RACER HE WAS. A ROBIN MILLER ENDORSEMENT IS GOOD THING, HE KNOWS A RACER WHEN HE SEES ONE!!

By: JohnMc

JohnMc — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:38:08 +0000

Ron, I’d say that his obsession ended once BB was no longer the INDYCAR Race Director.

By: Ron Ford

Ron Ford — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:18:59 +0000

While Robin MIller had his appendix removed, we can only hope that his obsession with Brian Barnhart has finally been removed also.