Jim Hurtubise

[Ron Hill]

Jim will always be remebered because of his badly burned hands that were wired so he could hold a steering wheel...He will also always be remembered for being the first to qualify at Indy at over 150.....At least, he had a lap of over 150 MPH, seems qualifying speed was only 149.

He raced Havasu twice I think. He had Fred Wickens, an inboard boat builder, build him a twin engine tunnel. The boat was fast and Jim drove it well.

He was great with stories. A very humble individual, that I only spent four or five days with, but will remember him forever. Because his hands were so scared, they were often cold and, cracked and bleeding. His hands caused me to hurt. If they hurt, he never let on... As one fun story after another would come out of his mouth.

He, like me, wanted to change things. He wanted a rule that no tire could be wider than 6 inches on a Speedway car....He said, "Them Sum Bitches would learn to drive...money wouldn't buy you a win."

Pepsi sponsored Jim, thanks Pepsi and THANKS JIM... I hope that big speedway in the sky only allows six in wide tires!!!!

Picture from November 1968, Powerboat magazine!!!


Second picture, you can see where his nose had been badly burned....

[Michael J Gwaltney]

I first met Jim Hurtubise at a Havasu Race. He always wore brown cotton gloves to protect his scarred hands.

I attended Indy qualifications and races and Hirk got me gasoline alley passes and race tickets. He introduced me as one of his Evinrude boat race crew. Actually Mouse Wade was the person Hirk trusted most.

Spending time in his garage at the speedway was a real treat. Many vetran drivers and crew stopped in for a visit and watch progress on the roadster. Most memorable was going to lunch at the crew only restaurant with Jim and Smokey Unik.

Jim was very proud of the "Hurtubise" white letter tires a friend in the tire business sent him for his van.

Hirk's second favorite passion was fishing. His "Gone Fishin" sign on his garage door when he didn't make the show got a lot of press. His friends knew it was the truth. Thanks Jim! Michael J Gwaltney

[Ron Hill]

In '78, my brother was the President of Drake Engineering. Drake built the Offy, Drake Jet, Drake Headers (Gil Headers), Drake V-8 and later Drake water pumps...

Anyway, about that time, all Indy Cars were going rear engine. Hirk, rolled out a front engine OFFy on qualifying day at Indy...They told him he hadn't run a lap and therefore could not make a qualifying attempt....He complained that, "Now he had to "QUALIFY" to 'QUALIFY'..".... He put the starter in on the front engine OFFY and acted as if he was going to start her up...In those, days, the first day of qualifying, was the second biggest sporting event in America....

Well, the engine wouldn't fire, so they opened the hood...and there were five cases of Genesee Beer...No motor.......Hirk got lots of laughs, but I think that may have been his last effort at Indy.

That September, he had a car at Ontario...He welcomed me with open arms and I helped crew all week...but Hirk was out of energy, out of funds....He didn't qualify...Foyt bought a new Parnelli Jones car just for the race....Times were changing and HIRK knew it...

Mike...you said it well...I felt when Jimmy said something he meant it. He sure seemed a man of his word!!! There are few of us left!!!!