geek49203 wrote:
Jim Hurtubise is hardly an Indianapolis 500 legend.
To further de-rail this discussion, Tim, I'm-a-gonna have to disagree with that statement a bit. "Herk" was an honest-to-God hero in my book. He took that screaming banshee loud, ill handling Novi V8 special around the track faster than anybody else in any other car had ever done it. Set a one-lap record at Indy. He raced even-up with Parnelli Jones and AJ Foyt when nobody else could touch them. That's what he was doing in Milwaukee that day.
He crashed in Milwaukee while dicing with Foyt and Parnelli. Burns over 40-something percent of his body. Hands charred, face badly burned, legs, back. He wasn't supposed to live. But he did. When they put him in the big whirlpool bath thing to loosen/remove burned skin, he sang "You Are My Sunshine" at the top of his lungs to keep from screaming. When the doctor asked him to "try to bend your knees" he did a squat. Things cracked and split and bled, but he did it. And smiled. When they asked him if there was a particular shape he wanted his fingers fused into, he said "So I can grip a steering wheel." He told the doctors he was going to drive himself home from the hospital. They said no, but "Herk" as usual, did what he wanted. He wrapped the ignition key in a wad of Kleenex, did the same for the gear lever. Drove himself home.
And started the first race of the next USAC season. No, he never won the Indy 500. He did some quirky, goofy stuff over the years.
But he was a legend, none the less. Don't you think? I do...
JDK
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Build LogQuinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special "Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom