By Peter M. DeLorenzo
Detroit. Racing a car, motorcycle or anything with some sort of power is a pursuit like no other. It is a passionate endeavor requiring an obsessive single-mindedness that consumes the people involved to a degree that outsiders find hard to understand. Ask any driver who has competed at the top level, and they will tell you that there is nothing half-assed about what they do, because the focus required is almost incomprehensible. Drivers talk about being in "the zone" - a strange state of mind that takes over their entire being while they're racing - when the faster they go the more things seem to slow down for them. They're aware of everything around them, but at the same time their focus on the task at hand is impenetrable, because anything less can result in a mistake that will likely have severe consequences. Racers are indeed a rare breed, willing to sacrifice everything for the pursuit of what they love to do, to the detriment of everything else. These racers have left an indelible mark on the sport. Drivers who were fierce competitors, flawed heroes and incredible, gifted talents. Their legacies are what make the sport of motor racing so fascinating. In the most recent issues of "Fumes" I have been recalling some of my favorites. This week's issue is dedicated to the remarkable British racer, James Hunt.
The mercurial James Hunt was a tremendously talented driver who pushed norms and rattled the establishment every chance he got, and his memorable pairing with Lord Hesketh and the Hesketh Racing Team in the beginning of his F1 career remains one of the most colorful chapters in the sport. Hunt was immortalized in the Ron Howard-directed film Rush from 2013, which chronicled Hunt's titanic battle with his rival Niki Lauda during the 1976 F1 season, in which Hunt won the World Championship driving for McLaren. It would be Hunt's only World Championship, as his career faded after that.
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Mercurial, supremely talented and with a lust for life that confounded his critics, James Hunt's star burned brightly, although for far too short of a time.
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James Hunt and Niki Lauda, bitter rivals at times, but ultimately good friends with much respect for each other.
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Suzy Miller (before she became Suzy Hunt) and James Hunt, in happier times.
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Prince Philip, Lord Hesketh, James Hunt and Bubbles Horsley. The pairing of Lord Hesketh and James Hunt was magical, and the duo and the Hesketh Team injected much-needed life into F1.
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James Hunt in the Hesketh 308B in 1975. The Hesketh 308 and its subsequent development - the 308B - were designed by Harvey Postlethwaite for Hesketh Racing to run in the 1974 and 1975 World Championship seasons. The car gave James his first World Championship Grand Prix win in the 1975 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.
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French Grand Prix, Circuit Paul Ricard, July 6, 1975. James Hunt (No. 24 Hesketh 308 Ford Cosworth DFV) qualified third behind Niki Lauda (No. 12 Scuderia Ferrari312T) and Jody Scheckter (No. 3 ELF Tyrrell 007 Ford-Cosworth DFV). Lauda won that day, followed by Hunt and Jochen Mass (No. 2 Marlboro Team McLaren M23 Ford-Cosworth DFV).
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Monaco Grand Prix, May 30, 1976. James Hunt in the No. 11 Marlboro Team McLaren M23 Ford Cosworth DFV. He lost an engine during the race and DNF. After Lord Hesketh was forced to exit F1 - and the crushing spending that went with it - at the end of the 1975 season, James Hunt was left to scramble for a new ride. After much back and forth, he was hired by Team McLaren for the 1976 season... and what a remarkable season it was.
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German Grand Prix, August 1, 1976. The tenth round of the 1976 FIA Formula One World Championship, staged at the Nurburgring would be the last to be held on the fearsome Nordschleife circuit, a decision arrived at after the horrific accident suffered by Championship leader Niki Lauda. The Austrian got out of shape at Bergwerk and subsequently smashed through the catch fencing. The car then struck an earth bank and exploded into flames, bouncing back across the circuit to be collected by Harald Ertl and American Brett Lunger. They, along with Guy Edwards and Arturo Merzario managed to pull Lauda out of his burning Ferrari, with an ambulance arriving moments later to take the Austrian to Adenau hospital. The race was immediately red-flagged. The rest, as they say, is riveting F1 history, as Lauda returned to racing an incredible six weeks later for the Italian Grand Prix. As for the race itself, James Hunt (No. 11 Marlboro Team McLaren M23 Ford Cosworth DFV) had qualified on pole, followed by Lauda (No. 1 Scuderia Ferrari 312T2) and Patrick Depaillier (No. 4 ELF Team Tyrrell P34 Ford Cosworth DFV). After the race was restarted, James went on to win, followed by Jody Scheckter (No. 3 ELF Team Tyrrell P34 Ford Cosworth DFV) and Jochen Mass (No. 12 Marlboro Team McLaren M23 Ford Cosworth DFV).
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French Grand Prix, Circuit Paul Ricard, July 4, 1976. James Hunt, Patrick Depailler and John Watson celebrate after the race. Hunt, driving the No. 11 Marlboro Team McLaren M23 Ford Cosworth DFV, qualified on pole followed by Niki Lauda (No. 1 Scuderia Ferrari 312T2) and Depailler (No. 4 ELF Team Tyrrell P34 Ford Cosworth DFV). Hunt and Depailler finished 1-2, with John Watson (No. 28 Penske Ford Cosworth DFV) running a fine third.
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Bernie Ecclestone and James Hunt at the Grand Prix of Japan, 1976.
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Teddy Mayer and Allistair Caldwell look on as James Hunt gets acclimated to the McLaren M23 before the 1976 F1 season.
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Dutch Grand Prix, Zandvoort, August 29, 1976. James Hunt takes the victory in his No. 11 Marlboro Team McLaren M23 Ford Cosworth DFV. Clay Regazzoni (No. 2 Scuderia Ferrari 312T2) was second and Mario Andretti (No. 5 John Player Team Lotus 77 Ford Cosworth DFV) finished third.
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A terrific image of James Hunt, who lived life with a fervor that was like a breath of fresh air in F1.
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In his later years, James was a much-loved - and wonderfully acerbic - commentator during F1 television broadcasts.
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James Hunt will always be remembered for his distinctive helmet, his hard-charging style behind the wheel and his unequaled zest for life. James Simon Wallis Hunt died of a heart attack on June 15, 1993, at the young age of 45.
Editor's Note: Click on "Next 1 Entries" at the bottom of this page to see previous issues. - WG