Print This Page

In 1957, Hurtubise was offered the opportunity to drive Jim Rush’s No.56 Chevrolet in 2 NASCAR Grand National Division races. He finished 13th at Ascot Stadium in Los Angeles and 10th at Santa Clara Fairgrounds in San Jose, California. He was leading the IMCA points in 1959 when he was offered an opportunity to compete in the USAC Hoosier 100 driving for Art Lathrop, a car owner from Indianapolis. Hurtubise accepted the offer and scored a win in only his second USAC event in Sacramento, California.

In 1960, Hurtubise made his debut in the Indianapolis 500. Despite having engine problems, he finished 18th and was named the 1960 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year. He would record a win in the USAC series at Langhorne during 1960. He returned to the Brickyard in 1961 leading 35 laps in the Indy 500, but an engine failure once again ended his day early relegating him to a 22nd place finish. He would chart another USAC win at Springfield.

In 1962, Hurtubise again returned to Indianapolis qualifying 29th and finishing 13th in Jim Robbins No.91 Watson/Offy. He again charted a USAC win at Springfiled in 1962. In 1963, Hurtubise was behind the wheel of the

No.56 Hotel Tropicana Kurtis/Novi in the Indy 500. He qualified 2nd and led 1 lap, but an oil leak put him out of the running on lap 102 and left him with a 22nd place finish. He made 3 starts in the NASCAR Grand National Division driving the Petty Enterprises No.41 and No.42.

In 1964, Hurtubise drove the No.56 Tombstone Life Watson/Offyin the Indianapolis 500 qualifying 11th and finishing 14th after losing oil pressure on lap 141. He drove Norm Nelson’s No.2 Plymouth in the NASCAR Atlanta 500 finishing 23rd after mechanical problems. In August of 1964 at Milwaukee, Hurtubise was involved in a firey crash that left him severly burned. He was flown to the Army burn center in Texas. Doctors broke the news to him that it was doubtful he would be able to return to racing due to the severity of the damage to his hands. Hurtubise would hear none of it. He instructed the doctors to shape his burned hands to fit a steering wheel. He recovered from his injuries and returned to the sport he loved.

Incredibly, Hurtubise was back in a race car in time for 1965's first championship race in Phoenix, in which he finished fourth. He went on to finish 14th in USAC points in 1965 and won the Milwaukee 250 Stock Car Race. His hands were healing and he began wearing gloves to protect them.

The people at Tobstone Life presented him with a brand new Halibrand car to race in the Indy 500, but crashed the first weekend of qualifying. Andy Granatelli offered him a Kurtis/Novi which he qualified, but during the race completed only one lap before suffering transmission problems and finished 33rd.

In 1966, Hurtubise drove Norm Nelson’s No.56 Plymouth in 5 NASCAR Grand National Division events. He finished 6th in the Motor Trend 500 at Riverside, 6th in the Daytona 500, and 5th in the Firecracker 400. In March, he scored his first NASCAR win in the Atlanta 500 after qualifying 5th and leading 139 of the 334 laps. He drove the No.56 Gerhardt Gerhardt/Offy in the Indy 500 qualifying 22nd and finishing 17th after more engine problems.

In 1967, Hurtubise finished 10th in the Daytona 500 driving Nelson’s No.10 Plymouth and did not compete in the Indy 500. In 1968, he drove Lyle Stetler’s No.56 Mercury in 4 NASCAR Grand National events and Tom Pistone’s No.12 and No.59 Mercury in 2 events. He finished 10th in the Firecracker 400 at Daytona. He returned to the Indy 500 driving the No.56 Pepsi-Frito Lay Mallard/Offy. Another engine failure relegated him to a 30th place finish at the Brickyard.

In 1969, Hurtubise competed in the NASCAR Grand National Talladega 500 driving L. G> DeWitt’s No.4 Ford qualifying 3rd, but an engine failure dropped him from the running on lap 63 relegating him to a 25th finishing position. In 1970, he drove Pistone’s No.59 in the Daytona 500. A rearend problem dropped him out of his 125 Qualifier and put him to starting 34th in the race, but he fought back and finished the Daytona 500 in 7th. In 1971, he drove Jimmy McCain’s No.20 Ford in 2 NASCAR Winston Cup Series events recording an 8th place finish in the Daytona 500.

In 1972, Hurtubise drove Richard Hammond’s No.56 Chevrolet in the Daytona 500 and the No.56 Ford in the Talladega 500 where he finished 10th. He returned to the Indianapolis 500 after a 4-year absence to drive the No.56 Miller High Life Coyote/Foyt. He qualified 13th and finished 23rd.

In 1974, Hurtubise finished the NASCAR Daytona 500 in 25th driving Dan Bray’s No.56 Chevrolet after a crash on lap 112. He drove the No.56 Miller High Life Eagle/Offy in the Indianapolis 500 but a blown engine dropped him to a 25th finish.

Hurtubise returned to NASCAR Winston Cup competition in 1976 driving Junior Miller’s No.95 Moran Electric Chevrolet. A blown engine with 20 laps to go left him with a 16th place finish. In 1977, He drove in 4 NASCAR Winston Cup Series events recording a 15th place finish in the Firecracker 400 at Daytona driving Ray Emerson’s No.6 Chevrolet.