Inductees

Cliff Hucul (2019)

Auto Racing Athlete

Cliff Hucul took the most unlikely of rides – he steered his way from some of Canada’s most northern outposts, all the way to the Indianapolis 500, the most prestigious auto race in the world.

Hucul, a Prince George resident since 1967, qualified for the Indianapolis 500 three times in his career. He made his first appearance at the Indy in 1977 and was back at the famed Brickyard in 1978 and 1979. The year he made his Indy debut, he became just the third Canadian in history to drive in the race, first held in 1911.

For Hucul though, it all started at the age of 14 in Grande Prairie, Alta., when he took his first laps in a stock car owned by his dad, Emil. The youngster became a regular on a circuit that made stops in places like Beaverlodge, Hythe, Fort St. John and Dawson Creek.

Hucul arrived in Prince George when he was 21. In his free time, he drove an open-wheel car in the Prince George Auto Racing Association’s B-modified class. The next season, he moved to the A-modified division.

After three seasons as a PGARA driver, Hucul convinced local car owner Ed Patterson to let him slide behind the wheel of his sprint car and that opened the door for Hucul to race on the Canadian American Modified Racing Association (CAMRA) series, which visited tracks in four western states and featured drivers like future Indy 500 champion Tom Sneva (1983) and brother Jerry Sneva.

Hucul later bought a rear-engine car from Tom Sneva and used it to set a PGARA lap record of 13.64 seconds in 1975. In the fall of 1976, Hucul – with help from his family and local sponsor Central Interior Power – purchased a rear-engine ride dubbed “the Batmobile,” a car that Johnny Rutherford had piloted to an Indianapolis 500 championship months earlier. That $60,000 investment allowed Hucul to jump to the USAC Championship Car circuit (also known as Indy car). He made his series debut on March 6, 1977 on the Ontario Motor Speedway in California and finished 12th out of 26 cars.

Hucul was soon ready for the month-long qualifying process to get into the Indy 500. The first step was to pass his rookie driver’s test to prove he could handle the speeds, which topped 200 mph. He passed, and eventually claimed the 27th qualifying spot for a 33-car field. Qualifying was a remarkable feat considering Hucul had to overcome the adversity presented by a low budget, three blown engines and the fact there were 110 drivers vying for inclusion in the race.

The 1977 Indy 500 happened on May 29. And, with a live audience of 350,000 people and millions more watching on television screens around the world, Hucul was ready to roll. From his 27th-place starting position, he weaved his way up to 12th by the 82nd lap of the scheduled 200. That’s when disaster struck – something broke in the rear end of the car, it stalled, and rolled to a complete stop. Had he been able to finish the race, Hucul saw a top-five result as realistic. He had to settle for 22^nd while the legendary A.J. Foyt celebrated what would be his fourth and final Indy 500 championship.

For the 1978 Indianapolis 500, Hucul and his pit crew fought an uphill battle against mechanical issues and he clinched his spot in the race in the final hour of the final day of qualifying. He started 27th on the grid but his Indy 500 experience lasted just four laps (broken oil line) and he finished 33rd.

In 1979, Hucul was enjoying a successful season and came into the Indy 500 second to Foyt in the points standings. He qualified 18th for the Indy, but, once again, didn’t have good fortune on his side. With 22 laps in the books, his engine dropped a valve and he was forced to accept a 29th-place finish.

During his time as an Indy car driver, from 1977 to 1981, Hucul made 24 starts and posted eight top-10 finishes. His best finish was a fourth-place at Texas World Speedway in 1979.