#and because idkw I think it's slightly disrespectful to the memory of the person we should just remember them smiling and happy | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

a-la-rascasse · 2 years

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Happy birthday DENNY HULME!!!!!!!!!!!! (18/06/1936 - ∞) 🐻⚡

Denis Clive Hulme, better known as 'Denny', was born in Motueka in the South Island, New Zealand. He grew up, with his younger sister Anita, on his family's farm in the tiny bay of Pongakawa; his father ran a truck business and thanks to those trucks, Denny showed from an early age his interest for the thrill of driving and speed: while sitting on his father's lap, he learned to drive a truck and by the age of six, he could drive it on his own. He left school early and started working in a garage, from that job he saved enough money to buy an MG TF, to enter hillclimb competitions.

After all the success gained, in 1960 he managed to purchase an F2 Cooper-Climax car and subsequently got chosen, along fellow kiwi George Lawton, for the New Zealand driver to Europe program, that gave them the chance to compete in Formula Junior and Formula Two across Europe. Two years after competing in the two categories, and participating at Le Mans for Abarth, the New Zealander, moved to London, and started working as a mechanic in Jack Brabham's garage, but slowly made his way into the cockpit.

Denny raced for Brabham in F2 races and non-championship events, but finally, in 1965, he got the chance he was waiting for: replacing Dan Gurney, who was busy at the indy 500 that weekend, he made his debut at the Monaco Grand Prix; he became officially a memeber of the Brabham team in '66, when Dan left, and had his first full F1 season. He stayed in the team till 1967, the year he won his first, and only, championship.

In 1968 he took a big step: he moved to the McLaren team, owned by fellow Kiwi, Bruce McLaren, with whom was already teammate in the Can-Am series overseas. But in 1970, despite Bruce's passing, and a serious injury caused from methanol fire, that severally burned both his hands, he undeterrely continued racing, feeling that he owed it to Bruce and the McLaren team; he would stay in McLaren till 1974, before retiring from F1.

Even though he retired from f1, he couldn't stop racing: throughtout the 80s he competed in different Touring cars competitions.

Denny would pass away in 1992 due to heart attack, while competing at one of his favourite events, the Bathurst 1000: he managed to safely stop the car at the side of the race track, he later got transported to the hospital, but there wasn't much the doctors could do.

Denny took part in the infamous 1966 Le Mans with teammate Ken Miles, and was a foundamental part of the McLaren team, especially in the Can-Am series.

He was nicknamed 'The Bear', because of his "gruff nature" and "rugged features", but was a sensible man that was unable to express properly his feelings.

Till to this day he ramins the first and only New Zealander to win the World Championship.

#tw death #it's nothing graphic I just talk explicitly about death something that I never did and that rarely will do #especially with graphic stuff you'll never read anything like it because simply I can't bring myself to do it #and because idkw I think it's slightly disrespectful to the memory of the person we should just remember them smiling and happy #(of course unless we're talking about safety and more on medical point of view)#sorry if I digressed but I think I had to make it clear #happy bday to denny!!!!!! <3333 #denny hulme #classic f1 #f1 #formula 1 #retro f1 #f1 1960s #f1 1970s #f1_bdays

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