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#1 moog101

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Posted 14 August 2001 - 22:04

Well, I have just watched a documentary about his life and I have to say that whilst I had him written off as a Playboy who lucked into his World Championship he definitely had 'something'.

A sad tale, that he should finally find his love, and sober up, get fit once more, and devote his life to his wife to be only to die of a heart attack that was most likely the result of his former lifestyle.

And by God those '70 cars looked fantastic.

Live Fast, Die Young? Dear Lord he did didn't he?

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#2 RAD

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Posted 14 August 2001 - 22:06

He smoked a lot of pot too!

#3 rdrcr

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Posted 15 August 2001 - 00:28

Moog,

This is an excerpt from my post ... uhh it just got moved...in a thread here....

I remember last seeing him by pure chance in '92 in Las Vegas. Sitting at one of the bars on the casino floor at Caesar's... He was accompanied by two showgirl types, tall and gorgeous. He was smashed and wearing illuminated earrings in each ear and having the time of his life... Good thing too, because it was just a year later, he was dead of a heart attack... One could only speculate as to the real reason that his ticker gave out.


This would contradict the story where he was re-devoted to his wife and family... Seems like he was pretty cranked up to me.

What was the documentary’s title? I'd be interested to see it. When I first started following F1 in '76, he was the WDC that year.

I thought he epitomized a F1 star... dashing good looks and a playboy, a Brit, and could drive the snot out of racecar....


Regards -

rdrcr

#4 desmo

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Posted 15 August 2001 - 01:56

Didn't he have a brother Mike?

#5 theMot

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Posted 15 August 2001 - 02:00

Originally posted by rdrcr
I thought he epitomized a F1 star... dashing good looks and a playboy, a Brit, and could drive the snot out of racecar....



Your not allowed to put "dashing good looks" and "Brit" in the same sentence.;)

#6 rdrcr

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Posted 15 August 2001 - 02:04

oooops sorry....;) :o :p

#7 Dimo

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Posted 15 August 2001 - 02:07

Originally posted by desmo
Didn't he have a brother Mike?

:lol::lol::lol:

#8 Pit Babe

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Posted 15 August 2001 - 02:08

A gift for the Nostalgia Forum, from the Paddock ;)

#9 Don Capps

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Posted 15 August 2001 - 03:24

Thanks, PB. :)

#10 leegle

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Posted 15 August 2001 - 03:28

Desmo - his brother's name was Eric. :)

#11 rdrcr

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Posted 15 August 2001 - 03:31

Originally posted by leegle
Desmo - his brother's name was Eric. :)



.... leegle... (pssst) we know, it's a joke son....

Mike Hunt... get it? MikeHunt.

#12 leegle

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Posted 15 August 2001 - 07:16

I don't know how I can say this but Eric was a bit of a joke too. :) I feel sure Desmo saw that.;) I hate it when it goes over people's heads! :(

#13 StuffedBeaver

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Posted 15 August 2001 - 07:42

I was suprised at Murray's word's I thought they were real good buds, but whether it was the way the doc was edited or not, he did'nt really come out and say he was a good chap etc.

I thought his commentary on the GPs were kick ass and always made me chuckle when he noted that someone was off doing a bit of agricultural work on the grass (I wonder if he ever got to say that about Verstoppen?)

Also I was not aware of the vendetta against Pattrasse, which seemed to be a bit harsh.

I agree with some of the comments already said, that he and his ilk really were the epitome of the playboy drivers and really show the current drivers up for the mineral water drinking, I must bulk up on carbohydrates, pass me another rice cake bunch of girls who drive today - all except Irvine who at least has some of the panache of yesteryear.

#14 El Magnificante

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Posted 15 August 2001 - 08:04

Even playboy Irvine looks like a bit of mineral water swiller compared to Mr Hunt. I don't think Hesketh Racing did much to keep Hunt under control.

I think Jenson Button has the potential to be a bit of a lad.

Sportmen in general were more interesting in the 70's. Such as the likes of McEnroe, Nastasie (excuse my spelling), Borg etc..

#15 sennadog93

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Posted 15 August 2001 - 11:19

Woops - invading the Nostalgia Forum. Hi peeps, just another freak from the Paddock Club.
I was a bit disappointed by the documentary myself as it didn't shed any new light on him. As for the relationship thing rdrcr - there is no contradiction here as it was at least 6 months later when he "reformed" and it is this period that the documentary referred to.
I too was lucky enough (although surprised to see him driving in to Silverstone in a black A35 or some old car like that, you expect to see him in a Diablo or something) to see and meet him very briefly 10 years or so ago on a test day just before the GP - seemed fine to me.
But what a bloke - party hard, drive hard and generally have a good time.:up:


PS. Mot - bollocks as usual. There are plenty of Brits with dashing good looks, maybe if you got out more ie left Australia you'd find out. Ask daz to show you on a map where the UK is.

#16 SennasCat

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Posted 15 August 2001 - 11:28

Hey Desmo,

I thought his other brother was Pork:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

#17 BRG

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Posted 15 August 2001 - 13:17

It was a slightly disappointing programme that seemed to leave out as much as it put in. As others have commented, it completely ignored his work with the BBC, although that is the James Hunt that most people these days probably remember, rather than the driver of more than 20 years ago.

But the depiction of Hesketh Racing was good. They were a real phenomena – a flowering of the “swinging London” culture that hit a still very traditionalist motor racing establishment right between the eyes. Many of us who were young back then greatly enjoyed the sight of this band of party animals who had the temerity to think you could just walk in and win GPs, and who then proved that they could do just that.

The Patrese business was always a shadow on Hunt’s otherwise carefree personality. Seeing the incident again after so long made me wonder if Hunt’s hatred of Patrese came from an unconscious sense of guilt. I think that Hunt liked and respected Peterson a lot (in the recent thread on Hunt, I recounted how I met the pair of them at Brands Hatch) and could not accept that he might have been the real cause of the accident.

But what really rang a bell was the 1976 British GP where the spinning Regga hit Hunt. I was there that day and I admit that I was one of those chanting “We want Hunt”. I know it was wrong, but to see “our” James excluded from the restart despite being the innocent victim of the first corner crash was too much for the crowd’s sense of fair-play especially when the driver who had caused the incident was able to restart. Most of knew that technically it was a correct decision, but we had come to see Hunt and Lauda slug it out and we were going to be denied our fun. It was a strange experience – I don’t think the crowd would have actually invaded the track, but the officials were definitely scared. A British motor racing crowd getting ugly was unheard of back then and the stewards did not know what to expect and in the best traditions of the FIA, that took the easy way out. It could never happen today – except that it probably could!!

In the thread on “Mansell Bashing”, we discussed the growth of British nationalistic feeling in F1. I think this probably started with Hunt. Before that, British star drivers like Stewart, Clark, Hill, Moss and so on had been lionised in the media but at the track were greeted more with polite applause and cheers, rather by than the sort of flag-waving enthusiasm that we take for granted these days. Hunt was the golden boy who caught the nation’s imagination - a handsome, devil-may-care maverick and a total racer, who took on the best the world could muster, beat them and then partied all night to celebrate.

After Hunt, the British had no real racing hero, although there was great joy when Wattie won at Silverstone in 1981. But the dour Watson was not the type to engender mass enthusiasm, so it was only when Mansell, the working class hero from Birmingham, came along that the fires of British fervour were really lit. Strange, Mansell and Hunt were chalk and cheese, yet both earned a fierce devotion from the crowd. Maybe it is because the one thing they did have in common was that racer’s instinct, determination and never-say-die attitude.

After Mansell, Damon Hill inherited some of the support, bolstered by the affection in which his father’s memory is held. But nowadays – nada . Coulthard and Irvine don’t really do it for the British crowd.

#18 Barry Boor

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Posted 15 August 2001 - 20:21

Like BRG, I felt a little short-changed by the programme.

I know it was only an hour (minus advert time) but too many things were glossed over with barely a word.

Murray's comments on the early Hunt days may well have been correct, but I felt cheated that Murray was not able to tell us how he and James got on during their time in the Commentary booth together. There were some great stories there.

Also, some of the film clips jumped about a bit. The narrator spoke about James joining McLaren in 1976 as a shot was shown of James walking down a pit road past a Renault!

But then that's just me being picky, as usual. :blush:

The trouble is, whenever something like this documentary comes along, my expectations grow too high and I'm always disappointed.

James' other brother was David. Make a joke out of THAT one, if you can. :cool:

#19 moog101

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Posted 15 August 2001 - 22:35

Originally posted by El Magnificante

Sportmen in general were more interesting in the 70's. Such as the likes of McEnroe, Nastasie (excuse my spelling), Borg etc..


and cars were faster, crashes dangerouser, flames hotter and tyres wider.

Oh plus bikes were quicker then and women were better looking. Even beer was better.

Sorry folks, bit of an 'in' Joke - ever noticed how the men that lived in the '70s reckon everything back then was better. El M and I certainly know a fella who holds this view, God yeah :)

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#20 Eric McLoughlin

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Posted 16 August 2001 - 23:02

For a better and more honest account of the Walker/Hunt realationship, get hold of the BBC Audio Casette "Murray Walker at the BBC". It makes fascinating listening. Walker is quite candid about his early dislike for Hunt but over the years came to appreciate his character and eventually develop a true affection for him. It should be available through the BBC website.

#21 Garagiste

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Posted 23 August 2001 - 13:05

I was also suprised at the way Murray's comments appeared to have been edited. Murray is mightily upset about how it was done, and has used the "Last Lap" bit of today's Autosport to set the record straight.
I enjoyed the prog as far as it went, but to totally ignore the 13 years he spent as a commentator was bizarre, and how can this be said to have shown us the "real" James Hunt. Boo.:down:

#22 FredF1

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Posted 23 August 2001 - 15:33

Yep,

What was worse was that mealy-mouthed response from the production company.
When Murray complained about his quotes being used out of context - "Well, you work in the media, you should know how these things are done."

I can't wait for the one they do on Jimmy Clark - "All those achievements, yes - But he was a farmer and you know how cruel to their animals they are" Or some such tripe. :rolleyes:

Fred

#23 ehagar

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Posted 23 August 2001 - 17:55

Originally posted by FredF1
I can't wait for the one they do on Jimmy Clark - "All those achievements, yes - But he was a farmer and you know how cruel to their animals they are" Or some such tripe. :rolleyes:


:lol:

You might not be far off.... please don't tell me Clark was a Shepherd prior to F-1....

Can't say I saw the documentary, but after hearing about it, I don't think I want too.



#24 BRG

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Posted 24 August 2001 - 12:01

Originally posted by ehagar
Can't say I saw the documentary, but after hearing about it, I don't think I want too.

Although very flawed, it is still worth seeing and is very good in parts. The interviews with Alex Hesketh and Bubbles Horsley make it worthwhile, plus there are some good old race clips. But watch it with a pinch of salt (if that is possible???!)....

#25 FredF1

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Posted 24 August 2001 - 14:09

True enough BRG,

I was disappointed they didn't cover the 1976 season in more detail.

I just felt there was too much slant put on Hunt being a 'lucky' WDC.

#26 mark f1

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Posted 27 August 2001 - 08:04

Does anyone else here remember a short 30min flick with Eric Sykes and others UK comedians called "The Plank"?

James Hunt has a cameo appearance in it as a Truck driver, IIRC he has a patch over one eye.

#27 FredF1

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Posted 27 August 2001 - 09:13

That's cporrect Mark.

IIRC, he picked up Joanna Lumley and was busily feeling her leg and leering at her.

A very impressionable image for a pre-pubescent Fred!!! :lol:

#28 MOTORSPORT RESORT

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Posted 27 August 2001 - 17:21

For anyone who is serious, and cares, "one" of his brother's, name is David, the same "David Hunt" that owns the logo and assets from "TEAM LOTUS".. Someday, I wish he would get the name Lotus back on the grid...

speedy@f1power.com:smoking:

www.f1power.com

#29 biercemountain

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Posted 27 August 2001 - 17:36

Originally posted by MOTORSPORT RESORT
For anyone who is serious, and cares, "one" of his brother's, name is David, the same "David Hunt" that owns the logo and assets from "TEAM LOTUS".. Someday, I wish he would get the name Lotus back on the grid...


During the Hungarian GP coverage on Speedvision, Peter Windsor reported that David Hunt has been lobbying BAR to change their name to Lotus. Only time will tell…

#30 BRG

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Posted 29 August 2001 - 13:18

Today (29 August) would have been Hunt's 54th birthday. Party on, James, wherever you are....

#31 MOTORSPORT RESORT

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Posted 29 August 2001 - 13:29

In case anyone was at Goodwood this year, David, drove one of Jame's cars (McLaren) up the "hill", David, had his own time as a racer in F-3000...I'm not sure which McLaren he drove, or who owned it?
speedy@f1power.com:

:smoking: :smoking: :smoking: for Jame's, always cool.....
(Happy Birthday)

#32 karlth

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Posted 29 August 2001 - 13:54

If I remember correctly then David Hunt was the technical consultant for the granddaddy of all realistic race simulators: Geoff Crammond's Revs.

#33 gcast

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Posted 29 August 2001 - 15:44

I remember one day having lunch with friends at the Glen Motor Lodge ,Hunt was there with his wife and at a nother table Clay Reggazoni with friends. All during lunch Clay was making little bread balls and peppering James with them. I don't believe that James ever knew where these small missles came from.
He was a great racer who loved his sort and lived life to its fullest. He is sadly missed by all.

#34 Gary C

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Posted 29 August 2001 - 17:45

I thought it was the Hesketh 308 that David Hunt drove at Goodwood??

#35 Peter

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Posted 29 August 2001 - 18:50

I watched it all and was disappointed with the way it ended.

I think it was a typically modern piece of British TV journalism - lets bash a playboy brit.

I'm not surprised that Murray Walker was upset about the way it came out. I know he was good friends with James in the years they commentated together and and what we saw showed absolutely nothing of that.

Definitely not a tape that I will be archiving!

#36 MOTORSPORT RESORT

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Posted 29 August 2001 - 19:16

Gary C. Your right, too many cars, too many driver's, and not enough brain cells...
:o

#37 Gary C

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Posted 29 August 2001 - 19:26

Ha! I know THAT feeling!!

#38 domenico

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Posted 16 June 2012 - 17:30

Today is 19 years since Great Man passed away. He was bright icon of the amazing 70-ies.
Ih that time "... sex was safe and motorsport was dangerous....".
James Hunt 1976 F1 world champion died 15 june 1993.

#39 David M. Kane

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Posted 16 June 2012 - 19:36

Today is 19 years since Great Man passed away. He was bright icon of the amazing 70-ies.
Ih that time "... sex was safe and motorsport was dangerous....".
James Hunt 1976 F1 world champion died 15 june 1993.


God Speed James. RIP.

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#40 JacnGille

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Posted 16 June 2012 - 23:36

God Speed James. RIP.

:up:

#41 David Birchall

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Posted 17 June 2012 - 00:54

Never mind James Hunt, where did the last nineteen years go? :|

#42 Marc Sproule

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Posted 17 June 2012 - 03:35

Some Hunt pics....a fair number of mug shots and some F1 and F/Atlantic action...

http://www.flickr.co...157623186790747

http://www.flickr.co...157623186790747

http://www.flickr.co...157623186790747

http://www.flickr.co...157623186790747

http://www.flickr.co...157623186790747

http://www.flickr.co...157623186790747

http://www.flickr.co...157623186790747

http://www.flickr.co...157623186790747

http://www.flickr.co...157623186790747

http://www.flickr.co...157623186790747

http://www.flickr.co...157623186790747

http://www.flickr.co...157623186790747

http://www.flickr.co...157623186790747

http://www.flickr.co...157623386503148

http://www.flickr.co...157623386503148

http://www.flickr.co...157623311357576

Eventually there will be more and they'll end up in at least one of my sets....

http://www.flickr.co...81980@N03/sets/

Edited by Marc Sproule, 17 June 2012 - 03:37.


#43 BRG

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Posted 17 June 2012 - 21:01

For anyone who is serious, and cares, "one" of his brother's, name is David, the same "David Hunt" that owns the logo and assets from "TEAM LOTUS".. Someday, I wish he would get the name Lotus back on the grid...

They do say, be careful what you wish for! Now, in 2012, we can look back on the whole 'who is the real Lotus' debacle and shudder.

But we were not to know eleven years ago that anyone would do anything so unpleasant to the memory of that great racing marque.

#44 David M. Kane

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Posted 18 June 2012 - 03:03

Some Hunt pics....a fair number of mug shots and some F1 and F/Atlantic action...

http://www.flickr.co...157623186790747

http://www.flickr.co...157623186790747

http://www.flickr.co...157623186790747

http://www.flickr.co...157623186790747

http://www.flickr.co...157623186790747

http://www.flickr.co...157623186790747

http://www.flickr.co...157623186790747

http://www.flickr.co...157623186790747

http://www.flickr.co...157623186790747

http://www.flickr.co...157623186790747

http://www.flickr.co...157623186790747

http://www.flickr.co...157623186790747

http://www.flickr.co...157623186790747

http://www.flickr.co...157623386503148

http://www.flickr.co...157623386503148

http://www.flickr.co...157623311357576

Eventually there will be more and they'll end up in at least one of my sets....

http://www.flickr.co...81980@N03/sets/


Great stuff especially Trois R. I flew up with Tom Pumpelly in his plane for that one and we were on the pre-race grid. Thanks for the memory refresh!

#45 Marc Sproule

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Posted 18 June 2012 - 03:49

Great stuff especially Trois R. I flew up with Tom Pumpelly in his plane for that one and we were on the pre-race grid. Thanks for the memory refresh!


Thank you. You're most welcome. "Tree Creeks" was one of my favorite Atlantic venues.

And speaking of Tom P., the next time I get a chance to upload a bunch of stuff I have a couple of Tom holding a munchkin at Road Atlanta, whom I suspect is a very young Spencer P.






#46 David M. Kane

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Posted 18 June 2012 - 18:51

Thank you. You're most welcome. "Tree Creeks" was one of my favorite Atlantic venues.

And speaking of Tom P., the next time I get a chance to upload a bunch of stuff I have a couple of Tom holding a munchkin at Road Atlanta, whom I suspect is a very young Spencer P.


He'd love to see those photos!


#47 Paolo

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Posted 17 September 2012 - 15:10

A song about James Hunt, by Momus and McClymont.

Nice footage too.