It’s a huge blow to Prince George’s auto racing community.
Cliff Hucul, a veteran of three Indianapolis 500 starts in the late 1970s, passed away at his farm in Prince George on February 17th at the age of 79 according to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Hucul made three consecutive starts in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” from 1977-79.
His best finish came as a rookie in 1977, 22nd in the No. 29 Team Canada McLaren/Offenhauser that Hucul bought after Johnny Rutherford drove it to victory in the 1976 “500.”
Hucul completed 72 laps before being sidelined by gearbox problems.
His best qualifying spot was 18th in 1979, his final “500” start.
Family friends Rose and Rob Verkaik told MyPGNow.com that Hucul was “very humble” about his accomplishments right until the very end.
Rose noted he was always there to lend a hand to her grandson Brandon and daughter Tiffany who got behind the wheel themselves.
“My grandson started racing when we was 12 years old and went to Cliff and asked him if he would be OK to run the 29 number, which was Cliff’s Indy number and he was just thrilled.”
“Cliff was a huge part with my family in racing, especially with my daughter Tiffany. She drove the 13 car and between him and my husband, they made it the fastest car out there.”
Rob discovered one of Cliff’s old trophies and was blown away at how fast he could go on the PGARA track.
“It goes back a little way and doesn’t have a date on it but it was a pretty fast time for PGARA. I was pretty shocked when I seen it, it was 13.466 seconds and I thought Holy Cow, that is pretty fast as I think that stands to this day”
“That is one thing that really shocked me. That’s fast.”
Hucul learned his craft by racing stock cars and modified sprint cars at local tracks. He then began racing modifieds and supermodifieds in the Pacific Northwest against drivers that included eventual Indianapolis 500 winner and INDYCAR SERIES champion Tom Sneva and his brother Jerry Sneva.
“He became close friends with the Sneva brothers and Tom Sneva used to come up and race and that is how Prince George and PGARA got put on the map. These drivers were coming up here and they were going back and forth to the United States,” said Rose.
Hucul made 24 total USAC and CART starts between 1977-81, with eight top-10 finishes. His best finish in the standings was 11th in 1979, when he started the season by placing fifth at Ontario Motor Speedway and a career-best fourth at Texas World Speedway.
“Cliff himself never bragged about his racing career. He talked about it but he was very humble and even towards the end of it he was a very humble man,” added Rose.
In 1996, Hucul became a paraplegic after an automobile accident when crossing black ice on a highway in British Columbia.
Despite being confined to a wheelchair, Hucul remained active, managing his farm and mentoring many drivers in the area.
He was inducted into the Prince George Sports Hall of Fame for his lifetime contributions to auto racing.
Hucul is survived by his son, Kelly, and daughter-in-law, Sylvie; daughter, Michele, and many grandchildren.
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