To this day, Jim Hurtubise is one of the most beloved racing drivers in the history of the sport.
Born in Tonawanda, N.Y., Hurtubise made a name for himself racing USAC-sanctioned open-wheel cars, which paved the way for him to compete in Indy cars and stock cars, both under the USAC and NASCAR banners.
Hurtubise earned 25-career USAC victories, with four in the Champ Car division, 18 in a sprint car and three in a stock car.
Hurtubise raced in the Indianapolis 500 10 times with a best finish of 13th in 1962. He made 36 starts in what is now the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, including a victory at Atlanta in 1966.
He died of a heart attack in 1989 at age 56.
Featured here (clockwise from top left): Celebrating a victory Oct. 5, 1965; Moving to the inside of Don Branson (7) for first place; En route to victory March 25, 1962, at Reading (Pa.) Fairgrounds; Shooting the breeze on pit road in 1976; At Daytona Int’l Speedway; In victory lane Aug. 21, 1960 ,after a 30-lap feature at the Terre Haute (Ind.) Action Track; At Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1962.
— NSSN Photo