Shunt

by Tom Rubython

  Whatever Hesketh and Horsley’s initial reservations, their opinions changed the next day when Hunt, for once, did himself a huge favour and set the second-fastest time in qualifying at Chimay in Marshall’s March for his best grid position of the year. He then set out on an eventful race, even by his standards. On the first lap, two cars flipped over and went off the track in front of him. In seventh place by lap five, two other cars nearly crashed into him and he avoided that also. Two laps later, another crash near him ended with the two drivers punching each other at the side of the track. He was up into second place with three laps to go when he suffered a puncture from all the accident debris and struggled home to fifth in a race he probably could have won. Hunt had wrestled his old March 713M through to fifth place, beating the pair of works March 723 cars. All of this unfolded with Lord Hesketh watching from the pit wall. Horsley’s Dastle, of course, was nowhere to be seen. As Horsley noted: “Everywhere, he was two seconds a lap quicker than me. That really said it all.” Although Hunt had placed only fifth in the end, Lord Hesketh was immensely impressed by his performance.

  The die was cast.

  CHAPTER 14

  Formula 2 proves the springboard to F1

  The guardian angel and the promised land

  By mid-1972, James Hunt had effectively shot his bolt in Formula 3. His final act had been the virtual destruction of Lord Hesketh’s Formula 3 team with a demolition derby at Brands Hatch. His ‘Hunt the Shunt’ reputation had given him, as one journalist memorably put it, an “accident-about-to-happen” image.

  Brands Hatch was extraordinary in its savagery and it followed another fiasco a month earlier at Silverstone, on 11th June. It had been Hunt’s first race for Hesketh and he had written off his first Dastle, as Hesketh recalled: “The first race I saw him drive for me was at Silverstone in the wet. He actually took the lead, which we’d never done before. Indeed, we’d never even been near the front of the grid. But when he was leading, it was backwards – because he’d spun, he must have travelled about 40 yards in this way – then he crashed into the pit wall right in front of me, which I wasn’t very impressed by.”

  But much worse was to come at Brands Hatch. It was an important event because it was the support race to the British Grand Prix that weekend. The race weekend began badly when Horsley crashed his car in qualifying. Later that day, Hunt was in his Dastle following another car when it suffered a sudden puncture and spun off. Hunt hit the car and was launched into the air. It somersaulted in mid air and crashed upside down on top of a steel Armco barrier.

  Chris Marshall happened to be standing by and he was certain his friend was dead. Marshall couldn’t believe anyone would survive that sort of accident. A few seconds after impact, however, the car fell off the top of the barrier and landed the right side up on the ground. Hunt was inside and moving. He had once again saved himself by putting his head into the cockpit and contorting his body under the protection of the chassis. It was Hunt’s second and last race for the Hesketh F3 team, and his last ever race in F3. He had literally crashed his way out of the sport and there were no F3 cars left for him to drive. Worse, his patron Lord Hesketh had been present to witness the wholesale destruction of his racing team at the hands of Hunt. But even worse still, it was followed by an unrelated incident that very nearly saw Lord Hesketh leave the sport altogether.

  After qualifying had ended, the Hesketh team packed up to leave and Lord Hesketh got into his helicopter to fly back to Easton Neston for an unscheduled weekend at home.

  That day, Brands Hatch was stuffed full of parked helicopters attending the Grand Prix weekend. Hesketh had parked his helicopter in a place convenient for him. As he was leaving, Hesketh was engaged in a row by the operations manager at Brands Hatch. There was a problem with where his helicopter had been parked and, assuming he would be returning for the Grand Prix the next day, Hesketh was told in no uncertain terms not to park there again. He was told his instructions were on the orders of Angela Webb, the operations director of Brands Hatch and the wife of John Webb, managing director. Hesketh wasn’t used to being ordered around by the likes of the Webbs, whom he referred to as “ghastly people.” As he took off, he resolved it would be the last motor race he attended. Angela Webb says: “I do not remember the incident nor do I recall meeting Lord Hesketh. However, I would be angry with any pilot who parked in a non authorised area, thus negating our aircraft insurance and constituting a danger to the public.”

  While Hesketh flew off, the crashing action that weekend was not yet over for James Hunt. Hunt stayed on overnight to watch the British Grand Prix the next day. But halfway through the race, he decided to leave for his parent’s house to miss the post-race traffic jams and watch the last laps of the race on television.

  Hunt was driving a Mini owned by Chris Marshall’s secretary and was accompanied by former teammate Brendan McInerney and his new girlfriend Chantal. On the way home, Hunt was steering the Mini rather too fast around a corner when he found a Volvo estate on the wrong side of the road because its driver apparently thought it was a one-way street. Or rather, that was the excuse that Hunt later related to his somewhat dubious father.

  There was a head-on collision and a secondary impact as Hunt’s Mini hit a tree. Hunt was lucky to survive it and even luckier to be able to walk out of the wreck along with his passengers.

  Four of Chantal’s ribs were broken and McInerney had chest injuries. Hunt suffered some severe lacerations to his legs. The Volvo occupants were more or less uninjured, protected by the Swedish car’s heavy steel chassis as the Mini took the brunt of the impact. For the second time in two days, Hunt had cheated death.

  An ambulance transported the passengers of both cars to hospital, but not before Hunt had stood them all a drink in the local pub. The severity of the crash is indicated by the fact that they were all detained in hospital for a week.

  Hunt had plenty of time to contemplate life whilst he was in his hospital bed. At the end of 1971, he had thought things couldn’t get much worse – but now they had.

  Lord Hesketh was aghast when he heard that Hunt had also managed to write off a road car that weekend. But somehow, he wasn’t put off. He had quickly forgotten about the helicopter incident and, by the time he landed the Jet Ranger at Easton Neston, he was already making new plans for Hesketh Racing.

  For some unfathomable reason, Hesketh kept faith in Hunt and began thinking long and hard about his future. Believing Hunt had spent too long in Formula 3, Hesketh decided that it was now or never for his career. Applying his own unfathomable logic to the situation, Hesketh decided he had failed in Formula 3 and it was now time to enter Formula Two.

  It was as though a guardian angel had arrived from god to lead James Hunt to the promised land. Where Gerald Donaldson refers to Hesketh as having employed “skewed logic” to arrive at his decision, others resorted to such phrases for Hesketh as “completely nuts” and “demented.” After that weeked, even Bubbles Horsley was doubting the wisdom of employing James Hunt.

  It wasn’t Hunt’s first try at Formula Two. In the late summer of 1971, he had made his Formula Two debut when he was entered by March Engineering in an F2 race at Brands Hatch on 30th August that year. It was a one-off race as part of the contract he had signed with March to drive in its works F3 team in 1971. Hunt drove a March 712M car and it was his first race with some of the big stars of Formula One, who also used to compete in Formula Two in those days. In the field of 26 cars were twice world champion Graham Hill, Ronnie Peterson and Emerson Fittipaldi. Peterson won the race from Hill and Hunt finished in 12th place hampered by a misfiring engine.

  Lord Hesketh told Horsley and Hunt to purchase a Formula Two car and gave them a small budget of UK£2,000 to prove themselves all over again. The budget was just enough to buy a new engine, and Hunt would need to find a chassis and some cash to run the car until Hesketh became more certain about him.

  Sensing that his career might shortly be over, Hunt knew this was his
very last chance.

  Despite the huge problems caused by the accident with his secretary’s Mini, Hunt roped in Chris Marshall to help. This time, Marshall displayed more savvy. Marshall believed he owed Hunt for some of the terrible advice he had given him, particularly in Monaco earlier in the year, and together they came up with an extraordinary plan to get March Engineering to lend him a Formula Two chassis. He decided to write a letter to Max Mosley saying he was going to sue March for the balance of the money due from his cancelled works Formula 3 contract and for the damage that the sacking had done to his career. None of the other capers cooked up by Marshall and Hunt had ever worked, and there had been many. But there had to be a first time, and this time they enacted their plan with subtlety.

  Hunt’s letter to Mosley carefully hinted that Hunt would accept an F2 chassis in lieu of payment in order to put right the horrible injustice that had been perpetrated against him. Mosley laughed out loud when he received the letter. But, not one to bear grudges, he immediately picked up the phone and called Hunt, declaring: “I’m the lawyer. You can’t go around suing me.” It was now Hunt’s turn to laugh out loud.

  The two men quickly reached an accord. Mosley admitted there was a small amount of merit in Hunt’s claim and decided to help. Mosley had an old March 712 chassis lying around at the March factory in Bicester for which he had no use, and he told Hunt it was his. Mosley remembers: “James was sort of fired, but we didn’t want to leave him completely high and dry. So he asked if he could borrow free of charge a 1971 Formula Two car, which we agreed to.”

  Lord Hesketh bought a rebuilt Cosworth BDA engine from Brian Hart and they were in business. Two of Marshall’s estate agent friends contributed another £2,000 towards purchasing the advertising space on the car and getting Hunt to turn up to a few parties to glad-hand clients, especially female ones. He was by now reasonably well known in the Brands Hatch area and very popular with the local girls, who treated him like a pop star.

  One of Chris Marshall’s ideas had come good at last, and Hunt forgave him all his past sins.

  But the two men had one last crazy scheme to try out between them. Hunt was in debt and had no money. Hesketh had bought him an engine for the Formula Two car but that was all he had done. To keep going, Hunt tried to pull a fast one on his family. He learned that his grandmother, who was then still alive, had arranged to leave him a fairly large sum of money in her will. Hunt aided and abetted by Marshall, concocted a scheme whereby he would ask his father, Wallis, if he could have the money in advance, albeit ignoring the fact that his grandmother was still very much alive and living.

  It was another ludicrous plot and Marshall should have counselled him better.

  However, Hunt duly went along to see his father with Marshall in tow, thinking that it somehow added credibility to the request. Marshall attempted to negotiate with Wallis on Hunt’s behalf.

  Marshall opened the conversation by explaining what they had learned and asked Wallis Hunt if the inheritance process could be speeded up to help his son’s motor racing career. He explained that he was short of money to run Hunt’s car and could benefit from the inheritance now.

  Marshall then stated that his son’s sense of propriety stopped him from making such a proposition directly to his grandmother. It was hoped Hunt’s father might advance him the money early. Marshall now winces at the memory and the absurdity of it all. It was pure theatre, and history does not record whether Wallis Hunt took the request seriously or just laughed out loud. The latter reaction seems more likely.

  Chris Marshall, whose recollection of events is often hazy, told Hunt’s biographer Gerald Donaldson that Wallis Hunt took the request very seriously, responding: “I have a simple philosophy. I believe that education is very important and we’ve given our six children the best education we possibly can. Then we leave them to it. James still has a room here. We have food in the kitchen. There will always be a meal. He’ll always be welcome. But there is no money for racing.” According to Marshall, Wallis then added: “Would you like some more tea?”, as if to make the point that the conversation about money was over.

  The two men retreated with their tails between their legs.

  Despite the setback, Hunt and Marshall somehow found enough money. Hesketh Racing was painted on the side of the car and the new team went to Brands Hatch on the last weekend of August 1972 for its first F2 race, which happened to be the Rothmans 50,000.

  The Rothmans 50,000 was an event created by John Webb for the Rothmans cigarette company. It was so called because the total prize money offered was UK£50,000. The event was open to virtually any type of race car, provided it could qualify. It attracted an entry of Formula One, Formula 5000 as well as Formula Two cars. Eight Formula One cars arrived, led by Emerson Fittipaldi’s Lotus-Ford, Jean-Pierre Beltoise’s BRM and Brian Redman’s McLaren-Ford. One of those three was certain to win and take most of the cash.

  The rest were a mixture of cars driven by names that would become famous in the future, including John Watson, Alan Jones, Carlos Reutemann and Jody Scheckter. All saw the chance to make their name and earn some serious money.

  Hunt was the second-fastest Formula Two qualifier and drove an absolutely superb, disciplined race for 118 laps, finishing a very impressive fifth. He won UK£2,500 in prize money, which would go toward contesting as many of the remaining Formula Two races as possible. He was second in the F2 category. The race was won easily by Fittipaldi in the Lotus, who walked off with the vast majority of the UK£50,000.

  Lord Hesketh was absolutely delighted with the result and agreed to double the prize money the team had won, giving it a budget of UK£5,000 to complete what was left of the Formula Two season.

  There then began a non-stop trek across Europe to compete in as many races as possible before the season’s end. On 3rd September, a week after Brands Hatch, the car was taken to a round of the European Formula Two Championship in Salzburg, Austria. Hunt qualified the car on the front row and dueled for the lead before he blew up his tired Ford Cosworth BDA engine.

  He then travelled back to Britain, to Oulton Park, in Cheshire, on 16th September to contest the final round of the British Formula Two Championship. Oulton Park had attracted a top field of F2 drivers, including the likes of Ronnie Peterson, Niki Lauda, Jody Scheckter and Roger Williamson. John Surtees and Graham Hill had also entered. All were driving the latest cars whilst Hunt was driving an early 1971 chassis. He qualified the old March second behind Peterson in the works March 722 car.

  Hunt felt he could have taken pole from Peterson, but he was worried about conserving his engine; it was the only one they had. At the end of the first lap, Hunt was fourth behind Peterson and Scheckter and ahead of Lauda. Retirements left Hunt in second, with the works March cars of Peterson and Lauda first and third. Hunt had no business challenging the latest works cars in an old chassis.

  But the best was yet to come. Four laps from the end, Hunt overtook Peterson on the longest straight by out-braking him at the end. Hunt was in sight of a great victory in front of Peterson and Lauda. But fate intervened and, with two laps to go, Peterson forced Hunt off the track as he and Lauda went by. Hunt got his car back on the track to finish third.

  Hunt was clearly the crowd’s favourite; they chanted his name despite the third-place finish. Peterson and Lauda were astounded by what they had seen and were thankful they managed to beat him.

  Max Mosley watched all this with wry amusement, saying: “It added insult to injury when he ran round Oulton Park in front of Peterson and Lauda in the works cars.”

  Chris Marshall was also intrigued by what he saw that day, as Hunt had effectively bested Peterson, who was then regarded as the fastest race driver in the world. He said: “James was never fazed by a bigger talent. He had that tremendous confidence in what he could achieve and an awful lot of talent; but different to Peterson. Peterson’s was pure, natural, artistic driving, but he wasn’t a great thinker or strategist. But James was an all-rou
nder – a thinker, and his mental and physical package was very good.”

  The only downside was that Lord Hesketh had missed the race and had to rely on Bubbles Horsley’s third-hand account of it. But it was enough for Hesketh, who had by then very much caught the motor racing bug. He needed only the slightest encouragement to open his cheque book. Summoning Horsley and Hunt to his office at London’s Portman Square, he established Hesketh Racing on a proper commercial basis and put Horsley in charge as team manager to run it. The plan was to contest the European Formula Two Championship in 1973 with a new car and a proper, well-funded set-up.

  First, though, they had to finish the Formula Two season. Hesketh bought him another engine on 24th September at Albi, France, where Hunt had finished fifth despite having driven much of the race clutch-less. Then it was on to Hockenheim, in Germany, on 1st October for the final race of the season. Hunt finished eighth.

  Hesketh was delighted with the results and delighted at the improvement in the discipline of his new driver, something he had severely doubted at the start of the relationship. Ian Phillips witnessed this transformation: “I think mentally he’d worked it out because he was clever enough to do so, but he just needed somebody like Bubbles to come along and impose the discipline and say: ‘Look chap, if you don’t behave yourself and do this that and the other, you are finished’ and that’s where it came from. It came from Bubbles.”

  Hesketh thoroughly enjoyed his sojourns across Europe in his Rolls-Royce, and wanted more.

  He provided funds to take the March 712 to a three-race winter series in South America, called the Torneo. The organisers paid for 20 cars to be flown out from Europe, and they included Hunt in their plans after his performance at Oulton Park. The star of the series was Fittipaldi, the new Formula One world champion. Hesketh didn’t fly out, but left it to Horsley, Hunt and a couple of mechanics to represent his new team. There were meant to be four races, but the one in Argentina was cancelled. In all three races, each held at Interlagos in São Paulo, Hunt shined; finishing sixth in the final points ranking out of 20 cars.