From: bspahh@gdr.bath.ac.uk (Andrew Henry)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.sport
Subject: Re: Obituary: Denny Hulme 1936 - 1992
Date: 10 Oct 92 11:02:19 GMT
Organization: School of Biological Sciences, University of Bath, UK

In the referenced article, pod@sour.sw.oz.au (Paul O'donnell) writes:
>
>It was Hulme's strength of character and fierce determination that
>helped keep the McLaren team together in 1970 after the death of
>Bruce McLaren.  Hulme was then recovering from fearful burns he
>received while testing for the Indianapolis 500.

The Motoring News obituary had this interview with Hulme.  Its copied
without permission.

 "There were two caps up front and we had a curly spring and a button to
  hold them shut, but USAC didn't like that.  They made us fit a gate
  spring.  Well, the harmonic vibration of the Offenhauser sprang one of
  them open earlier that day, and we just closed it back down.  But the
  harmonics opened it again with a banjo-like twang.
  
 "I was out on the track and I saw what I thought was water on the screen.
  The next lap I saw more, and I assumed it was rain.  I was waiting for
  them to throw the yellow.  On my third lap - boof !  The thing caught fire.
  Methanol burns with an invisible flame and all I saw was the screen and
  my helmet visor just folding up.  It was real hot in there.
  
 "I'd got out on to the back stretch, out of Turn Two.  Doing 200 plus.
  It was uncanny how the fuel had come forward, against the wind pressure.
  A freak of aerodynamics.  It just expelled it and it exploded.  At first
  it never dawned on me that something was wrong, except that everything
  was melting.  It was like an oxyacetylene torch.  I was damp with fuel,
  like a sponge.  I was well on fire when I jumped out.  When I tried that
  the first time it didn't work - I'd forgotten the seat belts.  Second
  time my hands had shriveled to nothing.  It was only the beginning of
  the Simpson boot and glove era.  It was silly really.  We knew all about
  the problem.
  
 "My hands were claws but I managed the button.  I stood up and turned 
  around so I could see the back wing, and I jumped.  I didn't give a 
  damn about the car but I wanted to clear that bloody wing.  All I did
  was rip out my toenails after I dived out backwards.
  
 "The fire trucks all went to the car; the only fire marshal who came near 
  to me felt the wall of heat.  Luckily, when the visor on my helmet melted 
  it welded itself all around.  The paint on my helmet was blistered to hell.  
  The heat was enormous.  
  
 "The ambulance arrived and the doc used trick scissors to cut my gloves
  off.  When he took them off, all the skin came off too.  I looked like
  a skinned fish.  The pain was instant.  On the way to the Methodist
  Hospital they gave me a saline solution to put my hands in.  I drank
  it.  I was so thirsty.
  
 "Later on I had to get off the morphine, because I was hallucinating so bad.  
  I knew something was wrong.  I told the doctor I'd put up with the pain.  
  If thats what the druggies get out of it they've got rocks in their head."
  
  A mere month later Denny Hulme raced at Mosport's CanAm opener.  
  Possibly only he knew how important it was for the team that he did, 
  for Bruce McLaren had died on June 2 and his men were shattered.  
  They looked to the injured but unbowed Bear for their lead.


			Andrew  Henry
Sempre  Gilles					bspahh@gdr.bath.ac.uk
Newsgroups: rec.autos.sport