Canadian driver Cliff Hucul, a veteran of three Indianapolis 500 starts in the late 1970s, died Feb. 17 on his farm in his native Prince George, British Columbia at the age of 79. He made three consecutive starts at the Indianapolis 500 from 1977-79. (NTT IndyCar Series photo)

Canadian Cliff Hucul, a veteran of three Indianapolis 500 starts in the late 1970s, died Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 on his farm in his native Prince George, British Columbia. Mr. Hucul was 79.

Hucul made three consecutive starts in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” from 1977-79, completing a combined 98 laps.

Hucul’s best Indy 500 finish was as rookie in 1977, when he placed 22nd in the No. 29 Team Canada McLaren/Offenhauser. Hucul purchased and drove the car from Team McLaren, Ltd. _ nicknamed “The Batmobile” _ that Johnny Rutherford of Fort Worth, Texas, had wheeled to victory in the rain-shortened (102-laps) 60^th edition of the race on May 30, 1976. Hucul completed 72 laps around the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway before being sidelined by gearbox issues.

“I know Hucul got one of the cars because that’s what they (Team McLaren) did every year,” Rutherford said. “They made positive changes with the new car and sold the old cars to a few people _ but never told them all the tricks. Yeah, Hucul had one.”

Ironically, “Lone Star J.R.” started 17^th and finished last in the 1977 race in the No. 2 1^st National City Travelers Checks McLaren/Cosworth. Rutherford was credited with completing 12 laps before being sidelined by a gearbox failure.

Hucul had qualified on Bump Day for the race’s 61^st edition in 1977 despite brushing the wall in practice the previous day and suffering two engine failures during the Month of May _ a significant pitfall for his low-budget team.

Hucul was among seven Indianapolis 500 rookies in 1977, including Jerry Sneva (who finished a class-best 10^th), former drag racer Danny Ongais, Janet Guthrie in the historic first 500 start by a woman driver and Formula One veteran Clay Regazzoni.

Hucul qualified 27^th and finished 33^rd and last in May 1978 in the No. 29 Wendy’s Hamburger McLaren/Offenhauser. His race lasted only four laps due to an oil line failure.

Hucul’s best four-lap/10-mile qualifying effort was 18th in 1979 in the No. 29 Hucul Racing McLaren/Offenhauser, in what proved to be his final 500 start. Hucul finished 29^th after completing only 22 laps due to a rod failure in the Offy engine.

The small-town driver from northern British Columbia learned his craft by racing stock cars and Modified Sprint Cars at local tracks. He also competed in Modifieds and Super-Modifieds in the Pacific Northwest against a list of drivers that included eventual Indianapolis 500 winner and INDYCAR champion Tom Sneva and his brother, Jerry Sneva.

Hucul made 24 combined U.S. Auto Club and Championship Auto Racing Teams starts between 1977-81, with eight top-10 finishes. Hucul’s best finish in the point standings was 11th in 1979, when he started the season by placing fifth at Ontario Motor Speedway in Southern California and a career-best fourth at Texas World Speedway in College Station.

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.