New Zealand’s 1967 World Championship winner Denny Hulme retired from Formula 1 seven years later and after being away from the track for a while returned in touring cars.
After leading the GPDA (Grand Prix Drivers’ Association) for a brief time, Moss raced the famed Benson & Hedges 500 at Pukekohe during the late-1970s in Chrysler Chargers initially, before pairing with rival Stirling Moss in a Volkswagen Golf for a program.
It was during the 1980s Hulme began to expand on his touring car racing efforts by teaming up with amateur competitor Ray Smith and building a Holden Commodore V8 with aim of winning the New Zealand Touring Car Championship in the mid-1980s.
The pair teamed at Bathurst together in 1985 racing a Holden Dealer Team customer VK Commodore dressed in the distinctive colours of Gold Bullion.
Hulme had previously contested the race as part of Frank Gardner’s JPS BMW Team in the Group A class, finishing second.
For 1986, Hulme raced in the European Touring Car Championship as part of Tom Walkinshaw’s Rover team.
Racing for South Pacific Racing alongside countryman Neville Crichton and Australian businessman Ron Dickson, the trio finished ninth at Misano and were later disqualified for cooling the starter in the pits.
The trio finished 11th at the old Brno circuit, before Hulme returned to action at Silverstone in a different Vitesse alongside Brit Jeff Allam.
It was a successful event as Hulme scored his fourth RAC Tourist Trophy, 18-years since his last.
Returning to compete down under, Hulme was part of Bob Jane’s Bathurst 1000 Mercedes-Benz team before linking up with Larry Perkins for a successful partnership in the first incarnation of Holden’s factory team post-Peter Brock.
The highlight of this partnership came in Adelaide supporting the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix when the duo finished 1-2.
Hulme again joined Gardner’s team in 1989 driving Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworths, then BMW M3s.
It was during the 1992 race, Hulme suffered a heart attack driving one of Gardner’s M3s. Complaining of blurred vision, Hulme’s heart attack occurred along Conrod Straight and he still had the presence of mind to guide the M3 off the circuit near a flag post.
Hulme left an incredible legacy and his touring car success proved he was a true all rounder.