Q & A: Tony Hunt — Rust Magazine

The stunt driver and retired racer on wheeling the ‘hero’ car in ‘Ford V Ferrari’

Text: Saroyan Humphrey

Feature | Veteran Hollywood stunt driver and retired USAC racing champion Tony Hunt rolls up driving his spotless 1963 AC Cobra roadster reproduction. It’s one of the cars used in the movie Ford V Ferrari. Hunt worked as the driving double for A-list actor Christian Bale, who played the role of Ken Miles, the British racer who nearly won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966, driving for Carroll Shelby’s Ford factory team.

“It’s a cool classic and a big part of the movie,” Hunt, 47, says proudly of his picture car, one of three built for the production. “Shelby came out with this car in 1963 to compete at some of the local road racing tracks in Southern California. Ken Miles was involved in the early testing of it and it did really well and that’s how Shelby got his name on the map with Ford.”

• Related: Tommy Hunt

In his racing career, Hunt won 10 USAC championships, highlighted by victories on both ovals and road courses.

Hunt started his USAC career in rear-engine Russell Pro and Formula 2000 machines and a few years later, after driving NASCAR stock cars, returned to USAC, driving midgets and sprints at West Coast bullrings. In 2012, at the top of his game, Hunt retired as a competitor. He was at a personal crossroad. He had to decide between continuing to race or spending more time with his young family and pursuing the growing demand for his high-performance driving skills doing film work. Family, and steady work prevailed.

“Shelby came out with this car in 1963 to compete at some of the local road racing tracks in Southern California.”

Hunt is the grandson of famed magneto master, Joe Hunt and has lived and breathed racing for most of his life. His father, Tommy, is a former sprint car racer, USAC official and current promoter of Calistoga Speedway, the oldest dirt track on the West Coast. Sitting in his dad’s office at Hunt’s Race World in Roseville, Tony talked about the making of the film, working as a stunt driver and driving race cars.

Since opening to critical acclaim in Europe (as Le Mans ’66) earlier this year, Hunt has been looking forward to the U.S. premier of Ford V Ferrari. In celebration, on November 15, he will be a part of a premier party in Folsom, California.

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How did your involvement with Ford V Ferrari first happen?
Tony Hunt: When you get staged to go do a movie, a lot of times they throw out some dates and most of the time you don’t really know what your role is going to be. You just know that you’re going to be driving something. You have to be really flexible because it all gets adjusted based on departments, weather and scheduling of everybody to make everything happen. So, on this movie I knew about it for a month or two, and it was just kinda talk. In this business you just have to take that as just hearsay because you don’t really know if it’s going to happen, or not. There’s no guarantee.

“I didn’t really know the scale of it until it started playing out. ”

Hunt with one of the GT40s used in Ford V Ferrari at California Speedway in Fontana, the setting for the 1966 24 Hours of Daytona scenes. — Hunt with one of the GT40s used in *Ford V Ferrari* at California Speedway in Fontana, the setting for the 1966 24 Hours of Daytona scenes.

We started testing early on at Willow Springs (Raceway, in Rosamond, CA). We were going through the cars. The stunt coordinator Robert Nagle, who was kinda choreographing the placement of everybody, was really the guy in charge and juggling schedules and availability. I had worked with him on other movies and commercials in the past, so we had a little bit of a rapport and understanding.

After a couple days of testing he goes, “hey, I’m going to have you double Christian (Bale) as the Ken Miles character in the movie.” And, I’m like, “oh, ok, great.” I didn’t really know the scale of it until it started playing out. As it unfolded, I was the lead driver of the movie and what it really came down to was I was going to be in the car a whole lot more than anyone else—because that’s the hero car.

There were days when you’re in it for 16 hours. We went from Willow Springs to Georgia where we were at a track called Grand Prize (of America Circuit, near Savanah) which is a closed down road course that they modeled some of the corners after Le Mans. Then we went to Road Atlanta.

Then we were on a rural highway outside Savanah that was a long, seven-mile straight. It was used as The Mulsanne Straight. We were there for a couple of weeks doing different shot angles and flybys. It’s the middle of the summer in cars that don’t have air conditioning. It’s sweltering and there’s humidity. It makes for a long day. Fortunately, with anything you’re doing in that capacity, at that level, adrenaline kinda takes over; you don’t realize how long the days are and how hot it is. You’re just on a high.

“He was a great guy, very down to earth.”

Also, what was unique about this particular movie when we came back to LA and we were on set in different locations. We were at an unused airplane hangar at the Ontario Airport where they modeled the shop of Carroll Shelby’s. There was Fontana (California Speedway), where they did the backdrop for the (24 Hours of) Daytona race, or the really impressive one was the Agua Dulce Air Park [in Santa Clarita, CA] which they closed down for three months and they built the three story structure of the Le Mans pit road. We did the flybys there and we did other sequences of shots there.

A lot of those days we were combined with first unit, so, the actors and the cast were there at the same time. When we weren’t shooting, they were shooting, or vice versa. It was one huge department of people. You’re talking nearly 300 people on set from different departments at any given time. There’s a lot of moving parts. It’s a rat race around a set like that to try to get everything done in a timely manner.

How was it working with Christian Bale and Matt Damon?
Hunt: We were interacting with the lead actors quite a bit on different stuff. What was unique about it was to see them go from just small talk to morphing into their characters and how talented they are and how important that is for each scene.

When Christian first came to Willow Springs on a day that we were just testing, I took him out and did some lead-follow coaching with him. We wanted him to have a good idea of the dynamic of driving. He was a great guy, very down to earth.

Matt was a good guy. We had a lot of interaction. They’re just such pros; they make it look really easy. Because Ken Miles was English and so is Christian Bale, he didn’t have to morph into a real odd ball character like Vice (where Bale plays Dick Cheney) or wear a costume as Batman, or something. Nor did Matt Damon. They could both kinda use their own language, accent and voice tone as the characters.

“Those guys were brave and you gotta give them a lot of credit and respect.”

Did you find yourself relating to the character of Ken Miles while you were working on the movie?
Hunt: Well, he was kind of a journeyman guy, like me. He would kinda bounce around and do a bunch of different stuff. He wasn’t always necessarily textbook as far his approach and would drive anything. He was kind of a jack of all trades guy. He was mechanical and he also knew how to drive a car pretty quick. I tried to appreciate that and give that a lot more credit and substance than just a normal guy. There’s nothing like that old school approach and mentality. Those guys were brave and you gotta give them a lot of credit and respect. They just did stuff that was edgy and always at a big risk.

As a racer, Miles seems to have been overshadowed over the years.
Hunt: Yeah, he was a guy that was off the radar but obviously his driving skills were noticeable and that put him in a unique relationship with Carroll Shelby. That’s what Carroll did was say, ‘Hey, this guy might not be your showman type of guy but he’s certainly going to drive that thing for all it’s got and win some races.”

I was reading the book “Go Like Hell” and it brings out the story (of Le Mans in 1966). (At the finish) they (the Ford team drivers) were told to get in some sort of staged three-car thing so that when they came across the finish line, they could get a publicity shot of the cars together. Well, Miles was obviously leading and was going to win the race but Bruce McLaren, against the word of everybody, took advantage of the situation and unfortunately Ken Miles didn’t get credited for the three big wins (Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans) of that season.

What do you enjoy most about being part of the movie making process?
Hunt: What was extra special about this movie is the stunt coordinator was able to access a handful of the drivers’ sons that came in. Dan Gurney’s son, Alex; Derek Hill’s dad was Phil Hill; Jeff Bucknum, he’s Ronnie Bucknum’s son. They did some driving in it. And, there were also guys that I’d either known in the industry or had worked with before in some capacity. So, for all of us to get together was special. We were able to recreate the past, through their dads. We had a great time, and everyone was living the moment. To be a part of an iconic racing movie like this one was quite a privilege.

“We had a great time, and everyone was living the moment.”

Drivers on set. From left to right: Ben Collins, Jon Capps, Kelly Collins, Jeff Bucknum, Alex Gurney, Darrin Law, Greg Tracy, Hunt, Derek Hill, and stunt coordinator, Robert Nagle, center.

There were days that were long and there were days that you really wanted to get it over with because there were critical shots that were pretty dangerous. If something would’ve gone wrong with one of those cars—what they call “picture cars”—they’re not equipped with the latest greatest safety resources: there’s no HANS device, no energy impact devices. The cars have period-appropriate seats that don’t have any bolstering like high-head rest, or containment. You’re in cars that, if there was a snafu, or if something got overlooked, you could really get hurt.

You’re driving fast, obviously, what types of speeds are you reaching?
Hunt: A lot of the time, you’re only capable of driving as fast as the camera car, if you’re doing, what they call, car-to-car scenes. But there were several times where we had to drive in rain scenes where they had to wet the track down, or they would bring in these huge sprinklers and drop tons of water on the surface and you’d have to drive into it. There was some hydroplaning that really caught you off guard, or there were some surfaces that were super slick that if somebody makes a mistake—and there were mistakes made. Fortunately, none of the cars were crashed unintentionally. Plus, you’re running with period-appropriate tires, you’re dealing with a lot of different variables.

But everybody’s rush, rush, rush, let’s go, not taking into consideration the risk involved. There were some days that we were thankful to get back to the hotel all in one piece.

There were some shots on that Mulsanne Straight where we had those cars stretched out in fifth gear as quick as we could go. It was a public highway that they closed down and they were assured that no one’s dog, or pedestrian would cross. We were ripping down that highway.

How is it to see the film, do you remember working on the scenes as you watch it?
Hunt: Oh yeah. There’s a lot of scenes where I’m thinking, oh, wow, I don’t remember it quite like that. Because you do so much stuff, there’s so much footage, there are cameras in the car, on the side of the car, on the side of the road. For me, you’re trying to pick out which scene, and where it was. There were some scenes where I was thinking, I don’t remember doing that. And others where I’m thinking why didn’t they use that one shot?

How long were you on the job, driving?
Hunt: At least three months, with days off here and there. With the union (SAG) they give you a certain time period that you have to be rested for the next day. We did some forced calls where we came in before that and they compensate you, but normally you can’t do any more than a six-day run. You have to have at least one day off. It was busy.

Being a stunt driver is a unique career step for a race car driver and you seem to have made it dovetail nicely.
Hunt: After driving as long as I did it’s a good carry over that can keep you stimulated, in a way, kind of like racing. Maybe not putting on the helmet everyday but you can relate it to the competitive side of racing. If the shot is critical, it will get your adrenaline pumping to get it right.

“If the shot is critical …”

How did it get started?
Hunt: I was lucky enough to get into the business when I was living in Charlotte (NC) trying to chase a career in stock cars. I did a commercial at Darlington (Raceway in South Carolina) for Ford and I kinda got into the system (Screen Actors Guild). I didn’t really chase it a whole lot because I was racing at the time. But I would do stuff periodically. I did some racing movies: Herbie (Fully Loaded), Talladega Nights and commercials here and there. So, that was about 2001 and before that, (in the early ‘90s) we did a scene for the (television) series Coach, with Craig Nelson. He was a big race enthusiast and driver and he did an episode that was kinda based around racing. Rick Mears did a cameo. We did some driving scenes in that.

My family has always had some involvement. My dad was in Heaven Can Wait and did some Budweiser commercials in my grandfather’s cars. So, there’s always been a little bit of a connection, but our main jam was racing.

What are you working on currently?
Hunt: We just did the Fast & Furious 9 movie and I’m going to LA tonight to do a job tomorrow with a commercial. So, just some hit and miss stuff. I’ve probably done commercial footage for every (car) manufacturer out there. Everything from Alfa Romeo to Kia.

How many days a year do you stay busy, roughly?
Hunt: You know, I don’t know, probably every bit of 250 days, being on the road. And, that’s all over. Most of it is based in Southern California but by no means, is that the extent of it.

“I kinda grew up around Ascot, where my dad was racing.”

What was it like growing up in the Hunt legacy?
Hunt: It seemed pretty normal as a kid but when I think back now to being at my grandfather’s shop and riding my bike around all those old Indy cars and roadsters, it was really cool. It’s been special for me, my dad and everybody. I kinda grew up around Ascot, where my dad was racing. I have some pretty vivid memories of being around that environment which was pretty exciting and inspirational. I was still pretty young and then we moved up here (to Northern California) and I got integrated into this scene up here and went to a lot of races. My dad got involved in the (USAC) official side of it and I went to a lot of races that way.

I got to see a generation of drivers that were really impactful in the history of the sport. When we were living in LA and growing up around Ascot, the guys that made a big impression on me when I was super young were, of course, my dad, but there was also Dean Thompson, Jimmy Oskie, Buster Bernard, Billy Vukovich Jr., Sleepy Tripp, Wally Pankratz, Rich Vogler, Chuck Gurney. They were frontrunners but they also made an impact on the sport.

How did you get started driving race cars?
Hunt: Quarter midgets in Southern California in about ’76-’77. It was the thing to do. Most of the driver’s sons were getting involved in it. Then we had a hiatus when we moved up here and I got involved in go karts and modified-midget stuff. Then we went the road racing route. I went through the Russell School and raced the Formula Mazda Pro Series under the USAC banner for a couple of years. I was about 19, or 20. Then I ran a couple years in a Formula 2000 at all the tracks on the West Coast.

Then we regrouped and got involved in the NASCAR Winston West Series. Later I moved to Charlotte to try to see if I could make something happen. Then I came back here and started doing the (USAC) sprint car and midget stuff. I ran Silver Crown, trying to do as much as I could.

“I had to give up a few good jobs because I chose to go racing.”

You had a lot of success driving USAC sprint cars. What was your mindset at that point in your career? Were you hoping to go big time?
Hunt: Yeah, I was always thinking that. When I got back from Charlotte, I was in my late 20s. There’s always a window of time when you think: I got to be in there to get an opportunity. Today, if you’re over 20, you’re out of that window. So, I was still hopeful, but I came back and started running USAC with Ken Pierson and I just wanted to win races and springboard to the next opportunity. Later in the deal, I just got in the mindset of: ‘let’s go race and have some fun.’

You can never quite write the story in the way that you want it. It is what it is, and I was fortunate to do what I did. There were a couple of years that we had some really good seasons.

Did you miss racing?
Hunt: I did and I still do. I really do. I wish there was an opportunity where I could get more involved in it and get back in the game but it’s just so difficult for me to make the time commitment.

What made you decide to retire?
Hunt: A combination of stuff. I had come to a crossroads to how much time I could dedicate to the sport versus what I was sacrificing in family time. I felt like I couldn’t apply myself effectively with my work commitments and family responsibilities. I felt like between racing, work and family, I couldn’t juggle all three effectively and one or the other was going to get jeopardized. I felt like the racing was a big commitment time wise and I couldn’t do everything. I had to make a decision to stay focused on racing, or, I guess, growing up and realizing I’ve got other people that I need to be accountable for and that requires a job, a steady income.

What were you working on during that time period?
Hunt: It was commercial work and it was coming along more frequently. I had to give up a few good jobs because I chose to go racing. The stunt business is like any other business, you get out of it what you put into it, so to speak. If you don’t commit yourself you kinda get moved down the list, or even taken off the list of even being a candidate for that next job. You can’t afford to give up stuff like that because you’re kind of expendable and can be replaced pretty easily if you’re not capitalizing on the moment.