Alan Hutcheson

Alan Hutcheson, who raced saloons ranging from a Riley 1.5 to Ford Galaxie against the likes of Graham Hill and Jack Sears, has died at his home near Marbella in Spain. Alan was best known for when he shared an MGB with Paddy Hopkirk at Le Mans in 1963. The night before, Alan got little sleep after a visit from his blonde girlfriend and in the morning Paddy was concerned that he wouldn’t be fit to race. Alan, however, was adamant that since it was he who had entered the car, he would start. Within moments he was in the sand at the Mulsanne Corner and spent the next 85 minutes digging the car out with hands and helmet. He eventually made it back to the pits, exhausted, yet carried on to finish an admirable 12th.