Gene Hackman’s Off-Screen Racing Career

Gene Hackman Dead at 95

Motorsports and acting often go hand-in-hand with many celebrities who get their kicks off-screen at the track. James Dean, James Garner, Steve McQueen, Kurt Russell, Paul Newman, Kneau Reeves, and Patrick Dempsey are the go-to name-drops of Hollywood actors with a need for speed.

However, Gene Hackman is rarely mentioned as the two-time Oscar winner. He is primarily known for his extensive list of memorable movie roles and for publishing five books after retiring from acting in 2004.

The sudden and tragic news of Gene Hackman’s death at the age of 95 was released late at night on Wednesday, February 26. Police responded to a wellness check and discovered Gene Hackman, and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, deceased in their home in New Mexico. The internet has been grieving with video tributes to the actor’s extensive catalog of great movies.

Stunt Driving in The French Connection

One film that stands out is his first leading role in William Friedkin’s neo-noir crime film The French Connection, which earned Hackman his first Academy Award for Best Actor for his depiction of a hard nosed NYPD Detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle.

The film’s famous car chase scene shows Popeye Doyle commandeering a brown Pontiac Le Mans and taking it on a balls-to-the-walls pursuit of an assassin in an elevated subway train.

Among the great scenes in that car chase, the one that stands out the most is when Popeye’s car gets sideswiped by a passing motorist at an intersection. In reality, Gene Hackman was driving, and the crash was not planned. It was the result of a civilian, an average Joe, unaware there was a movie being filmed on their morning commute, driving through an intersection only to be met by the sudden and violent impact of speeding metal.

Professional stunt driver Bill Hickman did the really hairy driving in the film but it’s always cool when an actor has the guts to put the pedal down without losing face in front of the camera. 

This video is an interview with Gene Hackman, filmed in 2008, where he discusses everything regarding The French Connection including driving in the movie.

Gene Hackman’s Racing Career in the 1970s and 80s

Those fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to feel the sides of their face pressed by the security of a crash helmet and raise RPM in the name of mother speed understand the heart-pounding thrills racing can offer. For the late, great Gene Hackman, it technically started in a 1971 Pontiac Le Mans doing his own stunt driving for The French Connection.

In the mid-70s, Hackman was invited to partake in a celebrity race in Long Beach, California—a race that would turn into an ongoing pursuit for the actor. He competed in Sports Car Club of America events and honed his skill driving Formula Fords at Bob Bondurant’s driving school in North California, leading to joining Dan Gurney’s race team in the endurance racing circuit. Hackman was scheduled to compete in the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1978 and 1981 but dropped out before the race began.

In 1983, Hackman made his official IMSA GTU debut at Daytona, driving a race-prepped 1983 Toyota Celica for Dan Gurney’s All-American Racers. His number 99 Celica was shared with two Japanese drivers, Masanori Sekiya and Kaoru Hoshino. His second year of IMSA racing started behind the wheel of a Mazda RX-7 for Preston & Son Enterprises at the 12 Hours of Sebring and Riverside which ended in DNFs.

Hackman would continue to compete and win several Toyota ProCelebrity races in Long Beach and Watkins Glen. In a 1988 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Hackman was asked if he had ever considered choosing racing over acting:

“Would I have chosen racing over acting? I’ve thought about it quite a bit. I have a feeling I wouldn’t have stayed in racing. I don’t think I have the personality to be a real racing professional. You can learn some of the skills of racing, you can learn all the mechanical things, but there’s a certain part of it that really no one can teach you — that killer instinct. You have to be very competitive. You need to have that edge about you. The good ones all have that.”

“At what point did I realize I was good at it? Well, I won a couple of races and I thought I could do it,” he said. “But, then, I realized that if I wasn’t really serious about it, and if I couldn’t commit to 15-18 races a year, that I couldn’t really compete at a professional level. At least at a decent national-class level. I never went through a period when I felt I could really do it.”

Gene Hackman, the Driver

While Gene Hackman’s racing career was brief, it shows us that he was an enthusiast with the skill to reach the podium. I’m a driving enthusiast who respects those who can drive well. The fact that I’m also a movie buff only adds to the reasons of why I’m such a fan of Gene Hackman and was shocked by the news and its unusual circumstances.

Needless to say, I’ll be watching his movies for the next few days, starting with my personal favorites: 

Bite the Bullet (1975)

The French Connection (1971)

The Birdcage (1996)

Mississippi Burning (1988)

The Replacements (2000)

The Quick and the Dead (1995)

Get Shorty (1995)