Hulme was New Zealand's greatest racing driver having taken the World Championship in 1967. The big Kiwi started his career in New Zealand before moving to Europe in 1960 in Formula Junior and Formula 2 racing. He also moonlighted as a racing mechanic for the Cooper and Brabham racing teams. After he won the world title, Hulme also competed in Can-Am and the American USAC series as well as Formula 1, where he continued to win races up until 1974, his final season in F1. He continued his career throughout the rest of his life. He died while behind the wheel of a race car in Australia, not of a crash, but of a heart attack. He was 56.