Ford vs Ferrari: The inside line with pro driver Tony Hunt

The unsung heroes of action films, those stunt performers working behind the scenes, have always intrigued moviegoers. Just how do they accomplish such daring deeds (aka “gags”), risking life and limb as stand-ins for the stars?

To find out how they film the crashes and daredevil antics, we met with Tony Hunt, stunt driver for the movie Ford v Ferrari. It involved some serious stunt work, since that movie is ‘inspired by actual events’, as the Hollywood saying goes. In addition to handling GT40s at speed, he also manned the wheel of Cobras built by Superformance, one of which he purchased after filming was completed.

A lifelong competitor and a third generation of a famous racing family, he started out his career in Quarter Midgets at the tender age of five, and progressed up the ladder through karts, Formula 2000 and stock cars. He’s the winner of 10 USAC championships, with the first being a road-racing championship under the Russell Racing School banner. He also worked many years in the manufacturing business as a professional driver, brand ambassador and driving coach, most recently with Jaguar.