Jim mcelreath race car driver

Jim suffered a lot of tragedy in his life, having lost a son james in a racing crash and daughter shirley in the same aeroplane crash that killed her husband tony bettenhausen jr. The sad and abiding legacy of auto racing the new york times. I found a lot of old negatives of pictures that i took back in the early to mid 1960s. Aug 25, 2017 james mcelreath born 23 jan 1954 arlington, texas. Further information on this record can be found at its source. Jim mcelreath february 18, 1928 may 18, 2017 was an american racing driver in the usac and cart championship car series. At the time of his death, aged 32, he had won more grand prix races and achieved more grand prix pole positions. Jim mcelreath february 18, 1928 is a former nascar driver from arlington, tx. Macdonalds car was designed to hold enough fuel for the full race. Jim mcelreath had been racing locally in texas over a period of 15 years before venturing north to run international motor contest association sprint cars in august 1960. He competed in four nextel cup series events in his career. He was particularly associated with the lotus marque. Discover the real story, facts, and details of jim mcelreath.

Jim mcelreath racing career profile driver database. He battled with art pollard for the last 10 laps after al unser and cale yarborough retired with mechanical issues. My deceased husbands uncle was the race car driver that i think you are refering too. Salt walther 1970s indy 500 original 8x10 photo dayton walther team 77 race car. Jim began his racing career in 1945 at the age of 17. Jim mcelreath the champ car and indy car online stats.

Regarded as a top prospect, james already had three titles to his name in both sprint and super. Jim mcelreath, one of indy car racings tough guys who won several races and despite personal tragedies kept his racing dream alive, has died at the age of 89. Mcelreath, the winner at nazareth and third at springfield, finished sixth in the hoosier hundred. Club national championship and was its third ranking driver in 1963, 1965, and 1970. Jim mcelreath 1966 indy 500 driver phoenix 8 x10 photo 2 ebay. Jim would race in the local texas bullrings for the next fifteen years while working as a bricklayer. Mcelreath, jim, 1928indianapolis motor speedway speedway, ind. I am the only driver in the history of nascar that has ever won a race with car no. Indycar history runs deep in the heart of texas motorsportstalk. Motor racing world champion jim clark has been killed in a car crash during a formula two race at hockenheim. Danica patrick sue patrick female race car driver car and driver indy car racing indy cars women drivers.

From famed car builders and former racers carroll shelby to jim hall and even nascars texas terry labonte. Apr 09, 20 austin dillon delivers meals on wheels to indy car driver jim mcelreath. Austin dillon delivers meals on wheels to indy car driver jim. His son james mcelreath jr was also a competitive racer. April 2 today in jayskis nascar history page 12 of 24.

Auto racing hall of fame inductee jim mcelreath, the 1962 indianapolis 500 rookie of the year and a veteran of 15 starts in the 500 between 1962 and 1980, passed away thursday, may 18 in his hometown of arlington, texas. See more ideas about indy cars, race cars and racing. Mcelreath was a bright rising star in the sport, and a second generation sprint car driver, the son of jim mcelreath. He began racing when he was 17years old, and spent 15 years racing as an amateur while working as a bricklayer.

Throw in a few racetracks with names such as playland park in houston or the devils bowl outside of dallas to the modernday texas motor speedway in fort worth. Jim mcelreath net worth, salary, age, height, bio, wiki. Click on the site to see jim mcelreaths career results at that track. Profile for racing driver jim mcelreath from united states. Jim mcelreath right avoids a crash that killed drivers dave macdonald and eddie sachs early in the 1964 race. As kim chapin wrote in a sports illustrated article in 1978, he won it by cheating. Indy car racing indy cars rally car drag racing indianapolis motor speedway old race cars vintage race car ford gt car and driver jim mcelreath, california 500 in the inaugural race at the ontario motor speedway. Click on the site to see jim mcelreath s career results at that track glossary. Regarded as a top prospect, james already had three titles to his name in both sprint and supermodified cars but. From famed car builders and former racers carroll shelby to jim hall and even nascars. Through the 80s we worked in indy car racing, imsa gtp and gto, scca canam, transam, super vee and formula atlantic. Jim mcelreath was rookie of the year in the 1962 indianapolis 500. Jim mcelreath, one of indy car racings tough guys who won several.

Jim mcelreath the champ car and indy car online stats warehouse. A famed race car driver who spent some of his early years competing at taft stadium and state fair. May 19, 2017 jim mcelreath 18 february 1928 18 may 2017 rest in peace pay your tribute share your thoughts remember us follow us. May 19, 2017 jim mcelreath, a teenage dirttrack racer who went on to become the 1962 indianapolis 500 rookie of the year and race in 15 indy 500s, has died. He won the inaugural california 500 riding a car from the team of a. Jim mcelreath had been racing locally in texas over a period of 15 years. Explore jim mcelreath s biography, personal life, family and cause of death. Usac national sprint car series 1976 standings driver. He won the prestigious little 500 at anderson, indiana, in 1961 and added five. Oct 14, 2011 mcelreath was a bright rising star in the sport, and a second generation sprint car driver, the son of jim mcelreath. Most of the negatives and slides were in bad shape after over 40 years of poor storage. Derek wild used to say that you could put all the gearboxes on the bench in front of him in random order and he could tell which gearbox came out of jim s car as it. Usac national sprint car series 1976 standings championship points standings for the usac national sprint car series 1976. In 1977, he was working on a sprint car at winchester speedway for son james, a promising 23yearold who was already winning usac.

He raced from the 1961 to the 1983 season, with 178 combined career starts, including 15 in the indianapolis 500 from 1962 to 1970, 1973 to 1974, and 197 to 1980. Jim mcelreath american racing driver age, birthday. Click on the year to see the standings for that year. He was a very good race driver, said close friend and threetime 500. We began our racing career in 1983 with the jim mcelreath indy car team. Mcelreath eventually scored a halfdozen finishes of sixth or higher in the 500, topped by a thirdplace finish in 1966 behind grand prix drivers graham hill and jim clark. Mcelreath started racing on shorttrack dirt ovals in modified stock cars as long ago as 1945 before then establishing himself in midgets and then inydcars, taking 6 wins in the series over five years. Clark was a versatile driver who competed in sports cars, touring cars and in the indianapolis 500, which he won in 1965. May 18, 2017 race car driver jim mcelreath, whose 23year usac and indycar career included 15 starts in the indianapolis 500, died thursday at his home in arlington, officials at texas motor speedway announced. He also had to care for his seriously ill wife for over a decade before his. Mcelreath and mother was thelma lilly fuller mcelreath. Driver jim mcelreath 1962 usac champ car series results. Click on the number of races to see individual races for that year. Texas racing legend jim mcelreath passes at age 89 texas.

James mcelreath jr was set to become one of the superstars of the sport. May 18, 2017 jim mcelreath right avoids a crash that killed drivers dave macdonald and eddie sachs early in the 1964 race. At the time of his death, he had been racing for 7 years and had been named rookieoftheyear for the united. Please wash your hands and practise social distancing. Jim mcelreath, a teenage dirttrack racer who went on to become the 1962 indianapolis 500 rookie of the year and race in 15 indy 500s, has died. Click on the race name to see the results of that race. Race car driver jim mcelreath, whose 23year usac and indycar career included 15 starts in the indianapolis 500, died thursday at his home in arlington, officials at texas motor speedway. Winning the race pole, colin chapman and his team clearly poured their immense knowledge into this car. Jim won the inaugural california 500 at ontario, california on september 6, 1970, driving a. The photos that came out the best and were in decent shape were put on a cd. Jay howard, fastest in thursdays practice, prepares to climb back in the car on.

Jim was a veteran of 15 indianapolis 500 races and was looking forward to qualifying for the 1978 indianapolis 500 with his son as a fellow competitor. Austin dillon delivers meals on wheels to indy car driver. James mcelreath, jr 19541977 find a grave memorial. Jim mcelreath on track, 1977 james and jim mcelreath, 1977 jim mcelreath during practice, 1976 jim mcelreath headshot, 1962. Shirley bettenhausen was the daughter of longtime indy car driver jim mcelreath. Starting 6th in the daytona 500 qualifier event, mcelreath stayed out of trouble to finish th and transfer into the daytona 500. Jim mcelreath nascar results, statistics and car numbers. I do know that he had a son who also was racing at the time. He was born on february 18, 1928 died on may 18, 2017, he was 89 years old in arlington.

Jim mcelreath profile with all the results,graphs,team mates and stats. He finished fifth in 1967 and 1970, and sixth in 1962, 1963 and 1974. Clark, 32, was at the wheel of his lotuscosworth which left the track at 170mph 274kmh, somersaulted through the air and collided with a tree on a remote part of the german track. Browse through indepth news on jim mcelreath along with latest information, updates, biography, expert analysis and opinions. Jim mcelreath in car 2, the jack zink trackburner, at the indianapolis motor speedway. Already a wily veteran when he made his first indianapolis 500 start in 1962, mcelreath impressed observers by qualifying 7th and running 2nd in the early going, having passed the likes of a. Regarded as a top prospect, james already had three titles to his name in both sprint and supermodified cars but died before his career really hit the top trajectory. One of the last eight surviving drivers who could claim to have driven a frontengined car in the 500, mcelreath was 34 years old and had been racing on short tracks for 16 years when he burst on. Openwheel star mcelreath passes away at 89 arlington, texas native was inducted into three motorsports hall of fames, 1962 indianapolis 500 rookie of the year fort worth, texas may 18, 2017 hall of fame openwheel driver jim mcelreath passed away peacefully in his sleep thursday at his home in arlington, texas, at the age of 89.

Austin dillon delivers meals on wheels to indy car driver jim mcelreath. He competed in four nextel cup series events in his career mcelreath s debut came in 1964, when he competed at daytona. Jim mcelreath february 18, 1928 may 18, 2017 was an american racing driver in the usac and cart championship car. He raced in the indianapolis 500 15 times, and was the rookie of the year for the 1962 race. He ran respectably in the 500 despite a crash, finishing a. He didnt retire driving from the sport until he was 67 in 1995.

There have been many stories about the tyres on jim clarks car lasting four races. Snider finished the four race dirt track division schedule with 520 points to 420 for jim mcelreath, the runnerup. Jim mcelreath 1966 indy 500 driver phoenix 8 x10 photo 2. Hall of famer jim mcelreath passed away last thursday, in his hometown of arlington, texas, at the age of 89. Clark was killed in a formula two racing accident in 1968 in hockenheim, west germany. He finished 48 times in the top 5, with five victories. May 19, 2017 openwheel star mcelreath passes away at 89 arlington, texas native was inducted into three motorsports hall of fames, 1962 indianapolis 500 rookie of the year fort worth, texas may 18, 2017 hall of fame openwheel driver jim mcelreath passed away peacefully in his sleep thursday at his home in arlington, texas, at the age of 89. He was runnerup in the 1966 championship and third in 1963, 1965 and 1970. Get the latest race results, news, videos, pictures, win record and more for jim mcelreath on.

The fourspot series, which was produced by the martin agency, will feature ragan competing with ups. Jim mcelreath february 18, 1928 may 18, 2017 was an american racing driver in the usac and cart championship car series racing career. Get the latest race results driver jim mcelreath on. Mcelreath s debut came in 1964, when he competed at daytona. I used a film scanner and scanned the negatives and slides the best i could. This is true, but also the brake pads lasted three times longer than those of any other driver. Jim mcelreath born february 18, 1928, arlington, texas, is a former driver in the usac and cart championship car series.