Jeffords died on march 6, but his death was publicly announced on march 25 in a statement from the road america race track in elkhart lake, wisconsin. All the discussion of compiling race results and info from various series got me to thinking which can be dangerous. Vir 1957 august race report newspaper virginia international raceway august 34, 1957. Jeffords appeared in the very first road america race at elkhart lake in 1955 racing in the scca c production class driving a jaguar. Vrg drivers school, ff challenge series, veerg challenge series. Corvette hall of fame inductee, james jim jeffords was a twotime national driving champion, recognized for his exciting racing mark in legendary race cars and automobiles such as the nickey chevrolet s purple people eater, and chevrolet powered specials like jerry earls sr2, the scarab, and the maserati birdcage. We each had other codrivers, but if one of the cars went out of the race, we could become a co driver for the other. Thompson enjoyed a 30year drag racing career as a driver and was still actively involved as an engine builder for nostalgia vehicles. Sports cars, race cars, auto racing photo archive, racing. The teams in attendance all expressed a positive attitude about the index class and they all seemed to enjoy the opportunity to race. Join jeff gordon prerace at infineon raceway hendrick. Sports car racing photo gallery of augie pabst usas cars photo gallery.
Later, one of the scarabs was purchased for jim jeffords to drive for nickey chevrolet of chicago. Tyler thompson sprint car driver at knoxville raceway. Does anyone have or know of any online source for the usac sports car races of 1959 ive seen magazine articles on the lime rock race won by rodger ward in a oval track midget car, and mention of other. He currently competes in the world touring car championship. Corvette hall of fame inductee, james jim jeffords was a twotime national driving champion, recognized for his exciting racing mark in legendary race cars and automobiles such as the nickey chevrolets purple people eater, and chevrolet powered specials like jerry earls. Augie pabst usas cars photo gallery racing sports cars. Held on the fan midway and open for anyone with a grandstand ticket, the event is a great opportunity to meet nascar stars of the future. Driver nationality, car, entrant, laps, timeretired, pos. However, there he was racing around north carolina motor speedway in rockingham with the traditional yellow rookie stripe on his bumper. March 31, 2010 vallejo native jeff gordon, who holds the track record for wins at infineon raceway, will join race fans for a chalktalk session on june 20 prior to the start of the nascar sprint cup series event at the california road course. Over labor day 58, jim met lance reventlow at thompson conn. Despite his world class credentials this was his first foray into nascar stock car racing and rules were rules, even for jim clark. Thompsons drag race place from gassers to funny cars hemis and gasser legends.
In his first time behind the wheel, jeffords delivered a fourthplace finish, and the race signified the start of a longterm relationship between chevrolet and jeffords. The good luck continued in early 1957 where paul goldsmith drove one car to production class. The track was the home track for the scarab in the hands of jim jeffords, harry heure, augie pabst and don devine, and the car won a lot of races out. In the memorial trophy race, he was first in class, third overall. He blew the engine, which prevented him in racing the may 19 scca regional at cumberland. From 19521967, the oval track and an adjacent section of the speedway property were leased to owners of the neighboring sports car track, the thompson raceway. Jim jeffords 19272014 jim jeffords collection image. Corvette hall of fame inductee, james jim jeffords was a twotime national driving champion, recognized for his exciting racing mark in legendary race cars. By the end of 1960, he was a respected champion truly on the ascendancy when a mysterious allergy hospitalized him for nine months and ended his career. So, we were like the captains of the respective cars. This was the end of the competition life for chassis 4510, although jim jeffords and jim hall practiced in it for the 1960 road america 500. Pabst, jim jeffords, harry heuer, don devine, bill wuesthoff, john kilborn and jack. Dick thompson, briggs cunningham, jim jeffords, 1960 indianapolis 500 winner jim rathmann. Corvettes at carlisle race car reunion celebrates the brands racing heritage.
Later, one of the scarabs was purchased for jim jeffords to. Scca national thompson class cm, sports car club of america national races thompson, 5. They found it too heavy and tiring for a 500mile race and opted for harrisons new birdcage. Driving the 500 solo and running third overall most of the race, jeffords retired.
In 1957, jeffords was named as a corvette racing team driver, although he would occasionally drive corvettes for other teams during the 1957 season. Jim jeffords, who won national sports car championships in 1958 and 1959 while at the wheel of the famous purple people eater chevrolet corvettes, has died. But in its heyday, thompson raceway was as vital to sports car racing as lime. James thompson born 26 april 1974 in york, england is a british auto racing driver. Jim jeffords and road america historical research, in. Jim jeffords was the driver of the famous nickey chevrolet purple people eater corvettes. Scca nationals 1957 world sports racing prototypes. The 1957 scca national sports car championship season was the seventh season of the sports car club of americas national sports car championship. Jim jeffords kicked off his racing career in 1954 at the age of 27, married with four young boys and living in milwaukee. Our thoughts and prayers are with jim s family and friends. Jimmy owens sprint car driver at knoxville raceway. During the inaugural race, the two scarabs came to meadowdale, and chuck daigh was the winner.
Constantine in an aston martin db and bob grossman driving a ferrari tdf coupe. In the late 1960s, thompson speedway opened the road course known as thompson version 3. I invited jim hall to be my co driver in this race and frank harrison brought three maseratis. The 1959 12hour florida international grand prix of endurance for the amoco trophy took place on 21 march, on the sebring international raceway, florida, united states. Use the tabs below to select which reservation you are making garage, camping, test day etc. Reventlow would go on to success as a racing driver, race car constructor and entrepreneur. Thompson speedway motorsports park 205 e thompson rd, thompson, connecticut 06277 rated 4. The second year showed the battle between augie pabst and dick thompson as they pass under the bill mitchell bridge in the 1960 june sprints. Justin thompson 440 race swainsboro raceway youtube. James jeffords racing 2002 corvette hall of fame racing category 2002 induction. The big bore production race was equally exciting, as jim jeffords, in the. Jim jeffords racing career profile driver database.
As one driver put it, if you have a cabin on the lake, why go to danville in august. Photos at the end first, we will print the text so it is easier to read followed by copies of the actual printed pages. Reventlow at the hotel lobby next to the thompson, connecticut raceway. James thompson racing career profile driver database. Over labor day 1958, jim met lance reventlow at the hotel lobby next to thompson, ct raceway. He has twice been champion of the british touring car championship btcc, and was third in the 2007 world touring car championship. Racing heroes lance reventlow kurt ernst on jun 19th, 2014 at 8. Jim jeffords was close behind, finishing second in class and ninth overall. Nov 29 dec 8, 1958 nassau speed week won 25 lap, 1st class, 1st oa, first american driver in an american car to ever do this. International speedway at 155 mph during openingday ceremonies in 1959.
They had dinner and that meeting changed jims racing direction. It was the opening round of the 1959 world sportscar championship. Riverhead raceway modified vintage race 17 x jim reed in. Over the course of his sixdecade career, jim jeffords contributed much to motorsports in america in a number of different roles, including scca national championshipwinning driver, transam team manager, and vice president of road america. Carlisles corvette race car reunion hot rod network. The 1959 scca national sports car championship season was the ninth season of the sports car club of americas national sports car championship. Corvette racing tribute corvettes at the petersen museum. During the 58 nassau speed week, jeffords won the 25lapper becoming the first american driver to win at nassau in an american car.
Once we had the two c3s, what wed do was, tony and i would be the lead driver on each car. Sports car racing photo gallery of chevrolet photo gallery. The 1958 scca national sports car championship season was the eighth season of the sports car club of americas national sports car championship. Please send me email with any additional info on this or any other vir race virginia international raceway. Jim nelson raced at berlin raceway from 1960 until his death in 1965, when he suffered a horrific crashed while leading a feature race at the grand rapids speedrome in 1965, just one week after the death of his friend dick carter. In may 1961, fred gamble blew it engine during a private practice session at vir, danville. On may 4, 1957 jim entered the car in little scca club race, still in the familiar white blue colors. Jim jeffords, corvette racing legend and motorsport. Photos from meadowdale, the ghost track of motorsports.
See all 28 photos also on the race car reunion panel was former owens corning racing driver jerry thompson. At nassau, dick thompson drove one car to a class win and 7th overall in the 20lap governors trophy race. Jim jeffords, corvette racing legend obituary vette. James jeffords racing 2002 corvette hall of fame national. It began april 5, 1959, and ended november 15, 1959, after fourteen races. The following numbers are a summary of the more detailed information available in the career details further below on the page. Jeffords and nickey participated in 21 race weekends 42 races with the famous purple people eater vettes at tracks across the country. The site dedicated to sportscar race results and chassis numbers histories is under construction.
Nickey 12 loyal katskee usa ferrari 16 jim rathmann usa lister corvette 49 bruce boyle usa jaguar dtype 72 sy haybeck lotus did not start. In august, at montgomery, chuck daigh won handsomely in the second team car built at thompson raceway reventlow won imperiously. It began january 12, 1958, and ended october 5, 1958, after sixteen races. With two formula one world championships to his name, one would hardly consider scottish driver jim clark a rookie. Pete lovely, dick thompson, augie pabst, harry heuer, charles wallace, paul oshea, lake underwood, jim jeffords, don yenko, frank dominianni, chuck stoddard, bob tullius, duncan black, bruce jennings, don. This last car was quite a handful, very fast on the straightaway but very heavy. Dick thompson usa chevrolet corvette stingray 10 jim jeffords usa scarab mk. For all his achievements, reventlows life was marked by a series of failed personal relationships, and it would end in tragedy at the bottom of a. Driver nationality car entrant laps timeretired pos. The 2019 shirt was a jim swintal favorite depicting phil hill in a jaguar leading fred wacker in his eight ball allard in the 1952 race at the corner of lake and rhine in downtown elkhart lake. Thompson, ct thompson raceway connecticut autocross. Here he is shown driving his 1959 corvette at the sebring international raceway. Jim jeffords, corvette racing legend and motorsport entrepreneur. Jim passed on march 6, 2014, in palm desert, california james jeffords 19262014 the article was written by jim gessner and art evans and appeared in the june 2014 issue of vette vues magazine.