Jim McElreath

Jim McElreath (born February 18, 1928, Arlington, Texas), is a former driver in the USAC and CART Championship Car series.

Racing career

Jim began his racing career in 1945 at the age of 17. He raced stock cars in Dallas, Texas. Jim would race in the local Texas bullrings for the next fifteen years while working as a bricklayer. It was in 1960 when he and fellow Texan racer Johnny Rutherford decided to race in the Midwest. Both would eventually find supermodified rides in the International Motor Contest Association (IMCA). Jim did well enough that by late-summer 1961 that he was offered a ride by fame car owner Lindsey Hopkins in the Hoosier Hundred, a race at the Indiana State Fairgrounds on the USAC National Championship Trail. He finished third in this race which was an impressive start to his Indy Car career.

He raced in the 1961-1983 seasons, with 178 combined career starts, including 15 in the Indianapolis 500 in 1962-1970, 1973–1974, and 1977-1980. He finished 48 times in the top 5, with five victories. He was runner-up in the 1966 championship and third in 1963, 1965 and 1970. In 1962, he was named Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, a result of his 6th-place finish.

Jim won the inaugural California 500 at Ontario, California on September 6, 1970 driving A.J. Foyt's team car. He battled with Art Pollard for the last 10 laps after Al Unser and Cale Yarborough retired with mechanical issues.

Award

McElreath was a 2002 inductee to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame.[1]

Personal life

Jim's son, James Jr., was killed in a sprint car crash at Winchester in October 1977. James, Jr. had attempted to qualify for the 1977 Indy 500 earlier that year. Alongside his father, they were attempting to become the first father and son combination to qualify for the same race. However, James, Jr. was too slow to make the field.[2]

Jim's daughter, Shirley, married racing driver Tony Bettenhausen, Jr. The couple died when their private plane crashed in Kentucky in February, 2000.

Indianapolis 500 results

Year Chassis Engine Start Finish
1962 Kurtis Kraft Offy 7th 6th
1963 Watson Offy 6th 6th
1964 Kurtis Kraft Novi 26th 21st
1965 Brabham Offy 16th 20th
1966 Brabham Ford 7th 3rd
1967 Moore Ford 11th 5th
1968 Coyote Ford 13th 14th
1969 Brawner Hawk Offy 7th 28th
1970 Coyote Ford 33rd 5th
1971 Coyote Ford Did Not Qualify
1972 Coyote Foyt Did Not Qualify
1973 Eagle Offy 33rd 23rd
1974 Eagle Offy 30th 6th
1976 Eagle Offy Did Not Qualify
1977 Eagle AMC 20th 23rd
1978 Eagle Offy 26th 20th
1979 Penske Cosworth 19th 35th
1980 Penske Cosworth 11th 24th
1981 Penske Cosworth Sold Car
1982 King Chevrolet Did Not Qualify

Notes

Belleville High Banks Hall of Fame inductee 2011.

External links

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Bobby Marshman
Parnelli Jones
Indianapolis 500
Rookie of the Year

1962
Succeeded by
Jim Clark
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