Jimmie Earl McElreath (February 18, 1928 – May 18, 2017) was an American open-wheel
racing driver
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non ...
, known for competing in the
USAC Championship car series. He won the inaugural
California 500 in
1970
Events
January
* January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC.
* January 5 – The 7.1 1970 Tonghai earthquake, Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli ...
, driving a spare car owned by
A. J. Foyt.
Racing career
Jim began his racing career in 1945 at the age of 17. He raced stock cars in
Dallas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
,
Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
. 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 super modified rides in the
International Motor Contest Association
The International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) was organized in 1915 by J. Alex Sloan, and is the oldest active auto racing sanctioning body in the United States. IMCA is headquartered in Vinton, Iowa, and features several classes and ...
(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 Fair
The Indiana State Fair is an annual state fair that spans 15 days in August in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. The Indiana State Fair debuted in 1852 at Military Park in Indianapolis and is the sixth oldest state fair in the U.S. It is the largest ...
grounds on the
United States Auto Club
The United States Auto Club (USAC) is one of the sanctioning bodies of auto racing in the United States. From 1956 to 1979, USAC sanctioned the List of USAC Championship Car seasons, United States National Championship, and from 1956 to 1997 the ...
(USAC) National Championship Trail. He finished third in this race, 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
The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...
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
The year saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is often considered the closest the world came to a Nuclear warfare, nuclear confrontation during the Cold War.
Events January
* January 1 – Samoa, Western Samoa becomes independent from Ne ...
he was named
Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, a result of his 6th-place finish.
Jim won the inaugural California 500 at
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
, 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
William Caleb Yarborough (March 27, 1939 – December 31, 2023) was an American NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver and owner, businessman, farmer, and rancher. He was the first driver in NASCAR history to win three consecutive championships, winn ...
retired with mechanical issues.
Award
McElreath was a 2002 inductee to the
National Sprint Car Hall of Fame.
Personal life
Jim's son, James Jr., was killed in a
sprint car crash at
Winchester
Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...
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.
['' The Talk of Gasoline Alley'' - 1070-AM WIBC, May 2, 2007]
Jim's daughter, Shirley, married racing driver
Tony Bettenhausen Jr. The couple died when their private plane crashed in Kentucky in February 2000.
Complete USAC Championship Car results
Complete PPG Indy Car World Series results
Indianapolis 500 results
Notes
External links
*
Jim McElreath Wins Big In Ontario Motor Speedway DebutFlashback Friday: October 16, 1977. James McElreath Jr's Last Lap
{{DEFAULTSORT:McElreath, Jim
1928 births
2017 deaths
Indianapolis 500 drivers
Indianapolis 500 Rookies of the Year
Champ Car drivers
National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductees
Racing drivers from Fort Worth, Texas
Sportspeople from Arlington, Texas
USAC Silver Crown Series drivers
Dale Coyne Racing drivers