Jimmie Earl McElreath[1] (February 18, 1928 – May 18, 2017) was an American open-wheel racing driver, known for competing in the USAC Championship car series.[2][3] He won the inaugural California 500 in 1970, driving a spare car owned by A. J. Foyt.

Jim McElreath
BornJimmie Earl McElreath
(1928-02-18)February 18, 1928
Arlington, Texas, U.S.
DiedMay 18, 2017(2017-05-18) (aged 89)
Arlington, Texas, U.S.
Championship titles
Major victories
California 500 (1970)
Champ Car career
181 races run over 24 years
Best finish2nd (1966)
First race1961 Hoosier Hundred (ISF)
Last race1983 Ted Horn Memorial (DuQuoin)
First win1965 Trenton 100 (Trenton)
Last win1970 California 500 (Ontario)
Wins Podiums Poles
5 22 2
NASCAR Cup Series career
4 races run over 2 years
First race1964 Daytona Qualifier #2 (Daytona)
Last race1971 Miller High Life 500 (Ontario)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0

Racing career

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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 super modified 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 United States Auto Club (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 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.[4]

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.[citation needed]

Award

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McElreath was a 2002 inductee to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame.[5]

Personal life

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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.[6]

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

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Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Pos Points
1961 TRE
INDY
MIL
LAN MIL SPR DUQ SYR ISF
3
TRE
21
SAC
10
PHX
4
18th 290
1962 TRE
16
INDY
6
MIL
14
LAN
7
TRE
6
SPR
5
MIL
5
LAN
7
SYR
10
ISF
3
TRE
8
SAC
14
PHX
DNQ
8th 1,210
1963 TRE
4
INDY
6
MIL
5
LAN
2
TRE
8
SPR
6
MIL
11
DUQ
7
ISF
5
TRE
4
SAC
3
PHX
3
3rd 1,655
1964 PHX
11
TRE
DNQ
INDY
21
MIL
9
LAN
4
TRE
14
SPR
DNQ
MIL
12
DUQ
5
ISF
DNQ
TRE
12
SAC
PHX
25
18th 320
1965 PHX
2
TRE
1
INDY
20
MIL
3
LAN
1
PPR
TRE
11
IRP
5
ATL
10
LAN
1
MIL
14
ISF
5
MIL
6
DSF
2
INF
DNQ
TRE
3
SAC
8
PHX
23
3rd 2,035
1966 PHX
1
TRE
3
INDY
3
MIL
21
LAN
2
ATL
12
PIP
IRP
3
LAN
22
SPR
11
MIL
4
DUQ
10
ISF
10
TRE
6
SAC
7
PHX
3
2nd 2,430
1967 PHX
15
TRE
4
INDY
5
MIL
4
LAN
11
PIP MOS
Wth
MOS
IRP
4
LAN
5
MTR
12
MTR
16
SPR
12
MIL
6
DUQ
15
ISF
5
TRE
4
SAC
DNS
HAN
12
PHX
20
RIV
DNS
7th 1,750
1968 HAN
LVG
PHX
TRE
INDY
14
MIL
DNQ
MOS
MOS
LAN
PIP
CDR
22
NAZ
IRP
10
IRP
11
LAN
7
LAN
17
MTR
7
MTR
10
SPR
MIL
9
DUQ
ISF
TRE
15
SAC
MCH
DNQ
HAN
5
PHX
6
RIV
28
21st 771
1969 PHX
DNP
HAN
INDY
28
MIL
LAN PIP CDR
NAZ TRE
7
IRP
13
IRP
20
MIL
8
SPR
DNQ
DOV
18
DUQ
9
ISF
13
BRN
DNQ
BRN
TRE
11
SAC
16
KEN KEN PHX
9
RIV
23rd 400
1970 PHX
6
SON
TRE
7
INDY
5
MIL
DNS
LAN CDR
MCH
IRP
SPR
3
MIL
ONT
1
DUQ
Wth
ISF
10
SED
13
TRE
DNP
SAC
16
PHX
5
3rd 2,060
1971 RAF
RAF
PHX
TRE
INDY
DNQ
MIL
POC
27
MCH
MIL
ONT
8
TRE
27
PHX
6
21st 370
1972 PHX
TRE
DNQ
INDY
DNQ
MIL
10
MCH
POC
DNQ
MIL
ONT
DNS
TRE
PHX
39th 45
1973 TWS
TRE
TRE
INDY
23
MIL
11
POC
11
MCH
MIL
4
ONT
6
ONT ONT
20
MCH
MCH
TRE
5
TWS
PHX
16
19th 650
1974 ONT
4
ONT ONT
15
PHX
10
TRE
18
INDY
6
MIL
7
POC
23
MCH
MIL
MCH
TRE
TRE
PHX
10
13th 700
1975 ONT
ONT ONT
18
PHX
TRE
DNS
INDY
MIL
POC
MCH
MIL
MCH
TRE
PHX
7
30th 90
1976 PHX
10
TRE
INDY
DNQ
MIL
POC
MCH
TWS
TRE
MIL ONT
DNQ
MCH
TWS
PHX
36th 45
1977 ONT
PHX
TWS
TRE
INDY
23
MIL
POC
24
MOS
MCH
12
TWS
6
MIL
ONT
9
MCH
5
PHX
21st 530
1978 PHX
ONT
TWS
6
TRE
7
INDY
20
MOS
MIL
POC
25
MCH
7
ATL
13
TWS
12
MIL
12
ONT
20
MCH
9
TRE
DNQ
SIL
BRH
PHX
12
19th 573
1979 ONT
9
TWS
14
INDY
35
MIL
POC
2
TWS
9
MIL
DNQ
6th 975
1980 ONT INDY
24
MIL POC
27
MDO 45th 25
1981-82 INDY
DNQ
POC
7
ILL
3
DUQ
17
ISF
24
INDY
DNQ
12th 594
1983-84 DUQ
29
INDY
- 0

Complete PPG Indy Car World Series results

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Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Pos. Pts Ref
1979 McElreath Racing PHX ATL ATL INDY
35
TRE TRE MCH MCH WGL TRE ONT MCH ATL PHX - 0 [7]
1980 McElreath Racing ONT
INDY
24
MIL
WGL
12
MIL
9
ONT
MCH
MEX
6
PHX
28th 240 [8]
Grant King Racing POC
27
MDO
MCH
1981 McElreath Racing PHX
19
MIL ATL
ATL
MCH
RIV
MIL
MCH
11
WGL
DNQ
MEX
13
PHX
DNQ
36th 4 [9]
1982 PHX
DNQ
ATL
MIL
CLE
MCH
MIL
POC
18
RIV
DNQ
ROA
MCH
PHX
39th 3 [10]
1983 ATL
11
INDY
MIL
CLE
MCH
13
ROA
POC
23
RIV
MDO
DNP
MCH
CPL
LAG
PHX
30th 2 [11]
1984 Dale Coyne Racing LBH
PHX
DNQ
INDY
MIL
POR
MEA
CLE
MCH
ROA
POC
MDO
SAN
MCH
PHX
LAG
CPL
- 0 [12]

Indianapolis 500 results

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

Notes

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  1. ^ "Jim McElreath". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  2. ^ Miller, Robin (18 May 2017). "Jim McElreath, 1928-2017". racer.com. Archived from the original on 23 January 2022. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  3. ^ "Indianapolis 500 fixture Jim McElreath dies at 89". foxnews.com. 19 May 2017. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  4. ^ Cadou Jr., Jep (June 1, 1962). "Rookie-Of-Year Honor Goes To Jim McElreath". The Indianapolis Star. p. 1. Retrieved December 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com  .
  5. ^ "Sprint Car HOF". Archived from the original on 2012-07-29. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
  6. ^ The Talk of Gasoline Alley - 1070-AM WIBC, May 2, 2007
  7. ^ "Jim McElreath – 1979 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  8. ^ "Jim McElreath – 1980 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  9. ^ "Jim McElreath – 1981 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  10. ^ "Jim McElreath – 1982 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  11. ^ "Jim McElreath – 1983 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  12. ^ "Jim McElreath – 1984 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
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Sporting positions
Preceded by Indianapolis 500
Rookie of the Year

1962
Succeeded by