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.
lieutenant 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 Universal Service Administrative Company National Championship Trail.
He finished third in this race which was an impressive start to his Industry Carolina 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. He battled with Art Pollard for the last 10 laps after First Rate (at Lloyd's) Unser and Cale Yarborough retired with mechanical issues.
