Central Auto Racing Boosters Hall of Fame and Museum sends our heartfelt sympathy to your family.
Please keep the family of Jim McVay in your thoughts and prayers. Jim passed away on Saturday April 4, 2020. RIP Jim.
Jim McVay Central Auto Racing Boosters Hall of Fame Inductee 2014
Jim’s racing career started in 1949 in a Soap Box Derby in K.C., MO. and continued thru 1950. In 1952, Jim started hanging out at a small race track on 40 Hwy near the Old Heart of America Airport, which at the time was owned by Frank Carrollo. Frank rented out cars by the ‘lap’ and with Jim hanging out there almost every night, he soon had the fastest lap time of anyone. Then Frank started enticing people to run against Jim’s time or race him for (8) eight laps. Well, Jim almost always won, so Frank started giving him a small amount of food or small change, for bringing in extra cash for him.
Jim entered the Air Force in 1954 and ended up in England. There he bought a used 1954 TR2, and started running ‘Rally’s’ against the British drivers. He then applied and received his Formula 1 license and began racing at Brands Hatch and Silverstone in the 1500 to 2000 cc class. His biggest victory was achieved, in a 24-hour London rally, while driving his Captains new Austin-Healey 100. When the final results came in, he and his navigator (Carter) had won the ‘American’ and the ‘Novice’ trophy and finished (4) fourth, overall, out of 300 entries.
Returning to the US in 1957, his brother Ed got him a ride in a flat head Ford Midget, an old Ollie Jennings car. He drove this as a ‘team’ car to Bob Spease, under the guidance of Carl Paul, who was taking care of it for Bill Brown. In those days there was a ‘B’ circuit, which Offenhausers could not compete, so they ran as many of these races as they could. They had minimal success, because they were no match for even a good Ford.
In ‘59’ Jim started driving for different owners who owned Fords. The first of which was Skee Halloran’s #22, this car in the movie ‘Big Wheel’ staring Mickey Rooney (the OFFY engine had been separated from the car). In 1960, his father purchased Vito Calia’s #2, and the first night out at Olympic Stadium, he won the feature. After winning the second night out also, they went on to St. Charles to win there also. Then came Springfield, where he flipped (5 rotations) in the Trophy dash.
Over the next several years, Jim drove anything he could get his hands on, driving various ‘Offys’ and ‘flat heads’ for anyone who would hire him. A ‘Jalopy' at Olympic and Riverside, Jack Cunningham’s old 14 ‘Offy’, Al Bozarths cars; a ‘Flat Head’, Ford Falcon and a Chevy II. In Al’s car, he won the Mike Hill Memorial at Riverside and many ‘features’ at various towns in the Midwest. He competed in IMCA a number of years with a 4th place finish in ‘66’, a 3rd place points finish in ‘69’ and a 1st place finish in ‘70’. During this time, Jim drove for Keith Anderson, out of Omaha, ‘home built’ car with a 215 Olds engine, that he purchased at a salvage yard for $75.00. It had a carburetor and burned gasoline. In Keith Andersons Olds, Jim won the Iowa State Fair in ‘66’, followed by the Kansas State & Oklahoma State Fairs. He also ran Bud Doty’s Chevy several years. In 1969-1970, they were with USAC. The first year (1969) they were invited to the first Astrodome indoor race. He finished 2nd in the heat and doesn’t remember where they finished in the feature. I believe AJ Foyt may have won the feature. The second year 1970 he was scheduled to race; however, we made a big mistake with USAC. I used a phony name and ran a NON USAC race at Valley Park, Mo. and finished 4th.Bob Stroud, who ran USAC, found out and we lost all points since we didn’t have permission to run.
In 1971, Jim drove stock cars for Charlie Lineback for two years. He had a Chevy Impala with a 400 in it, which he later changed over to a 427, and they started running faster. Being from open wheel racing, other drivers had to convince him to ‘push’ and ‘rub’ if he was going to get to the front. ”Well I must of listened”, because he won ‘Rookie of the Year’ at Lakeside that year. Then he ran a newer Chevelle with a 350 in it, purchased from Terry Bivins and ran at I-70. Had a number of 3rd and 4th place finishes but no wins. He was replaced by ‘Super’ Joe Wallace, who finished about the same as Jim.” From that time on, I never drove late models again.”
About the same period, Jim drove Sprint cars for Bill Roberts, Barney Flynn, Gary Mussato, and Keith Anderson. His primary time driving ‘sprints’, was with Gary Blackman. Jim and his brother teamed up with Bill Roberts for the little 500 in Anderson, IN, where he finished 16th. He then drove for several Texas owners, Ed Silk and Scott Hunter on that circuit and the SWIMS tours.
In the mid 70’s, 80’s and later, Jim owned his own equipment and hired drivers to drive them. One of the cars was driven by his son Tim, drove at the 1st Chili Bowl. “One of the cars was always driven by a McVay, my son Tim, his grandson Todd, or himself.” They competed there for 26 years consecutively, stopping at the 27th running of the event. “We may have been the only team who compete that many consecutive years without a break.” “Due to the higher cost of racing and that I’m getting tired of all the traveling, we don’t run as much nowadays.” During a 150 lapper on pavement in St. Paul, MN. Jim started 33rd and on the 112th lap, he was running 3rd. The two Wilke cars, which were in front (one driven by Tom Bigelow), had brought their own Indy refueling setup, since 150 laps, was too far for tanks back then. At 112th laps, while running 3rd, the rear-end let loose on his over horse powered car, causing him to park it. ‘Just for kicks’ they checked the 12 gallon fuel tank, and to his surprise he had (7) seven gallons left. This calculates out that he was getting 14 miles to the gallon with the stock Olds engine.
As it turned out, four USAC regulars did the same thing. As a side note, this was a Heart benefit race, advertising a big purse and no one got paid as the promoter absconded with the money.
Ralph Parkinson Sr. and Jim were switching these cars back and forth for these two owners. The owners were in the Oil business and had a little rivalry going between them. It did not matter where you finished but you had to finish higher than the other and if you didn’t, you might not race for a couple of weeks, or at worst get fired.
Jim’s family has always been in the Auto Parts or related businesses. In 1994 Jim along with a couple partners bought Central Missouri Speedway in Warrensburg, Mo. After Jim had a heart attack at the end of the year Jim sold out. Jim continues to own race cars and occasionally races them himself.
Special thanks to my wife Martha for putting up with me for 56 years. Tim and Todd for all their work, and all the car owners that gave me the opportunity to race.
