# Jim McElreath

Jimmie Earl McElreath (February 18, 1928 – May 18, 2017) was an American open-wheel racing driver, known for competing in the USAC Championship car series. He won the inaugural California 500 in 1970, 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, 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.
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.

## 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.
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

| 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

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

## Indianapolis 500 results

| 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 | |