Jim Reed (racing driver)

Jim Reed

Jim Reed
Born (1926-02-21) February 21, 1926
Peekskill, New York, U.S.A.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career
106[1] races run over 13[1] years
Best finish 9th – 1959 NASCAR Grand National season
First race 1951 untitled race (Altamont-Schenectady Fairgrounds)
Last race 1963 untitled race (Old Bridge Stadium)
Last win 1959 Southern 500 (Darlington Speedway)
Wins Top tens Poles
7[1] 47[1] 5[1]

Jim Reed (born February 21, 1926 in Peekskill, New York, USA) is a retired NASCAR Grand National driver.[1]

Career

Reed has raced 16,299 laps (and successfully led 1428 of them) – the equivalent of 14,017.3 miles (22,558.7 km) from his humble beginnings 1951 to his final NASCAR season as a driver in 1963.[1] His total career earnings is $16,299 ($125,980.64 when adjusted for inflation).[1] Reed's biggest win came in the 1959 Southern 500 driving a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air. Reed finished the highest in championship standings in 1959 being 9th place overall and the lowest in 1963 being 139th place overall for the year.[1] His average career start was 12th and his average career finish was 16th.[1] A wreck while driving a Ford in late in the 1963 Grand National season caused a broken vertebrae; Reed eventually retired from NASCAR. People who suffer from broken vertebrae usually end up paralyzed, deceased, or both. At Heidelberg Raceway, Reed won a race that took place on July 21, 1959 on ¼ mile dirt track.

Reed performed the best at short tracks and restrictor plate tracks; finishing 11th on average while finishing in a mediocre 34th on average while driving on tri-oval intermediate tracks.[2]

Life after NASCAR

In 1965, Reed left the motorsports scene to start a truck dealership.[3][4] While it started out as a GMC dealership, the business eventually moved onto selling Mitsubishi trucks as GMC trucks became less desirable.[3][4] Sales have mostly been either the first or second best in the Peekskill, New York region.[3][4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Jim Reed racing information at Racing Reference
  2. ↑ NASCAR Statistics for Jim Reed at Driver Averages
  3. 1 2 3 Jim Reed Trucks
  4. 1 2 3 "Jim Reed". Legends of NASCAR.
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