By Joel Washburn
washburn@mckenziebanner.com |
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Some of the world's finest racers have a connection
back to McKenzie Tennessee. Mention the name
"McKenzie" to some people and the thought of
high-powered, dirt track racing machines come to their
minds. The World of Outlaws, United States Auto Club (USAC),
and racing legends and hall of famers alike have
visited McKenzie to design their race cars and to
watch as the skilled craftsmen build a fine racing
machine that will be viewed in person and on
television by racing enthusiasts.
In the world of dirt racing, J&J Auto Racing of
McKenzie is among the best in the manufacturing
business. The business in the Walnut Street location
formerly known as the 'cheese factory' has continued
to grow under the tutelage of Jack Elam, who was
honored in May at the Memphis Motorsports Park.
Elam grew up in Greenfield. He first began working on
racecars as a 17 year-old, and in 1965, he built his
first sprint car. In 1969, he and friend Les Hill
started building cars at an Auto Speed Supply shop.
The two formed a company together that would allow
each to chase a dream. H & E Enterprises was born and
Elam built race cars while Hill focused on developing
products with thermal plastic, items like plastic
injection molding equipment. The two worked together
for three years before Elam decided to move into a
building on Walnut Avenue in McKenzie. The building
became home to J&J Enterprises and later, J&J Auto
Racing.
Elam's early successes came with the help M.A. Brown,
Billy Anderson, and a host of local talent including
Roy Diviney, and Mike Brown, who attended technical
school during the day and worked at J&J at night.
A tribute to M.A. Brown's racing legacy is being
displayed in the Carroll Bank and Trust lobby during
the next few weeks. The #44 car has a sorted history
from champion racecar to a barbecue grill, before
being restored back to a show car. It has held a
position in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in
Knoxville, Iowa for three years. The car was built by
J&J, sponsored by Bruce Cogle Ford in Thomasville,
Alabama, managed by M.A. Brown, and maintained by
Billy Anderson. M.A.'s son, Mike found the car in
Alabama, where it was truly a barbecue grill. He,
sister, Deborah Hampton, and sons, Matt and Marty
transformed it from a barbecue grill to a show car.
M.A. Brown started his racing career in the early
1960s on the local dirt tracks in McKenzie, Milan,
Henry and Huntingdon. He bought half ownership in his
first dirt car for a sum of $12. That was the
inspiration for a career in motorsports. He managed
his first sprint car team in 1969, which was built by
Elam in Greenfield. At the height of his career, M.A.
operated three cars bearing the numbers 42, 43, and
44. Some of Brown's drivers were Bubby Jones, Joe
Saldana, Sammy Swindell, Clarence Hooker Hood, Chuck
Amati, and Ron Shuman. Jones, Hood, Saldana, and
Shuman have all since been inducted in the National
Sprint Car Hall of Fame.
Brown recalled that at one race, Sammy Swindell was
supposed to drive the car, but due to a heavy fog, he
was unable to fly from Texas. Anderson suggested that
Sammy's father, Sam, drive the car. The retired racer
suited up, qualified the car, and won the race. The
elder Swindell's last race was in the #44 car,
presently on display at Carroll Bank and Trust.
Billy Anderson, now a mechanic with Tri-County Motors,
traveled with M.A.'s teams, turned the wrenches, and
adjusted the cars for competition. They raced where
the big purses were offered, whether in Florida,
Pennsylvania, or California. When M.A. retired from
racing in 1980, Anderson continued his career with
other teams, retiring in 1998 after 26 years. Anderson
worked with drivers Sammy Swindell, Chuck Amanti,
Bubby Jones, Ron Shuman, Joe Saldana, Jack Hewitt,
Rick Hood, and Jeff Gordon, who later became the
Winston Cup champion. Gordon is the only driver who
did not come visit McKenzie, said Anderson.
Mark Warren of Carroll Bank and Trust said men and
women are equally fascinated with the sprint car on
display at the bank. The questions are generally the
same: How did you get the car in here, how do you
shift gears, and how does a man fit in that small
cockpit?
The following is from a Sprint Car national
publication concerning J&J Auto Racing and Jack Elam.
KNOXVILLE, IOWA (May 6, 2004) - Veteran sprint car
builder Jack Elam of J&J Auto Racing in McKenzie,
Tennessee, will be meeting and greeting race fans this
Saturday (May 9) from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at the
"Racing Memories" show at the Memphis Motorsports
Park. The autograph session, which includes many
legendary drivers, is part of the inaugural Big M
Motorfest, presented by Brim's Snack Foods. Veteran
racers "Shorty" Chambliss and Elmer Gray, father of
current United Sprint Car Series (USCS) and American
Sprint Car Series (ASCS) star Terry Gray, will also be
signing autographs. Unfortunately, National Sprint Car
Hall of Famer Chuck Amati, who had previously planned
on being on-hand, will not be able to attend.
With his location in the mid-south, Elam built cars
for racers in the area that competed at West Memphis
(Riverside), Little Rock (I-30) and Devil's Bowl in
Texas. In the 1970's, Elam's business built mostly
sprint car chassis, but did build a few midget and
silver crown cars. He worked with drivers like Sammy
Swindell, Rickey Hood, Ellis Palasini, Clarence
"Hooker" Hood, Hoyette Hodnett, and Ed Lynch. He built
cars for an Arkansas hot-shot named Bobby Ward and
Memphis electric man, Bobby Davis. He built the first
sprint car Bobby Davis Jr. ever raced when Davis was
just a fifteen-year-old.
As the sport continued to grow so did J&J Enterprises.
Word was getting out that Elam knew how to build
quality racecars and that working with people was one
of his specialties. His early relationships in the
Memphis area led to more and more opportunities. Elam
still recalls helping a young driver from the West
Coast named Ron Shuman get his first big break. Elam
was involved with the M.A. Brown/Bruce Cogle Ford team
that took Shuman to Eldora Speedway for the first
time.
Elam continued building racecars in the 1980's and
throughout the mid-south his cars were having more and
more success. He built 100-inch cars for Lloyd K.
Stephens, who had his famous orange and black OFIXCO
(Oklahoma Fixture Company) cars racing through
Oklahoma and beyond.
As the popularity of the World of Outlaws grew
throughout the 1980s, so did J&J's reach across the
country. J&Js presence in Western Pennsylvania was
solid because of Ed Lynch Sr. and became more
prevalent when Al Hamilton started using J&Js. Stevie
Smith was the sport's up-and-comer and he scored
numerous wins. Elam also began building race cars for
Kenny Woodruff following a conversation the two had at
Eldora. Woodruff was the crew chief for Casey Luna's
team, who had Bobby Davis Jr. behind the wheel.
Elam made a connection with Oklahoman Andy Hillenburg
during the 1980's as well.
Through the 90s Elam continued to put a polished
product on the track keeping up with technology. Elam
admits that weight became a big issue, but it wasn't
the frame that became lighter, it was the components.
Success continued as J&J drivers such as Dave Blaney,
Fred Rahmer and Andy Hillenburg put their cars in
victory lane.
A Knoxville Nationals title and Historical Big One
triumphs, along with championships at the most
prestigious tracks, series and organizations,
continued to come while J&J continued to R&D new
chassis and fiberglass body styles.
After the millennium, Elam and J&J continue to prosper
some thirty years after he began. The success in
Pennsylvania continues with Hamilton, Joe Harz Racing
and the Middleswarth team, which has legend Keith
Kauffman still winning.
The relationship with Woodruff helped open the door to
working with a rising star in Donny Schatz on the
World of Outlaws scene. A long association with Roger
Johnson of Memphis has also helped J&J stay active in
the silver crown series. In 2003, Elam worked with
Jack French to build the winning pavement sprint car
for the Little 500.
Today, J&J produces more than 175 cars a year compared
to about 30 a year in the 1970s. No matter the number,
Jack Elam's stamp of approval must be on every car
before it leaves the shop on Walnut Avenue in
McKenzie.
"I really feel like people have made me successful in
this business," stated Elam. "The people that help me
build the cars in the shop and the people that buy our
race cars and succeed on the track are what makes J&J
a success. Winning races and working with all of the
quality people that I have really has to be the
biggest highlight of my career. I know there are names
that might not have been mentioned here that have
impacted what we do, but that certainly doesn't mean
they weren't important. In one way or the other,
everybody that I've ever built a car for or sold a
part to has helped my dream become a reality."
