COLORADO AUTO RACING CLUB

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE

JACK GRAHAM

CLASS OF 2010

By Paul Bredenberg

            Our next inductee is a man who worked hard for several years and proved the adage “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again”. Jack Graham drove hard but drove clean and, while he had the misfortune to race against John Pachello’s #19 car for most of his CARC career, it all came right for him eventually.

            Jack began racing with the Club at Lakeside Speedway in 1963, driving a car he owned himself. Like most of us, he gathered a small band of workers to help as his crew and did most of the work himself. While on his learning curve, Jack got tangled up a few times but spent track time developing his driving style and improving his talents, which were many. From up in the stands, Jack started to look like his car was on rails. After a few seasons, it was evident to the jaded spectator that Jack was something special; he just needed that special car to go with him. He started going faster and smoother as time went by. Besides his talent, Jack was also a really nice guy.

            For 1964 and 1965, Jack drove for Wally Sheats. This car was faster than Jack’s own car and Jack didn’t have to do all the work. He placed well and kept getting better at driving. He caught the eye of one of the CARC’s most prolific owners, Al Starr. Previously, Al had Ken Nelson driving his #51, which was a fairly fast and consistent car. For the 1967 season, though, Al needed a new driver. He had been noticing young Jack’s driving and knew that Jack was not only fast and smooth, but was sympathetic to the equipment. Jack rarely bent a car.

            Jack was installed in the green #7 coupe, which at the time was considered an unlucky color. Perhaps there might have been some truth to the theory. Jack drove extremely hard with the car and ran in the top twenty for most of the season. It was a season of the car and driver getting to know each other, which paved the way for good things in the 1968 season. Jack broke into the Fast A Class, which was the fastest group of modifieds at Lakeside, and suddenly was into the top five in points. This was an extremely competitive field in the CARC and Jack Graham finished fourth in the points behind Don Wilson, Wayne Stallsworth and Billy Vaughan, all of them all-stars! Jack Graham had arrived!

            Through 1969, Jack went faster and faster. His clean driving style served him well and points kept piling up. I do remember one night when Jack drove the wheels off the green car to pass Don Wilson in traffic and take the lead in a Main Event only to have the battery fall out of the car as he came down the main straight with a handful of laps to go. He finished the season fifth in points and followed that up with a third for 1970. In 1971, Jack drove for Gene Manning in a car that let him down more often than not. Then, in 1972, came the break for which Jack had been waiting.

            Don Wilson had moved on from the Pachello #19 car and John needed a good, smooth driver. He always preferred drivers who kept their noses clean, and their car, too. Jack fit the bill. After one season settling in with the car, Jack won three consecutive championships with the famous black coupe. The 1973, 1974, and 1975 championships were well-earned and well-deserved for Jack. In his later years, Jack fought heart problems and finally succumbed to them, but left a progency with the CARC. His nephew Chet currently races with us. His wife Sheri is a former Powder Puff Champ.