Jim Jorgensen
Brother David takes the '65 Chevelle Sportsman out for a 1973 trackpacking session at Sunset
Staging for a 1976 Sunset heat race in a '71 Chevelle Late Model
Camaro Late Models of Jim and the #63 of Jerry Wancewicz wait out a caution period during a 1978 Sunset feature
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Jim with his fiberglass-bodied Camaro Late Model at Sunset in 1979
1979 brought Jim his first Sunset Late Model feature win
The Wayne Mason built Outlaw Late Model at Sunset in 1984
In a competitve 1984 Sunset heat race, Jim follows Bill Baldwin in the #6x down the backstretch while running inside the #22 of Dale Fishlein and the $1.98 car of Don Weinrich
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The Mason chassis, reskinned in orange sheetmetal for 1985, takes a trip down the Webster City backstretch.
1985 turn two action at Sunset with Jim trying to reel in Mel Zeitner while fending off Joe Kosiski
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Hotlapping at Sunset in 1986
Jim with the Dave Doll owned Sardeson Modified at Corning in 1992
Jim and nephew David Jr. congratulate each other on a good run after a hard fought side-by-side battle during a 1998 I-80 feature
The Racing Jorgensens - David Jr., Jim, Jerry, and David Sr. during the 2000 season
The Rocket Late Model at Sunset in 2000
The Rocket Grand National at I-80 in 2000
A common site in 2000, Jim Jorgensen in victory lane at I-80 Speedway
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Late Model driver Jim Jorgensen has been chosen for the Dirt Driver Spotlight for his
2000 season track championship and many years of racing success on the dirt tracks throughout
the region.
Jim’s family resided in South Omaha when Jim was born on August 2, 1950, but later relocated to
a farm near Bennington, Nebraska. Jim attended elementary school in District 30 and graduated
from Bennington High School. While growing up he was your typical "car guy", always tinkering
with vehicles around the farm.
When the Hadan family opened Sunset Speedway in 1957, Jim's father Albert went to work as the
pit gate man, and also maintained the track’s lighting. Jim's mother Susan could be seen every
week in the grandstands with the kids. During those early years, the Jorgensen family cheered
on Albert’s cousin, Leonard Christofferson, who drove the #97 Modified Coupe, the number that
Jim would adopt many years later to start his own racing career. Jim's future wife Nancy Fox
also regularly attended the races with her family. Little did these two kids know at the time
that this would be the beginning of a long-term relationship with each other and racing.
In the 60’s, Jim and Nancy had many dates at Sunset and were finally married in 1970.
Jim's driving career started in 1971, while helping his cousin, Steve Jorgensen, with his Late
Model. Jim’s first opportunity behind the wheel was totally unplanned. "Steve was in the
Sunset Inn during intermission and didn’t make it back to the car in time for his next race. So
I jumped in and drove it!" Jim laughs. Jim ran very well in that first race. He also piloted
Steve’s car a couple more times at the end of the year in Nebraska City and Harlan.
The following year, Jim and brothers Jerry and David bought their first race car,
a '65 Chevelle, from Larry
McAllister and Phil Reeves and raced it for three years in the Sportsman class at Sunset. Jim
scored his first A Feature win and finished in the top five in points in 1974. Rules at the
time stated that the top five point finishers from the Sportsman class were required to move up
to the Late Model class the following year. So in 1975, they bought a 69 Camaro built by Keith
Leithoff. "Keith and other veteran drivers Bill Wrich and Glenn Robey were valuable mentors
during my rookie season in the Late Models," Jim admits. Jim improved every year, and in
1979, while partnering with Bill McDonald, he won his first Late Model A Feature.
Jim and Bill added a third partner, Keith Lienemann, and began "Outlaw" Late Model racing in
1983 with a Wayne Mason built chassis, touring many tracks throughout the Midwest. Highlights
included a second place finish behind Don Hoffman at I-70 Speedway, a third at Colorado National
Speedway, and a fourth in Rapid City.
Jim continued racing Late Models in the mid 80’s but eventually expanded his career another
direction. In 1984, after a successful night at Eagle Raceway, Jim was introduced to car owner
Dave Doll. Shortly afterwards, Doll hired Jim as his Modified driver. With help from Crew
Chief Mark Welsher, Jim scored many wins in Doll’s Sardeson chassis over the next several years.
Another great contributor to the team was Gary Tarascio, who sponsored the car with Tarascio
Auto Body, and also served on the crew. Wins included nearly every trophy dash and the Race of
Champions at Corning, and the Sprint Modified Special at Sunset Speedway.
As successful as his stint in the Modified was, his love of Late Model racing returned him to
the class in 1993. After running several years in the premiere division, Jim dropped down to
the more affordable Grand National Late Model class in 1997, running regularly at Sunset and
I-80 Speedway. Jim won several Grand National A Features in the late 90’s using both Shaw and
Rocket chassis.
During this period, racing really became a family affair, with brothers David and Jerry, nephew
David Jr., and car owner Dave Doll also now competing in the division. "I enjoy competing with
and against them all and enjoy their successes as much as my own," says Jim. Jim’s two sisters,
Joanie and Hattie, who rarely miss a race, are also great backers of the entire Jorgensen clan,
contributing to the team by taking photos, videotaping, and cheering their family team on every
week. "If it wasn’t for them, we would have very few pictures and no films whatsoever," admits
Jim.
In late 1999 Doll purchased a Rocket chassis for Jim to drive in the full Late Model class once
again. Plans fell together perfectly for the making of a dream season in 2000. Jim would drive
the Late Model at Sunset, with the return of Mark Welsher as the Crew Chief. And he would pilot the Grand
National at I-80, with Dave Stuckey joining the team as its Head Wrench. Other crew members
included Travis Conant, Ben Bickle and two nephews, Cale Windorski and Adam Hoffman. WOW!
Country 94.1 came on board as primary sponsor of both cars. The high expectations heading into
the season were met as the team enjoyed much success. Jim had many good runs with the Late
Model, including respectable 16th and 17th place finishes in two O’Reilly All-Star Series
100-lap specials at Denison and Sunset. And his season in the Grand National was nothing short of remarkable. Jim
won numerous I-80 features, many from starting deep in the field. But the highlight of the
season, as well as Jim’s illustrious 30-year career, was clinching the I-80 Track Championship,
capping off all the success that he has enjoyed over the years.
With all of the celebration that a championship brings, Jim and Nancy are also quick to remember
all of their friends whom they have lost during the past 30 years of racing. They dedicate
their championship to the memories of former crew member and sponsor Gary Tarascio, Dwight Wrich,
Curt Zuhlke, Ted Hansen, Michael George, and Jim’s father Albert Jorgensen, who passed away last
year.
When Jim isn’t racing, he is a self-employed truck driver. He and Nancy also enjoy spending
time with their daughter Jodie, son-in-law Eric and grandsons Eric and Elijah. Jim enjoys
listening to country and Christian music. His favorite song is "When You Say Nothing At All"
by Allison Kraus. He also enjoys music by Celine Dion. Jim likes romantic movies. Being a
huge Meg Ryan fan, "Sleepless in Seattle" is his favorite. When Jim isn’t watching racing on
ESPN and TNN, you can find him tuned in to the classic comedy shows, such as Andy Griffith and
Leave It To Beaver on TV Land. Jim’s tastes are pleased with almost any food. "Although," he
points out, "I avoid hot dogs during the winter since it makes up my main food group during the
summer months at the race tracks." With the hectic racing schedule that has been a large part
of Jim and Nancy’s entire life, one of their favorite pastimes during the off-season is to
simply relax around their new Omaha home and catch up on visiting with friends. Devout
Christians, they also enjoy spending time with their church family.
Jim looks up to several racers as his heroes. He admires Bill Wrich and Marv Kruse because they
were both farmers and racers. He has a lot of respect for Gary Webb and the entire Kosiski
family for all they have accomplished. He is also a big Mark Martin fan. "I even got a Mark
Martin haircut once," jokes Jim. Jim is also very proud of former crew member Tom
Ackerman, who now lives in Charlotte and has worked on many NASCAR Winston Cup and
Busch Grand National teams.
Jim’s future plans in racing are to race for a couple more years and then retire from driving
and focus on helping the younger drivers in the sport. When asked if there were any plans for
molding his grandsons into future racers, Jim laughs and says, "My daughter would kill me!"
Nevertheless, he gives the future generations of Jorgensen fans a dash of hope by quickly
pointing out that his oldest grandson’s first word was "car." And if racing runs as strongly in the
blood as the Jorgensen family would indicate, the racing community will surely not be surprised
when, a couple decades from now, Eric and Elijah are dueling to the checkers, following in their
grandpa’s footsteps.
Written By Dustin Yurize
November 2, 2000
View Jim Jorgensen's Dirt Driver Profile
The automotive industry spends billions on R&D every year, but US car manufacturers can apply for a research and development tax credit to offset their R&D costs.
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