Big Jim” Kelley of Newport is getting ever closer to reaching a dream he set nearly 30 years ago as a young aspiring race car driver.
With 20 track championships in tow and 196 career victories at numerous short tracks from North Carolina to Florida, Kelley is not only close to realizing that dream but also perhaps calling it a career.
“I grew up doing book reports on Richard Petty, and I eventually set my goal that I wanted to win 200 races like he did, and we’re getting close,” he revealed this past week while preparing for yet another season of Super Late Model racing.
After a bit of a lull in a racing career that began at age 15, Kelley recorded his 20th career track championship at Wake County Speedway in 2008, which was a record fifth title at that track. He also holds the track record for most consecutive titles with four from 1997-2000.
Kelley’s four victories last season jacked up his career total to 196. With some tracks, such at Southern National in Kenly, not running the Super Late Model Division on a regular basis, it has become more difficult for Kelley, who will turn 45 in May, to get a full season under his belt. That was especially true in 2007 where he ran a limited schedule at Wake County, and in 2006, he was sidelined for the first time ever for personal reasons because of a kidney stone operation.
Kelley captured his first track championship at age 21 when he was a dirt track racer. His championship at Wilson County Speedway was the first of four in a row at the track from 1985-88.
After mastering dirt track racing, Kelley decided to move on to pavement, and he became just as successful.
He won a title at Wayne County Speedway in 1994 when he set a still-standing track record of 13.19 seconds.
His biggest year came in 1992 when he captured the first of three titles at East Carolina Motor Speedway in Robersonville when he racked up 14 consecutive Super Late Model feature victories (still a record). He also set another record that’s still intact, for the most consecutive laps led at 486. Kelley won a total of 22 races that year. He also notched track titles there in 1993 and 1998.
Starting in 1995, Kelley started running at Southern National Speedway where he won Super Late Model titles that year, as well as 1997, 2001 and 2002. He also won a Late Model Stock crown at the track in 2000.
Although most of Kelley’s championships have come in North Carolina, he also owns two titles from the annual Speedweeks championships at various short tracks in Florida held prior to the Daytona 500 in February. His two titles during Speedweeks came at Volusia County in 1996 and St. Augustine in 1999, where he won two feature races at each location.
During that same time period, it became common for Kelley to win two track titles in the same year since some tracks, such at Wake County, run on Friday nights and Southern National runs on Saturday. In fact, Kelley pulled the multiple four years straight, including: 1997, Southern National and Wake County; 1998 East Carolina and Wake County; 1999, St. Augustine and Wake County; and 2000, Southern National and Wake County.
Although Kelley hopes to race long enough to at least get that 200th victory, he readily admits that the “young guns” of racing and advanced technology are catching up with him, much as he did the catching in the 1980s.
“When I was young, I used to beat the older guys,” he noted with a chuckle. “Now, the younger guys are spanking my butt. Hopefully, I can get four more wins out of it and then let technology take over. I’ve tried some of the stuff they do now, but the car was all over the place, and I just went back to what I’m used to. Then I started winning again.”
He does have a 2008 Chevy Monte Carlo body on his No. K7 machine, but the Lefthander Chassis dates back to 1997.
One other thing that hasn’t changed much over the years, despite tough economic times, is the sponsorship for Kelley’s K7 Chevy. Most of his sponsors have remained loyal over the years, whether local or from out of town, even out of state.
They include: his parents, Bob and Bonnie Kelley; Joey Griffin Racing Engines in Washington; Cheap Charlie’s Flooring in Havelock; Newport Scrap Metal; John Joyner Racing in Raleigh; R.L. Holt Racing in Raleigh; C-Co Mini-Mart in Newport; and his sister-in-law with LWood IT Solutions LLC of Denver, Colo.
He also continues the family arrangement on race day with his wife, Terry, and sons, Jimmy, 21, and Bobby, 19, serving as pit crew.
Probably best of all as far as support goes, Kelley still has the help and encouragement of his grandfather, Capt. Gardner “Grampie” Kelley.
“Grampie has been helping us all these years,” said Big Jim, “and he turned 96 years old on Jan. 20.”
Big Jim may want to rethink any thoughts of retirement, based on “Grampie’s” longevity, not only in being just four years shy of the century mark, but also the fact that he still drives with a valid license.
“He just got his license renewed for four more years,” said Big Jim. “He first went to the eye doctor, passed that test, and went immediately to renew his license.”
Kelley plans to run again at Wake County this year, possibly at Southern National, and even some events in the Pro All Stars Series (PASS), a group of events throughout the eastern United States.
Kelley also has one other goal in mind if he can reach that 200th win, one that more emulates the way the “young guns” celebrate these days after a win.
“It depends on how I’m running or how expensive it is,” Kelley said, “but I’ve never done a doughnut like all these guys do on TV. But after my 200th win, I might have to burn the tires off of it.”
CAREER TITLES
2002
NASCAR Weekly Racing Series
Late Model Sportsman’s Point Series Champion
Southern National Speedway
Kenly, North Carolina
2001
NASCAR Weekly Racing Series
Late Model Sportsman’s Point Series Champion
Southern National Speedway
Kenly, North Carolina
2000
NASCAR Late Model Stock Point Series Champion
NASCAR Weekly Racing Series
6th Place Atlantic Seaboard Region
Southern National Speedway
Kenly, North Carolina
Late Model Sportsman Point Series Champion
Wake County Speedway
Raleigh, North Carolina
1999
Late Model Sportsman Speedweek Champion
St. Augustine Speedway
St. Augustine, Florida
Late Model Sportsman Point Series Champion
Wake County Speedway
Raleigh, North Carolina
1998
Late Model Sportsman Point Series Champion
Wake County Speedway
Raleigh, North Carolina
Late Model Sportsman Point Series Champion
East Carolina Speedway
Robersonville, North Carolina
1997
Late Model Sportsman Points Series Champion
Wake County Speedway
Raleigh, North Carolina
Late Model Sportsman Points Series Champion
Southern National Speedway
Kenly, North Carolina
1996
Late Model Sportsman Speed Week Points Champion
Volusia County Speedway
Daytona Beach, Florida
1995
Late Model Sportsman Points Series Champion
Southern National Speedway
Kenly, North Carolina
1994
Late Model Sportsman Points Series Champion
Wayne County Speedway
Goldsboro, North Carolina
1993
Late Model Sportsman Points Series Champion
East Carolina Speedway
Robersonville, North Carolina
1992
Late Model Sportsman Points Series Champion
Most Consecutive Wins: 14
Most Consecutive Laps Led: 486
East Carolina Motor Speedway
Robersonville, North Carolina
1989
NASCAR “BIG 10” Points Series 8th Place
Concord Motor Speedway
Concord, North Carolina
Second Place Late Model Sportsman Points Series
New Fayetteville Speedway
Fayetteville, North Carolina
1988
Late Model Sportsman Points Series Champion
Wilson County Speedway
Wilson, North Carolina
1987
Second Place Late Model Sportsman Points Series
Wilson County Speedway
Wilson, North Carolina
1986
Late Model Sportsman Points Series Champion
Wilson County Speedway
Wilson, North Carolina
1985
Late Model Sportsman Points Series Champion
Wilson County Speedway
Wilson, North Carolina
