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Topic: Ken Jenkins Nance Gambler Challenge Magnum Maxim Jenkins Intruder
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Page 1 of 1 of 2 replies
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May 26, 2013 at
02:50:05 PM
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Joined:
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05/26/2013
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There seems to be a ton of misinformation about my dad, his career and his death. Ken Jenkins passed away from a brain tumor on May 11, 2103. This is his obituary written by Dave Argabright.
Ken Jenkins, Los Banos, Calif., died May 11, 2013 after a long illness. He was 65. Born Sept. 30, 1947 in Liberal, Kans., Ken spent much of his younger years near Guymon, Okla. He entered the U.S. military in 1965 where he served in Vietnam as an aircraft mechanic aboard the flight decks of both the USS Oriskany and the USS Hancock. He married wife Sunny Ely on April 8, 1967. Ken began building custom vans, and also built and raced a stock car in the southwest Kansas area until 1977 when he entered the field of sprint car racing. It was there that Ken had his greatest success, creating a number of winning chassis and suspension designs over the next 25 years. He joined Nance Performance in 1979, and in 1982 relocated to Tennessee with Gambler Chassis. In 1985 Ken relocated the former Stanton chassis manufacturing operation to Bondurant, Iowa, and Challenger Chassis was born. He later developed the Magnum chassis, and in 1988 joined Maxim Chassis and relocated to Springfield, Ill. In 1992 he launched Jenkins Motorsports, building and servicing sprint car chassis throughout the U.S. In 1998 he created the Intruder Chassis, a car he felt was the fastest of his long career. He later worked for Carrera Racing Shocks and Panzer Motorcycles. During his tenure in sprint car racing, nearly every major national championship was won with a design in which Ken was involved. The list of drivers who won in cars of his design include virtually every top racer over the past 30 years. In 2002 Ken was diagnosed with lung cancer, and for the next 11 years devoted himself to fighting the dreaded disease. Ken is survived by his wife Sunny, with whom he shared 46 years of happiness; daughter Jami Jenkins of Tulsa, Okla; granddaughter Mackenzie Allen of Mt. Vernon, Ill.; parents Roy and Dessie Jenkins of Liberal, Kans., and Audrey Ely, Canon City, Colo.; sister Teresa Stevens, Liberal, Kans.; brothers Ron Jenkins of Wichita, Kans. and James Jenkins, Mannford, Okla. Ken was preceded in death by son K. Scott Jenkins. Military rites and a graveside service will take place at the San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery on Friday, June 7th at 1:30 P.M in Santa Nella, California. An additional memorial service will be held in Liberal, Kansas at a later date.
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May 26, 2013 at
03:19:52 PM
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Joined:
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11/15/2008
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Posts:
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598
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Reply to:
Posted By: Jami_J on May 26 2013 at 02:50:05 PM
There seems to be a ton of misinformation about my dad, his career and his death. Ken Jenkins passed away from a brain tumor on May 11, 2103. This is his obituary written by Dave Argabright.
Ken Jenkins, Los Banos, Calif., died May 11, 2013 after a long illness. He was 65. Born Sept. 30, 1947 in Liberal, Kans., Ken spent much of his younger years near Guymon, Okla. He entered the U.S. military in 1965 where he served in Vietnam as an aircraft mechanic aboard the flight decks of both the USS Oriskany and the USS Hancock. He married wife Sunny Ely on April 8, 1967. Ken began building custom vans, and also built and raced a stock car in the southwest Kansas area until 1977 when he entered the field of sprint car racing. It was there that Ken had his greatest success, creating a number of winning chassis and suspension designs over the next 25 years. He joined Nance Performance in 1979, and in 1982 relocated to Tennessee with Gambler Chassis. In 1985 Ken relocated the former Stanton chassis manufacturing operation to Bondurant, Iowa, and Challenger Chassis was born. He later developed the Magnum chassis, and in 1988 joined Maxim Chassis and relocated to Springfield, Ill. In 1992 he launched Jenkins Motorsports, building and servicing sprint car chassis throughout the U.S. In 1998 he created the Intruder Chassis, a car he felt was the fastest of his long career. He later worked for Carrera Racing Shocks and Panzer Motorcycles. During his tenure in sprint car racing, nearly every major national championship was won with a design in which Ken was involved. The list of drivers who won in cars of his design include virtually every top racer over the past 30 years. In 2002 Ken was diagnosed with lung cancer, and for the next 11 years devoted himself to fighting the dreaded disease. Ken is survived by his wife Sunny, with whom he shared 46 years of happiness; daughter Jami Jenkins of Tulsa, Okla; granddaughter Mackenzie Allen of Mt. Vernon, Ill.; parents Roy and Dessie Jenkins of Liberal, Kans., and Audrey Ely, Canon City, Colo.; sister Teresa Stevens, Liberal, Kans.; brothers Ron Jenkins of Wichita, Kans. and James Jenkins, Mannford, Okla. Ken was preceded in death by son K. Scott Jenkins. Military rites and a graveside service will take place at the San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery on Friday, June 7th at 1:30 P.M in Santa Nella, California. An additional memorial service will be held in Liberal, Kansas at a later date.
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First of all , our deepest condolences on the passing of your father. Many of us followed his career over the years and thank you for this information. Always remember getting a tour of the Challenger shop when we at the Nationals one year.
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May 26, 2013 at
04:57:58 PM
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Joined:
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05/26/2013
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Reply to:
Posted By: trecraft on May 26 2013 at 03:19:52 PM
First of all , our deepest condolences on the passing of your father. Many of us followed his career over the years and thank you for this information. Always remember getting a tour of the Challenger shop when we at the Nationals one year.
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Thank you.
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