Joe and Jim Summer Sprint Classic…
Hemby Bridge, NC – Carolina Speedway in Gastonia, NC played hosted to the Second-Annual Joe and Jim Summer Sprint Classic on Friday night in front of their usual packed house at the 3/8 mile red dirt speedway.
For those of you needing a little historical context, Joe and Jim were twin brothers born in the rural farmlands of Hemby Bridge, North Carolina helping their father tend land before becoming entrepreneurs and regional leaders in the c...oncrete business. Their success would provide them the opportunity to chase their favorite hobby across the nation.
That hobby being the mighty micro-midgets that started the careers of so many legends we cheer on today.
This passion lead them to the driver’s seat… the crew chief’s seat… the owner’s seat… the promoter’s seat… the motor grader’s seat… and eventually grandpa’s seat at the end of the trailer.
Joe and Jim would eventually have to become just fans of the midgets has their sons and grandsons would literally outgrow the motorcycled-powered machines and have to move onto the full-sized winged warriors.
Which to this day is still a tight fit! Tony Grams makes us aware of this fact on a daily basis via Twitter…
Like with most twins, one would quickly follow the other when it was time to head home. With everything they’ve done for the sport of open wheel dirt track racing, it was only fitting to give them at least one night a year of appreciation for all the careers they’ve helped start and all the smiles they were responsible for.
On Friday night, Jacob McLain would give his grandpa and uncle plenty to smile about leading the sprint car feature from green to checker, at one point leading by over half a lap. Watching Jacob cross under the checker flag at Carolina will always hold a special place in the McLain’s hearts.
Joe and Jim use to flag at Carolina….
