Mike Humfreville
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Registered: 8-26-2003
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Baja Racing and Jim McCoy
I was having some automotive work done at a shop that's new to me and talking with the owner, who's name is Jim McCoy.
I mentioned that I have a (small) fleet of 4X4 trucks in various forms of disrepair because I abuse them in Baja California.
Jim started talking about his old days in the late 60's through late '70's when he and his pals participated in the Baja 1000 and other Baja races.
He was talking about how he met james Garner and Steve McQueen and noting names I'd heard before but couldn't remember where. Maybe it was from
nomads.
Anyway, do any of us remember Jim McCoy from those racing years? If anyone remembers him I know he would enjoy hearing about it. He's approaching 70
now.
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David K
Honored Nomad
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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'Racing's Real McCoy'
... is the big book written by Jack McCoy, Keith Sellers and Richard ("thebajarunner") Hagerty... The McCoy's have quite a racing background and this
book documents it all!
I will let 'thebajarunner' respond as he probably has the personal story here!!!
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thebajarunner
Ultra Nomad
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McCoy
Racing's Real McCoy (yep, that is the name of our book) was Jack McCoy of Modesto, winner of 54 Winston West events, two time champion and also a Baja
racer in the early 80's.
Jack is retired and one of my closest friends, we are headed to Fontana next week for the NASCAR race and some kind of West Coast Stock Car Hall of
Fame event, since Jack is one of the charter inductees.
Anyway, I will ask him about "Jim"
There was actually another Jack McCoy who raced NASCAR, occasionally Winston West. He was from Portland and lived on the dark side, we had to hustle
"our Jack" out of town a couple of times to evade those looking for the other one.
Stay tuned, more later....
(See what happens when you give DK a copy of your book? You never hear the end of it.... thanks DK)
Baja Arriba!!
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BajaVida
Senior Nomad
Posts: 541
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Motown, Califas
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Mood: muy cool
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I once shook hands with Jack McCoy
and have a classic McCoy's Bite Rite Racing Tires jacket
No se apure y dure.
Don\'t hurry and you\'ll last longer.
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Mike Humfreville
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Registered: 8-26-2003
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thebajarunner
The Jim McCoy I'm talking about lives in Santa Paula California (Ventura County) and owns a large automotive repair shop there. It's too late to call
him now, but I'll stop bt there tomorrow and see if his real name or others in his family are named Jack. When I find out, I'll update this thread.
Thanks to you and David for your info. Y'gotta love nomads.
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thebajarunner
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re McCoy
Mike,
Jack's dad had McCoy Tire Co. stores in Bakersfield and Modesto, as well as a big recap plant in Ceres and a truck tire outlet.
Jack was the Hoosier Racing Tire distributor for the West Coast for years, then McCreary Racing Tire distributor.
His McCoy Racing Products was the major outlet in the West for all the stock car guys, BajaNomad's dad and he were hooked up on various racing gas
deals in the past.
Jack is retired, 67 years old, had a place in San Felipe for a long time, still goes to Baja once or twice a year.
If your guy knows West Coast racing he knows Jack McCoy.
(by the way, Baja Vida came by his Bite Rite jacket through nefarious and devious ways.... he's like that)
Baja Arriba!!
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Mike Humfreville
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thebajarunner
I printed out this entire thread and will take it to Jim McCoy ASAP and get back to you. THANK YOU!
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PJC
Super Nomad
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BajaRunner,
Do you have any old racing photos to share?
Thanks
| Quote: | Originally posted by thebajarunner
Racing's Real McCoy (yep, that is the name of our book) was Jack McCoy of Modesto, winner of 54 Winston West events, two time champion and also a Baja
racer in the early 80's.
Jack is retired and one of my closest friends, we are headed to Fontana next week for the NASCAR race and some kind of West Coast Stock Car Hall of
Fame event, since Jack is one of the charter inductees.
Anyway, I will ask him about "Jim"
There was actually another Jack McCoy who raced NASCAR, occasionally Winston West. He was from Portland and lived on the dark side, we had to hustle
"our Jack" out of town a couple of times to evade those looking for the other one.
Stay tuned, more later....
(See what happens when you give DK a copy of your book? You never hear the end of it.... thanks DK)
Baja Arriba!! |
Shoot, Shovel and Shut-up!
-- A simple operating practice.
‘Global warming’ has become the grand political narrative of the age, replacing Marxism as a dominant force for controlling liberty and human
choices.
-- Prof. P. Stott
Time was, people warning the world \"Repent - the end is nigh!\" were snickered at as fruitcakes.
Now they own the media and run the schools.
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BajaVida
Senior Nomad
Posts: 541
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Motown, Califas
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I bought that jacket fair and square
it cost either $3.25 or $2.25 in 1978 dollars at the Merced Goodwill or Salvation Army
No se apure y dure.
Don\'t hurry and you\'ll last longer.
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thebajarunner
Ultra Nomad
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McCoy
Mike, I talked to Jack today and he has no memories of your friend, Jim McCoy.
Jim may have met Jack, especially if he is a stock car fan.
As a long time member of the McCoy pit crew and also the team manager it was pure joy to pull into a racetrack for the annual visit of the "Best of
the West" and know that they odds were good that we would set fast time, win the dash and the feature. Great days, Great memories!!
Blackie, the book we wrote has over 900 photos in its 550 pages. It is a very slick and professional piece of work, several of the Nomads have a copy
and have commented on its quality and scope. Photos dating back to the early days of board tracks and wild west racing.
The book sold for $40 + delivery, we sold about 2000 copies to date.
I have some left, would deliver them for $20 each, even get the autograph of the authors, Jack and yours truly.
Let me know if you (or others) are interested.
It also has sections on our Baja racing days, Jack's 8 day stay in the Los Mochis jail, and other various pieces of memory.
(yeah, I gave Baja Vida a copy, he loves the pictures, we are still teaching him to read the captions)
Baja Arriba!!
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John M
Super Nomad
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Registered: 9-3-2003
Location: California High Desert
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Jack McCoy
Well, I dug out some of my old and tattered SCORE programs - they only go back to 1974 but I do have most of the Baja programs up to the mid 80s. And
looking pretty carefully I found several McCoys, no Jim and only one Jack.
Jack McCoy, is in the 1975 "AC-Delco Baja Internacional" with a co-driver by the name of Gary Johnson - both showing Modesto as hometown, raced #803 a
Mercury pick-up (360 ci) so the program says, sponsored by McCoy Racing Products.
I checked "The Off-Road Racer" (1976) and found nothing on either McCoy.
Now, I've got dust all over my shirt and hands, old SCORE event patches all over the kitchen table and gettin' an itch to get back to Baja for this
year's 1000!
John M.
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Mike Humfreville
Super Nomad
Posts: 1148
Registered: 8-26-2003
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John M...
That's not dust. It's talc and you're on the high bar. Thanks for your dusty efforts. Go get the Baja 1000.
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thebajarunner
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3687
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Location: Arizona....."Free at last from crumbling Cali
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McCoy in Baja
John,
I took a quick look through our book...
These are some of the Baja races that Jack ran:
1975- 500, ran my truck after I broke my leg playing football (sigh) Broke the tranny at El Rosario
1979- 1000, with Darold MacDannald (Old Blue) me, and several others, finished a broken down 9th.
1982, 1000, finished 3rd (Old Blue)
1983, 1000, broke (Ranchero)
1984, Laguna Salada race, bad crash, sad ending...
He finished the second Cannonball Baker Sea to Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, second behind a Ferrari. 36 hours NY to LA. (in a stock Chevy
pickup)
All time Winston West wins champ. (54)
Won 17 of 26 features at Stockton Speedway in 1965,
Twice Winston West champion.
Won the first ever NASCAR race in a Dodge Charger!
Its all in our book.
Baja Arriba!!
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BajaVida
Senior Nomad
Posts: 541
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Motown, Califas
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Mood: muy cool
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trying to sell those books, aren't you?
No se apure y dure.
Don\'t hurry and you\'ll last longer.
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