Northern California drag racing pioneer Jim McLennan died Feb. 9 at California’s San Francisco General Hospital. He was 74. McLennan, who founded Champion Speed Shop in 1957 and raced the popular Champion Speed Shop Top Fuel dragster from 1958 to 1963, reportedly was one of the first drivers to wear a firesuit, and he developed one of the first cars to use a braking parachute. Jim was responsible for the opening of Half Moon Bay Dragstrip and Cotati Raceway and was once the owner of Fremont Drag Strip. McLennan and his sons Bob and Michael were instrumental in resurrecting the nostalgia drag racing scene in the mid-1980s, and with the help of Roy Brizio, they recreated two popular Champion Speed Shop cars. RIP .................. Jim McLennan -- pioneer drag-strip promoter Jim McLennan in his "Top Fuel" drag racer at the Half Moon Bay drag strip about 1960 when the car had a top speed of 176 mph. Photo courtesy of the McLennan family http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/02/13/BAG4DO3HC91.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea
Jim took his last ride in fine style: a bright red, pinstriped casket with "Champion Speed Shop" lettered down the side and some of his closest friends in attendance. Roy was a pallbearer and Andy was there, too among other Bay area racing greats. I didn't get a great pic of his p/u that made the final trip, but here it is in the bright San Francisco sunshine waiting patiently outside the funeral home. We'll miss him... STONER
Didn't remember the name but recall the Champion Speed Shop logo.A sad day indeed.Days like this make us remember our own mortality.Rest in peace Jim.
Jim was a life long part of the Brizio family, I was honered to paint the bright red & black casket for the family. Later Darryl Hollenbeck
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