Henry helped make Fairgrounds Speedway outstanding

Henry helped make Fairgrounds Speedway outstanding

June 30, 2001

STAFF REPORT

Just who was Jim Henry any way?

The second night of the eighth annual Jim Henry Memorial Modified Shoot-Out is going on at Fairgrounds Speedway, located just three miles east of Cortez.

Tickets for the show are $8 for adults, $7 for seniors, $4 for children aged 6-12, and children under 5 are free. Pit admission is $25 for this show. Gates open at 6 p.m. and races start at dusk. Also running will be Mini, Hobby Stocks, and IMCA Street Stocks. The show is sponsored by KRWN-FM in Farmington.

The best drivers from the Cortez-Durango area plus some from northwestern New Mexico,

northern Colorado, southern Nevada, and southwestern Utah are expected. They will be chasing $2,000 for first place, $1,000 for second, $500 for third, $325 for fourth, $200 for fifth and $150 for sixth based on a 30-car turnout for the International Motor Contest Association-sanctioned races in that classification.

Here are the Modified standings (through Friday’s results) at the local track: Craig Nelson 184, Rick Hobbs 180, Larry Cornell 177, Dennis Rieb 174, Robert Gallegos 173, Tom Cadle 163, Vern Hisel 143, Aaron Spangler 142, Taylor Yazzie 101, Tyrone Yazzie 98, Tony Hill 97, Chase Burson 91, Don Hammell 79, Danny Nelson Jr. 77, Dulane Cocleasure 63, Todd Tipton 61, David Joy 54, Michael Barber 50, Brandon Carley 38, Mike Farley 37, Regan Tafoya 32, Bo Tucker 29, Danny Keith 27, Jerry Harris 26, Derek Niel 25, Ron Woods 25, and Gary Higgins 24.

Henry was born in Riverside, Calif., on Oct. 11, 1945. He spent the next 18 years in several states, both east and west because his father worked for Peter Kiewit and Sons Construction Co. After graduation, Henry took some computer programming classes at Utah State University, deciding soon that this wasn’t what he wanted to do for a living. He wanted to work in construction like his father.

He went to work for Kiewit in Arizona as a laborer and soon worked his up to become a foreman. He joined the Operating Engineers and son after met Margaret in Wickenburg. They were married in Las Vegas, Nev., in 1969. They moved to St. George, Utah, where he worked for Kiewit on the Virgin River highway construction job. It was there he decided to become a loader operator, having had the chance to sit in the seat of the 992.

Then it was back to work in Arizona. For the next 10 years he and his family lived and worked in Camp Verde. During this time, Henry became foreman for Kiewit. He had higher goals, though.

In 1979, he went to work for Ball, Ball and Brosamer on the Central Arizona project and moved his family to Wickenburg. It was here where he and a friend put together a sprint car, racing at Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix. The only time Henry drove the car was on the highway to test it. Needless to say, he was reported to the police, but he didn’t get caught.

In 1984 the family moved to Chandler, Ariz. Henry worked on the I-10 project, bringing it from the west to intersect with I-17 in Phoenix. He became involved with friend Roger Lake in building a 5-1600 off-road Volkswagen. They won the Pro Class 5-1600 Arizona Dirt Racing Association Championship in 1985. After a couple years of racing, Henry had a Class 10 single seat built. It was faster with better suspension.

He laughed when he said, "I can tell my own story. Maybe no one will be around to tell about my getting lost in the desert."

Henry raced the Mint 400, Parker 400 and many other off-road races. Although he never won, he always had his own great time.

In 1987 the family moved to Park City, Utah. Leving older daughter Tracy working in Phoenix, while younger daughter Marie went with dad and mom to continue high school. Henry went to work for Torno-America as superintendent on the Jordanelle Dam Project. When Torno was finished, he moved to Cortez.

It was here where Henry worked on the canal. While here, Henry, Lake and nephew Philip Alexander put together a Street Stock car, racing the black no. 60 the summer of 1990. He came in second in points even though he missed some races that year. Torno then moved him to Barstow, Calif., where he became project manager for California Highway 58. After a couple years of doing battles with state officials and taking on desert tortises, he moved back to Cortez where he went to work for Basin Construction.

In 1992, Henry financially helped a friend put his International Motor Contest Association modified on the track. In 199e he bought one for himself. Henry and family members spent many long hours keeping his car on the track. Because of breakdowns and changing driving techniques, Henry didn’t do well in the standings, winning only one heat race. Still, he continued to race. He learned and looked forward to the next racing season.

Because of Henry’s construction background and love for racing, he spent many hours at this track. Anytime the track needed work done on it, Henry was there to help. If equipment was needed, Henry would go and get it. He had a lot to do with making this one of the best dirt tracks around.

Henry died unexpectedly from a massive heart attack on Dec. 22, 1993, at the age of 48.