Jimmy Means | |||||||
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![]() Means at Texas Motor Speedway in 2019 | |||||||
Born | James Bradford Means May 29, 1950 Texarkana, Arkansas, U.S. | ||||||
NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
455 races run over 18 years | |||||||
Best finish | 11th (1982) | ||||||
First race | 1976 Daytona 500 (Daytona) | ||||||
Last race | 1993 AC Delco 500 (Rockingham) | ||||||
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NASCAR Xfinity Series career | |||||||
3 races run over 1 year | |||||||
Best finish | 65th (1989) | ||||||
First race | 1989 Goody's 300 (Daytona) | ||||||
Last race | 1989 Gatorade 200 (Darlington) | ||||||
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Statistics current as of December 25, 2012. |
James Means (born May 29, 1950) is a retired American racing driver and owner, who competed in the Winston Cup Series as an owner-driver. He is currently an adviser for Front Row Motorsports and a former owner of NASCAR Xfinity Series team Jimmy Means Racing.
He competed in NASCAR for eighteen years in mostly his own equipment, posting seventeen career top-tens. He made three career Busch Series starts in 1989, finishing 10th at Darlington Raceway. Following his retirement, Means worked as a crew chief in NASCAR, working for Bud Moore Engineering and Moy Racing. Means was part the Alabama Gang which included Bobby Allison, Donnie Allison, Neil Bonnett and Red Farmer and later Davey Allison, Hut Stricklin, Steve Grissom and Mike Alexander.
Means' nickname "Smut" originated from his admiration for mechanic Smokey Yunick. Since the nickname "Smokey" was already taken in racing circles, Means' crew nicknamed him "Smut", the residue left behind by smoke.[1]
He is the father of Brad Means.