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Review by Pete Vack
Photos by Glen Glendenning courtesy Dave Rex

For years, the name Jim Jeffords was just that, a name on a car, a program, a result. Like many of the low key but successful SCCA race drivers, and unlike the international racing stars, Jeffords did not get much publicity on a personal level. After his death in 2014, however, there appeared much more information about this hard driving, multitalented Milwaukee resident whose brief career, according to the SCCA bio, may not have been the longest but almost certainly unmatched.

And now, thanks to the help of Jim’s four sons, Robert Birmingham has written a short (113 pages) but stellar biography of Jeffords, perhaps best known for his B production victories in the Purple People Eater Corvette. Birmingham has brought Jeffords exploits and successes to life in this informative book. Unlike what is posted on the internet, Birmingham is able to put Jeffords’ career in context, explaining even the most obscure events such as the Williams Bay Hillclimb on the shores of Lake Geneva.

Born in 1926, Jim Jeffords’ father was a great influence on him. His father, known as Jeff, ran a service garage in Milwaukee, where the young Jim learned to drive and no doubt learned a lot about cars. Jeff often took him to the Wisconsin State Fair Park, where they would watch the likes of Mauri Rose, Wilbur Shaw and other stars race in the AAA sponsored events.

But instead of taking over his father’s garage, Jim took a different path, becoming a car salesman, then establishing a successful ad agency, followed by a string of imported car dealerships. And like their father, Jim’s four sons, Patrick, Michael, Kerry and Jimmy, became involved in racing as well, and helped Birmingham put together Jeffords’ biography.

Birmingham tracks Jeffords’ competition successes year by year, event by event, as a Jag XK120 was replaced by a XK120 MC, replaced by a series of Corvettes with which he won two National Championships in the B Production class. He was fast, but tough on cars…either he won or broke down. Driving the one of three Corvette SR2s, Jeffords did well in the B Modified class but faster machinery dominated. He did a stint for Nickey Chevrolet, Camoradi and, as Willem Oosthoek related in VeloceToday, a run with Frank Harrison in the Maserati Birdcage.

Jeffords, the ad man, also figured out a way to attract the attention of the press, first by colorful paint combinations, driver’s suits and helmets, but might be most remembered as the guy who drove the Purple People Eater, an outrageously purple Corvette that took him to a National Championship in 1958. The name came from a popular song by Sheb Wooley: Purple People Eater…“It was a one-eyed, one-horned, flyin’ purple people eater..” about a space alien who came to earth to play in a rock ‘n roll band.

In 1959 at Sebring, Jeffords tried to do his friend John Norwood a favor by signing on to drive one of the FDR Team Roosevelt Fiat Abarths. Lance Reventlow found Jeffords in the paddock and asked him “What in the hell are you doing in that little piece of crap?” Poor 6 foot 2 inch Jeffords had to have the seat modified to fit his frame, in essence, giving him only a metal platform to sit on. Jeffords, driving almost solo, still placed 30th overall and 3rd in class.

Jeffords was a man of many talents. After a very busy and successful seven years behind the wheel, Jeffords retired due to health issues but stayed active in the sport, managing a team of AMC Javelins, and was elected to the Road America Board of Directors.

According to his son Pat, Jeffords had a chance to meet famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, inspiring an interest in architecture, and he provided input to several homes designed by the Taliesin architects. Later, Jeffords moved to Palm Springs, California and had Taliesin West design a new home. The “Boat House” as it was called, is still a remarkable architectural site. Jeffords died there in 2014 at the age of 87.

Thanks to Birmingham for this well done, too short biography. Much like Jeffords himself.

Glendenning Gallery: These photos of Jim Jeffords were found in the Glendenning archives and do not appear in the book:

Jeffords in a borrowed 300SL.

Wisconsin GP, May 25 1957, another first in B Production

June 23 SCCA National Road America, Jeffords behind the wheel after another win in B Production.

September 6 1957, RA 1st in B Production, with the Purple People Eater.

September 7, 1958 with SR 2, RA. DNF

September 7, 1958 with SR 2, RA. DNF

Bob Birmingham began racing in the 1960s, knew Jim Jeffords but was not a close friend. Bob later served as the SCCA board member and Drift editor.
Bob has authored the following books:

Mis-Shifting: Fast Cars, Fond Memories, Fine Friendships 2014
Augie Pabst Behind the Wheel 2016
Brook Stevens and the Stevens Family Legacy 2019
Bill Wuesthoff: Smooth and Fast 2020
Fred Wacker-Gentleman Racer
Milwaukee Region SCCA, The First 20 Years

Jim Kimberly in the OSCA coming down the hill into turn five.

Text by Robert Birmingham
Photos by Glen Glendenning

Road America June Sprints, 23-24, 1956

After an exuberant late 1955, an abbreviated time to sit back and smell the roses was shortened even more when the Chicago Region SCCA received approval to hold two race weekends at Road America, the first on June 23 – 24, 1956 and another on September 8 – 9. If that wasn’t ambitious enough, the National Association for Stock Car Racing’s (NASCAR) Grand National Series secured a race date in August. Clearly all involved, Clif Tufte and his extended team, local merchants and SCCA officials, had their winter hours spoken for to assure competing drivers and their respective teams, area merchants and attending fans from across the Midwest and beyond had safe, enjoyable and profitable summer.

Chicago Region officials were quick to review and address the previous year’s inaugural event as it pertained to driver and fan safety and the important role needed to be played by volunteers, mostly inexperienced corner workers. SCCA had yet to have a corner worker’s manual and therefore workers and marshals performed at risk to themselves and to hard charging racers.

In this article we will only cover the 1956 June Sprints.

Upon presentation to Clif Tufte and his lead staff, it was clear both organizations were on the same page. Tufte and crew addressed the need to make improvements to the overall physical plant – muddy paddock and other grassy areas needed to be seeded, haybale and snow fence placement moved, clearly crowd control and spectator comfort were paramount. Based on 1956 concession sales, coupled with an expected increase, a need to review and plan was imminent. There was a lot to do.

The June weekend program consisted of six races, three on Saturday June 23 and three on Sunday. Friday’s practice was not without perilous moments. Walt Hansgen had an off-road, twice roll-over excursion after Corner 6 in the Cunningham entered D Jag that ended with little more than aches, pains and paint scrapes on his helmet. Sunday’s 150-mile feature race was very competitive but in the end it was Carroll Shelby’s Ferrari 121LM taking checkered flag.

James Orr, Devin Panhard, placed 10th in race 6.

D Jag, Sherwood Johnston, DNF in Race 7.

Allard, Walt Grey, finished 14th, race 7.

Allard of Tim McGrade would finish 17th in race 7.

D Jag, Lou Brero, placed second to Shelby in race 7.

Walt Hansgen in the Cunningham D Jag DNF’d in race 7.

Major R.J. Wyllie in the Lotus during practice.

Bill Kimberly, Jim’s nephew, in a TR3 would place last in race 2.

Bill Lloyd, Maserati, placed 7th in race 7.

Phil Stewart, Maserati, came in 6th ahead of Bill Lloyd in race 7.

Jim Kimberly in OSCA number 5 getting even with Briggs Cunningham in OSCA #61.

James Rowland Lee in the Frazer-Nash.

Ed Crawford, #69, battles it out with Jack McAfee in dueling Porsches. McAfee would win race 3.

GM’s Firebird was on hand as well.

Note: No Ferraris!? We have saved photos of both the Ferraris and Corvettes at Road America for another article in VeloceToday. Also, for those who are interested in the race statistics, a great source is racingsportscars.com

Paul Goldsmith took the Jag MK VII to victory in the under 3.5 liter race. Photo courtesy of Bernie Silverberg Collection,

Story by Bob Birmingham
Photos by Glen Glendenning unless otherwise noted

NASCAR at Road America

On the weekend of August 11-12, 1956 a NASCAR group of mostly good ‘ol southern boys took to Road America in two events. On Saturday a 100 mile race for European and American cars under 3.5 liters and Sunday the 250 mile feature for American made stock cars. Saturday’s grid had a mixture of small European sedans, an American Studebaker and one Jaguar VII Saloon, the latter driven to victory by NASCAR’s Paul Goldsmith.