Jim Culbert lived a long and prosperous eighty-two years with a racing history that began at the age of just 15 and earned him a place in the National Sprint Car Racing Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Iowa.

By age fifteen, Culbert built the frame of his first racer from components he scavenged from parts bins, junk yards, and any other place that was willing to give up materials. He entered a race at age sixteen by lying about his age to satisfy the eighteen-year-old minimum. He emerged victorious, which only amplified his desire to race and build cars.

During Culbert's lifetime, he built more than 400 Sprint Cars that were sent worldwide and competed in National and International events. In 1957 he became the first driver to drive a Sprint Car in excess of 200 mph. He later went on to break his own records at Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah before his car flipped. The car was destroyed, but Culbert emerged with mild injuries. A future visit to Bonneville with a front-engined / front-wheel drive roadster resulted in an impressive 219 mph run.

Culbert formed Culbert Automotive with the intent of producing spring and super-modified cars. The name of the company was later changed to Culbert Automotive Engineering. In 1977, Jim Culbert sold his business but continued working in his machine shop at home.

by Dan Vaughan