Jim McClean

My most sincere regrets to Jim's Family, friends and fans.
Great memories of many exciting Saturday nights under the lights at Joliet Memorial Stadium. Especially in the mid 1970's watching a driver named Jim McClean tearing up the Racing season in that Badger!
Twenty years later, I recalled those events to a pair of truck drivers in a conversation about Midget Auto Racing. A smile slowly spread across the face of one of the drivers when I mentioned the name Jim McClean.
The other...

Jim was a great guy and a "racer" to the core. Always had a smile and was a humble guy. Believe he was the first guy to drive a Sesco powered midget and helped develop that engine. Was as clean as they came on the track as well and won many features in a long career that went from coast to coast. We all are going to miss his smiling face and his warm humor. R.I.P. Racer you won it all. Doc Tyler.

Our deepest condolences to the family. Our Saturday nights were always planned at the stadium to watch Jim and the many others who raced with and against him. He was a head above many. Will be missed.

Pat and Larry Peterson

Jim was a great guy and very fascinating to a young man with the auto racing bug. I watched him many times at Joliet Memorial stadium. I remember his badger midget and it even was featured in a coloring book they sold at the stadium.

As I grew up and eventually drove the Ferrari pace car at Grundy County Speedway, I had run into him many times and had the pleasure of knocking back some cold ones at Fred's Twin Dor.

I never knew Jim beyond the racetrack, but have many fond...