From 2001: Jim Gentry started racing in mid-summer 1965 and has never really looked back. Each and very week Gentry would haul off to tracks and race and, more often than not, win. Once the 1980’s rolled around Gentry continued to win features and track championships and then took to the road with the STARS series. Spending almost five or six years on the road with STARS brought him the STARS Rookie of the Year title and a STARS win among other honors. But once 1998 came around, Jim Gentry made a decision.
In 1998 Gentry shocked the racing community in Ohio when he announced he was stepping away from the driver’s seat for awhile. After 33 years of championship, winning seasons, Gentry was stepping away from the driver’s seat full time to devote all his time, energy and resources to launching the career of his then-18 year old son, J.R. Gentry. It was the kid’s time, reasoned Gentry. Still at the top of his game, people were shocked and dismayed when Gentry decided to call it a day.
Since then Gentry’s son, J.R., has took off and is well on his way to becoming a star. During J.R.’s first season as a Late Model racer in 1999 he won the Rookie of the Year titles at both Wayne County Speedway and Lakeville Speedway and scored his career first feature win at a big, season ending special at Lakeville. During 2000, J.R. came back and won two more features and finished the year out fifth in Wayne County points and second in the Lakeville championship hunt.
With his son well on his way, Jim Gentry began thinking the thoughts!
Could he? Should he? Would he?
You bet ‘cha!
By the 2001 season Jim Gentry was back in a dirt Late Model, although not full time, but as part of a two-car team running in tandem with his son. And that’s the way it’s been since, driving on occasion (and winning!) but first and foremost making sure his son was equipped with everything he needed. In fact, in 2004 the elder Gentry only raced once, subbing for car builder Mike Geiss one night. But it kept his streak alive of racing every year since 1965.
But that’s all about to change.
With son J.R. Gentry joining Drown Racing and running their second team car, the seat of Gentry Racing Team’s #14 was left vacant for 2005. But now that car has a full time driver as Jim Gentry makes his return to full time racing.
It was a decision not made in haste. Despite some recent changes in Gentry’s life, the competitive juices still flow and with the support from so many, and the desire to compete, Gentry nonetheless contemplated the situation, the circumstances and the future. He decided to go for it.
Gentry, of Wooster, OH was and still is, one of Ohio’s greatest dirt Late Model racers. Starting his career in 1965, Gentry over the years rose to the top of Ohio’s ranks as a dirt racer. As the seasons passed he accumulated 21 Season and Mid-Season Championship and Season Points Championship titles at three different tracks, won nearly 200 features, and spent many years, particularly in the 1980’s, on the STARS circuit touring the country and finishing in the STARS top ten points chase several times. In 1987 he won the STARS Rookie of the Year title, the same season he won his career first STARS feature. He came back in 1988 and won the STARS Hard Charger Award. Throughout the 1980s and much of the 1990s Gentry traveled and seen it all, from Ohio to Maryland to Alabama to Illinois to Michigan and most points between. Gentry also became one of Ohio’s masters of chassis setup, thanks, in part, to his long time association with Charlie Swartz and his own desire to experiment and innovate.
Gentry will run a GDI Race Car out of the Mike Giess shop.
“We’ll run the Big Four Series at Lakeville and then run at Wayne County Speedway, maybe venture to Muskingum,” explained Gentry. “Everyone is pushing me. This is one of J.R.’s deals. The only way he would go to Drown’s is if I would put a car together and drive it. He says this is supposed to help the money situation but I don’t see where it is. I want to get out there, don’t get me wrong. I’m probably in the best shape I have ever been in.”
“I only ran once last year. I jumped in it once last year, didn’t get to hot lap the car or anything, just got in and ran a heat race. Mike (Giess) got sick and I jumped in it. It was one of those deals where he changed the car all around and it didn’t get back on the scales. Mike did a lot of experimenting last year and he is a car builder and if you don’t try different things you’ll never find anything to work.”
For years and years Gentry had a loyal and dedicated crew and most of them have enthusiastically committed to coming back to support Gentry. Experienced pros like Steve Jacquet, Donnie Beckler, Larry Harper, Larry Beckler and Mark Harper.
“If it wasn’t for the pit crew, every one of them has been pushing this and (Gentry’s girlfriend) Jenni (Babb) is too. I still want to do it but I don’t think I’ll run for points, but you never know. It depends on the money. But Donnie Beckler, Steve Jacquet, Denny Ackers of course, they’ll all be helping. Probably Larry Beckler and more of the Beckler family and of course Mike Giess and Jenni.”
As for sponsors Gentry Automotive, GDI Enterprises and Reedy Racing Engines are already signed and the search for more continues. “No major sponsors but we’re looking though,” added Gentry.
There is little doubt Gentry will be an extremely valuable resource of technical expertise to GDI Race Cars. Having known Gentry for close to 40 years, I mentioned that he had probably forgotten more than a lot of drivers he will be competing against will learn.
“Well, Charlie Swartz told me about 20 years ago, he said, Jim, forget everything you’ve learned up to this point about race cars and setting them up,” explained Gentry. “This an all new ballgame. Start here and go forward with these new race cars. That’s what Charlie said back then and he was right. And it’s the same now. You’ve got to forget a lot of that stuff. You can’t keep going back to the same old set-ups because it doesn’t work. The cars change so much and the technology.”
“Even now, the front suspension, ‘A’ arms, degrees, spindles, shocks, springs, that’s where it’s all at now. It’s not so much chassis. We’ve done a lot of experimenting with shocks and springs. Some of the guys laughed at us for what we were running. One of the guys who’s number one and sells racecar parts told us if it works, do it! So we did it and it works. Everybody drives different and their styles are different.”
Gentry has gathered many admirers over the seasons.
“I may be a bit prejudiced with this but as a kid, Jim was my favorite driver,” explained well-known announcer and p.r. guru Bret Emrick. “Growing up at Lakeville Speedway in the 1960’s and 1970’s, Jim was the man. That brown #14 Chevrolet was the one to beat. He and Dean (Alexander), Blaine (Aber) and Lloyd Wirt had some classic battles. Jim was definitely one of the best shoes this area has ever produced. Jim was a smooth driver and a smart driver. He’d pressure a guy into a mistake and then take advantage of it.”
“And, that race car was always fast. Jim could hold his own against the invaders when the big shows came to town. Especially at Orrville. Every track has a ‘local’ that can handle the ‘big boys’. At Orrville Jim was that guy. I always thought Jim could be a ‘traveler’ and do well. And, when he started driving for Jack Meredith and family they got him on the road and Jim did well. Real well. It’s just too bad that in the 1970’s Jim never got that chance.”
“I don’t know Jim all that well but do consider him a friend. Jim is a down to earth person. And, I know that family is important to him. His dad was always his biggest supporter and those two were inseparable at the tracks. Jim did the same for J.R. and the kid is going pretty good right now. I know Jim likes to have fun. I’ve seen Jim and Dean try and out do each other with jokes and stories. You know as well as I do those two are some of the best ‘bench racers’ in our area (laughs)!”
But for the time being competitors better be ready, Even as he approaches age 58 dirt Late Model racers throughout Ohio know that Jim Gentry is one of the great ones who has probably forgotten more than many drivers have learned. With a huge fan base to still to this day promoters are happy to see Gentry return full bore for the season.
“Personally speaking, Jim was my hero growing up as well as my two sisters,” commented Tina Heil, General Manager of Wayne County Speedway. “We couldn’t wait for kids night so we could ride on his car. He’s still a role model to young people that have the desire to be a race car driver one day!”
“It’s an honor that Jim would rather race here at Wayne County Speedway than any other track. He calls it his home and we’re proud of that. We just hope he’ll continue to race with us for many years to come.”
“I guess I’m really fired up but I guess I’m not cause the money isn’t really there yet,” commented Gentry. “I didn’t want to go out half assed, I want to go out with everything I should have so I can have a better showing. I don’t care what anyone says it takes money. I’d say the money is 60% (laughs)! And your driver and your luck, you make you own luck.”
One thing is for certain and that is the fans have gotten a huge dose of luck. Lucky that Gentry is back full time!
(c)2001-2008 Doc Lehman
Tags: Charlie Swartz, Dean Alexander, Donnie Beckler, J.R. Gentry, James Gentry, Jim Gentry, Lakeville Speedway, Larry Beckler, Larry Harper, Mark Harper, STARS Hard Charger Award, STARS Rookie of the Year, Steve Jacquet, Wayne County Speedway
