A Fleet Of Race Cars

Jimmie Day poses in front of his fleet of vintage racing cars at his banquet center in South Carolina. “One day we decided to quit the hog business and turn the facilities into a place to build race cars,” he said. “It just grew from there.”

Since 1992, Jimmie Day has been building or restoring these old machines he watched race in the forties.  He told us it all started with his 1939 Ford.

“I had long since sold the old number 77, but decided to build me a replica and carry it down to the Moonshine Festival in Dawsonville, Georgia,” Jimmie said.

“Jimmie has made the festival what it is today,” said Gordon Pirkle, who owns the famous Dawsonville Pool Room.  “He and Gober Sosebee once had the only two cars there, and it has grown since.”

Dawsonville’s Gordon Pirkle gives the green flag to Jimmie Day at the inaugural ceremonies for the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame.

“J.B. came to the festival about 1991 and was so impressed with Sosebee’s car he wanted to buy it,” Mike Bell added.  “Of course, Gober didn’t want to sell, but over the last decade Mr. Day has built a fleet of his own and brings them every year.”

The names Bob Flock, Cotton Owens, Ed Samples, Tim Flock, Buck Baker, David Pearson, Jerry Wimbish (Country) and Red Byron grace the doors of eight of the best built show cars anywhere in the country.

“My friend Bill Lester did a hell of a job putting these cars back together, and the reason we have them is purely for the enjoyment of all the race fans,” Jimmie said.

“Constant upkeep and transportation requires help,” Jimmie told us.  “Traveling to NASCAR, GARHOFA and other racing functions couldn’t be possible without friends.  People like John Cordell, Danny Land, John Nalley, Terry Wheeler, Robert Coltran and a host of others keep this adventure afloat.  Without them, we go nowhere.”