From an article Jimmy wrote in 1956:

"My first real racing experience was in 1947.  I went to a sprint race at Logansport which George Tichenour won.  It looked like a lot of un and I heard that it paid well.  I decided right then that racing was for me.

At Logansport I heard that there was a race car for sale in Ft. Wayne.  Bob Brown, who lived in my home town of Wabash, and I decided to buy it.  We did, the next day, for about $?00.  There was only one draw-back.  It was completely dismantled.  It took us a full month to rebuild it.

The first time I drove it - again at Logansport - I had the fourth fastest qualifying time, but it burned out a rod and I couldn't race it.  I drove in 16 races that summer.  I kept track of everything I bought - bolts, paint, etc.  I sold it at the end of the season.  Counting everything I made exactly 88c on the deal.  That was the end of my car ownership."