Jim McWithey

Jim McWithey (4 July 1927 - 1 February 2009): American racing driver from Grammer, Indiana who began his career in 1949, racing only in Indiana before taking up sprint cars three years later. He moved up to the USAC sprint division and became a specialist in dirt track racing, winning many races at Langhorne, Pennsylvania. He came third in the USAC Sprint Car Championship in 1958 and 1959. McWithey raced in the USAC Championship Car series in the 1956, 1957, 1959, and 1960 seasons with 20 career starts, including the 1959 and 1960 Indianapolis 500 races, finishing in the top ten nine times with his best finish in 3rd position in 1960 at Trenton.

His Formula 1 record shows five races (two starts) with zero poles, wins, podiums, and points, with his first race at the 1956 Indianapolis 500 and last race at the 1960 Indianapolis 500 (during this era the Indianapolis 500 was part of the Formula 1 World Championship). McWithey was forced to retire in 1961 by a thyroid condition that had bothered him for a while, which led to him having the thyroid removed. He died in Gainesville, Georgia.