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Forest City resident Jimmy Means was inducted into the Alabama Auto Racing Pioneers Hall of Fame Saturday evening at a banquet in Talladega, AL. The organization is made up of individuals and families who have a genuine love for auto racing and its history. Means, who is a native of Huntsville, AL, was known as a hard charging competitor who wouldn't back off as he raced on tracks in the area. At the Huntsville Speedway in the 70s no driver won more races. Means was the Alabama State Cadet Champion in 1972 and the Alabama State Sportsman Champion in 1974. He was the track champion at Huntsville in 1973 and at Nashville in 1974. Other drivers known as members of the "Alabama Gang" include Bobby Allison, Donnie Allison, Davey Allison, Neil Bonnett and Red Farmer. Jimmy began racing in NASCAR at Daytona in 1976 and ran 455 Cup races. In 1982 he finished 11th in Winston Cup points. He moved to Forest City in the early 1980s to be nearer the NASCAR tracks and he retired from driving in 1994. He has fielded an Xfinity Series team from his shop on Withrow Road since that time although the team did not compete in any races in 2022. Means has also been inducted into the Huntsville-Madison County Athletic Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Rutherford County Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.
