R.I.P.: Jim Nelson

We lost an NHRA Hall Of Fame'r last night. Jim Nelson of DragMaster.

I grew up in that quanset hut on State St., in Carlsbad. Those guys were my Heroes......Tom and Dode and Jim..... I was a punk kid who dreamed of building a Hot Rod.



/the best times were listening to Jim's stories up in the rafter, looking through old Hot Rod mags while pounding Coors.....

The stories of Drag Racing in the '60's.... what a magical time!!!

Bye Jim.......

 

sad news indeed. One of the original dragster greats for sure. Godspeed Jim

 

RIP Mr Nelson.

 

sincere sympathy goes out to Family & Friends.

 

RIP Mr. Nelson.

 

RIP em Jazzy! Godspeed!

 

I gotta say this: Everytime!! I walked in D/M, Jim would have a red shop rag hanging from his right back pocket (a habit I copied throughout my years as a wrench), he'd be going a mile-a-minute, he's see me, turn and say: "How you doin' handsome!" and scurry off........

 

Godspeed Jim. One of my heroes growing up and seeing him run at Pomona. Our club cars (Starlite I and II) were Dragmasters.

You'll be missed, but you're in great company up there.

 

I used to watch him smoke em at Lions. RIP Jazzy.

 

Sad to hear. It seems like it's been a pretty bad month for loosing those that started this stufff.

 

Losing these guys is never easy. It seems that we are coming to an end of an era.

These great guys of the hobbys history are going to be gone and so much of what they did is gone with them.

I don't think that this generation coming up has a chance to be as iconic or influential as any of these guys were.

 

Very sad news. Heroes shouldn't die. R.I.P.

 

Very sad. Just can't get used to it..

 

Very sad...RIP Jim.

 

First off, he wasn't Jazzy Nelson, that was a different Jim Nelson who i believe died ten years ago.

Bummer to lose such a great pioneer of the sport.

Here is our fallen hero. http://inlinethumb37.webshots.com/8612/2796926270088366760S600x600Q85.jpg
http://inlinethumb22.webshots.com/49557/2762895190088366760S600x600Q85.jpg

 

Wow... bad news. Never saw him run but always heard about those guys in the mags... RIP.

 

I never saw Jim run either but my first front engine dragster was a Dragmaster chassis, I loved that little car.

Cliff Ramsdell

 

Heros never do really die.
Rest In Peace, Jim.

 

R.i.p jn

 

R.I.P sad day

 

R.I.P. He was one of the leaders of the pack for sure.

 

R.I.P Jim

 

Very sad to hear (btw, Jim Nelson wasn't "Jazzy" Nelson, different Jim Nelsons, Jazzy died some years ago)...

Remember late '50s at Santa Ana, first time out with the new Dragmaster with the Latham Blower, Jim was hand-cutting intakes for the side-draft carbs,,,I was a young punk who knew nothing about what I was seeing, so Jim explained it very patiently to me, really remember how nice he was and how much he knew...RIP Jim

 

Oh wow. My buddy Mel (Dirtiest Devil) schooled me all about Jim and Dragmaster. So sad. RIP Jim.
Slim

 

I have photos of the twin engine dragsmaster in Florida in 1959 when I was the Flagger at the Golden Triangle dragstrip in Oldsmar, FL.
Rest in Peace.

 

Another drag racing pioneer lost. When I moved to California some years ago, I was driving through Carlsbad one day and passed by the Dragmaster shop ... put a big smile on my face as I had followed Jim's career through magazine coverage.

 

Jim and Dode with a couple of female admirers at the CHRR a few years ago.

 

Dragmaster was my very first client when I started in the ad business. Jim would pay his bill with rolled quarters that they got through the mail for Dragmaster catalogs. A real gentleman and innovator. I actually met Jim and Dode when I walked into their shop on State street and asked them to sign my Carlsbad Library card application!

 

RIP Jm...already getting weary of these but I feel it's just starting with our early heroes. Damn

 

Another Drag Racing legend gone. He was a true innovator, and pioneer.
R.I.P. Mr. Jim Nelson


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