Folks Of Interest RIP … Jim Brissette

James Brissette
March 4, 1941 - July 13, 2023
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1957 - #5 "Brissette Bros {Bob & Jim} & Eichenhofer" E Lakester



1958 - #1 "Quincy Automotive, Brissette Bros {Bob & Jim} & Eichenhofer" D Lakester



1959 - #1 "Quincy Automotive, Brissette Bros {Bob & Jim}& Eichenhofer" A / Hot Roadster



1959 - #611 "Quincy Automotive, Loros, & Price" A / Gas Roadster (with Jim Brissette's blown 371ci HEMI)



1961 - #2 "Quincy Automotive, Brissette Bros {Bob & Jim} & Eichenhofer" Roadster
on the cover of the July 9th SCTA Official Program



1962 - #17 "Quincy Automotive, Brissette Bros {Bob & Jim}" A / Roadster



1964 - {Jim} Brissette & {"Wild Bill"} Alexander AA/FD



1965/66 - {Jim} Brissette & {Paul "The Kid"} Sutherland AA/FD​

 

I followed racing on the West coast only through print BITD, but still, thanks for the memories Mr. Brissette.
Godspeed.

 

Here's a 1961 photo of @Dean Lowe's RPU at the SCTA ½-Mile Drags in Riverside:

NOTE: That's the Brissette Bros {Bob & Jim} Silver '32 Austin Bantam A / Fuel Roadster in front of Dean's RPU
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Jim Brissette was the most compashionate man I ever knew. When I spent 3 weeks in the hospital with a shattered spine, Jim sent me a card EVERY day. The next time I saw Jim at El Mirage, he told me of the time he got severly burned when the fuel motor in the roadster grenaded at 190 at El Mirage. Jim was in the burn ward for weeks. He said he very much looked forward to the cards friends would send him. He wanted to do the same for me. He was right, mail call is all there is to look forward to in the hospital. Jim Brissette was a kind, careing man, and above all a racer. RIP old friend.

 

Thanks for sharing that Dean, what great friend you had. R.I.P. Jim.

 

I crossed paths with him several times but never had a conversation with him, always one of his associates. One of my cars was the former Crader, Noice and Brissette entry. RIP.

 

It is sad that we lose these old timers. They were the pioneers for us. I don't think that they can be replaced by any of today's group of people.

 

R I P

 

You mean we lost another good man with so much on the ball and a caring heart to boot?

Well, that's not very good for us.
But heaven is blessed.

Sincere condolences to all who love him.

 

My condolences to his family and friends

 

RIP
Thank you Todd for keeping us informed while simultaneously keeping us educated. I for one really appreciate all your tributes to hot rodding greats.

 

He started in racing at a young age, and like cream, he rose to the top. and @Dean Lowe described the kind of man he was. P.I.P. Mr. Brissette.

 

As many HAMBers know, Roger @riceman Lee "recreated" Jim Brissette's (circa '64 thru '67) Woody Gilmore AA/FD:

"Brissette & Alexander" - 1964 version


"Brissette & Alexander" - 1964 version


"Brissette & Alexander" - 1965 Winternationals version (with new body)


"Brissette & Sutherland" - 1965 version


"Brissette & Sutherland" - 1965 Hot Rod Magazine Championships version


"Brissette & Brown" - 1967 version


"Brissette & Brown" - 1967 version​

For more history of this Jim Brissette AA/FD (as well as Roger's recreation), please checkout the "The Back Motor Car" AA/FD webpage on the CackleFest.com website.

 

Miler Mike Stewart shared a story on Jim's burns...Bob called his father from the lakes when it happened, as their mother was in church. When Bob and Jim's mother saw her husband show up at church, she knew something was wrong as he was never otherwise in church.

 

Me as well, Todd's many post have been an incredible education for me

 

I heard an elegy once that stuck with me and I will reword it to make it more applicable here.

There were a group of friends gathered behind the water box and staging area of the local track, watching the pageantry and the lights. When their friend left on a perfect light, they all screamed "there he goes!"

A quarter of a mile away, at the other end of the track was gathered another group of departed racing friends yelling "here he comes!"

 

@HEMI32 I also really appreciate your wealth of information and the tributes to hot rodders and racers who have passed.
Can anyone identify what's going on in the above photo with the pulleys and belt?

 

When I post these so-called "tribute threads" on the HAMB, I try to limit my posts to the gentleman's Pre-1966 contributions to Hot Rodding (to keep the thread "HAMB-friendly") . . . but most (if not all) of the gentlemen who have left us, didn't magically stop being a "Hot Rodder" in 1966 . . . and Jim Brissette was certainly no exception as he continued his involvement in professional Drag Racing throughout the '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s, '00s, & beyond:

1992 Pro Set Racing card #193



1993 Pro Set Racing card #13



image from Doug Herbert's July 13th 2023 Facebook post






Don Prieto article from the APR/MAY 1994 issue of DRAG RACING AND HI PERFORMANCE ILLUSTRATED magazine​

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NOTE: Jim was inducted into the AHRA Hall of Fame in 1965 . . . the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 2006 ... and in 2012, Jim & his brother Bob were both presented with the NHRA Lifetime Achievement Award:

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As a teenager, Jimmy Brissette built his very first Hot Rod . . . a '40 Ford Coupe powered by a DeSoto V8 (i.e., a "Baby Hemi") . . . I've been searching my archives for the photo . . . but so far have come up blank . . . stay tuned!

 

Correct me if I’m wrong ( and I might be) but is this the same Jim Brissette who was crew chief for Dan Pastorini’s Fuel Funny car in the 80’s ?

 

R.I.P. Jim,

A man who lived a life like Jim did will be remembered for many things related to our hobby, but more importantly remembered for being the kind of man he was!

God Bless
Bill
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ar-transport-hauling-open-or-enclosed.614419/

 

Pastorini only ran a T/F dragster and in fact won one NHRA National event, the Atlanta Southern Nats, but I don’t recall who his crew chief was. He retired from drag racing the next year.

 

Godspeed Mr. Brissette!

God bless those who loved him or called him friend.

 

Sincere sympathy goes out to his friends & fans - especially to his Family

 

That's what I remember, he used to race Ernie Hall here in Portland in T/F.

 

Yes . . . Jim Brissette (& Donnie Couch) were Pastorini’s crew chiefs (on his "Quarterback Sneak" Top Fuel Dragster) during the 1986 & 1987 seasons.

For more info about Brissette's career as an NHRA crew chief, go back and read the "trading cards" & the Don Prieto article I posted in Post #20.

 

if you listen to the awesome surfers documentary on youtube, Tom
jobe tells some great Brissette stories

 

I found some more "HAMB-Friendly" photos of Jim's dragsters . . .

. . . the "Brissette Bros Dragster" circa 1955:

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. . . and the circa 1964 "Quincy Auto ~ Herbert Cams” Top Fueler owned by Jim Brissette & Everett "Hippo" Brammer:

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