JIM PAOLI PASSES
Fri, 2008-04-04 05:48
Jim Paoli, the 1970 and 1971 NHRA Division 3 Top Fuel champion and later Funny
Car racer, died April 3.
Paoli, who was based out of Springfield, Ill., was runner-up to Dave Chenevert in the Top Fuel final of the inaugural Gatornationals in 1970 in his lone national event final-round appearance. Jim Paoli, the 1970 and 1971 NHRA Division 3 Top Fuel champion and later Funny Car racer, died April 3.
Paoli, who was based out of Springfield, Ill., was runner-up to Dave Chenevert in the Top Fuel final of the inaugural Gatornationals in 1970 in his lone national event final-round appearance.
In addition to his divisional titles in 1970 and '71, Paoli also won NHRA's Eastern Conference championship in 1970 and the UDRA championship in 1971.
In 1972, Paoli fielded a Vega-bodied Funny Car, known, like his Top Fuel rides, as Yankee Packrat, with which he won an IHRA national event in 1972. After his father became ill, Paoli retired from driving after the 1973 season, ending a short but respectable career.
Paoli, who was based out of Springfield, Ill., was runner-up to Dave Chenevert in the Top Fuel final of the inaugural Gatornationals in 1970 in his lone national event final-round appearance. Jim Paoli, the 1970 and 1971 NHRA Division 3 Top Fuel champion and later Funny Car racer, died April 3.
Paoli, who was based out of Springfield, Ill., was runner-up to Dave Chenevert in the Top Fuel final of the inaugural Gatornationals in 1970 in his lone national event final-round appearance.
In addition to his divisional titles in 1970 and '71, Paoli also won NHRA's Eastern Conference championship in 1970 and the UDRA championship in 1971.
In 1972, Paoli fielded a Vega-bodied Funny Car, known, like his Top Fuel rides, as Yankee Packrat, with which he won an IHRA national event in 1972. After his father became ill, Paoli retired from driving after the 1973 season, ending a short but respectable career.
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