UNITED DIRT LATE MODEL ASSOCIATION
JIM WILLIS

FINISHED 1ST IN POINTS
1999 UDLMA SERIES CHAMPION

    Jim Willis, 30, was born in Santa Fe and now makes Belen, New Mexico his home along with his wife Sandra and their children Jim, Briant and Mia.

     By trade, Jim is a professional driver, though not in a race car just yet.  He transports manufactured homes for the family owned "Bonanza Homes" as well as for other dealers around the state.

     In 1996, he began racing Hobby Stocks at Duke City Raceway in Albuquerque with a much used Ford Granada of questionable lineage.  Quickly learning the ropes in the stock engined car, he had some success in that first season of racing, placing 2nd in the A. L. Smith Memorial and finishing the season in the top half of the Hobby Stock division.

     With his first year under his belt, he purchased a more competitive Chevy Nova for the 1997 season of Hobby Stock racing.  After running in 12 events, he was leading the point standings, and then made the transition to Street Stocks in an Olds Cutlass that same year.  After running only 5 events as a Street Stock driver he finished in the top 20 of that division.

     1998 was a year of great potential for Jim in Street Stocks but 8 DNF's kept him from achieving his goal of track champion at Duke City.  He did however place 4th in points for the season and earned a 1st place finish at the Independence Day show and celebrated the birth of his daughter that same weekend.

     In 1999, Jim ran in 2 classes - the UDLMA Dirt Late Models as well as in the Street Stock division at Duke City Raceway.  His lofty goal was to win both championships but with some conflicting weekend dates between the two cars, he chose to concentrate on the Dirt Late Model and won the UDLMA series championship with 1 win and 6 top 5 finishes for the season.  As for the Street Stock, he won an astounding 12 races but a DNF and the 3 races he had to miss for the Late Model put him in 2nd place for the year.

     Jim has his wife Sandra and Jim, Briant and Mia to thank for putting up with this expensive and time consuming hobby that he loves.  Without their support, he said he could not have met with the great success that he has had.

     Jim would also like to thank his sponsors Bonanza Homes and Rex Automotive and a special thanks goes to the following - Mom and Dad (Lois and David Willis), his mother-in-law Francis and her Husband Mark, as well as Felix, Nancy, Brandon and Miranda Bradshaw, Roger, Jackie, Roger Lee and Ben Willis, Dave Willis Jr., Life Group, and all his fans and supporters.  Thank you all very much!!!

     His pit crew is his brother Dave Jr., Brother-in-Law Felix Bradshaw, Gordon and Marilyn Rex, and Mark Truman.

     Above all Jim tries to drive his race car and live his life by the following motto..."GOD IS MY CO-PILOT"