Jackie McLaughlin
| Jackie McLaughlin | |
|---|---|
| Born | John Henry McLaughlin October 11, 1933 Camden, New Jersey |
| Died | August 23, 1964 (aged 30) |
| Motorsport career | |
| Debut season | 1950 |
| Championships | 4 |
| Finished last season | 1964 |
John “Jackie” McLaughlin (October 11, 1933 – August 23, 1964) was an American racing driver from the Thorofare section of West Deptford Township, New Jersey. Although best remembered for his exploits in a dirt-track Modified, he won several United Racing Club Sprint car races and was their 1954 “Rookie of the Year”.[1]
Racing career
[edit]Jackie McLaughlin started his racing career in 1950 at the age of 17 on the dirt at New Jersey's Atco Speedway and Alcyon Speedway in Pitman. By 1955, his brother-in-law, Budd Olsen, convinced him to try the Modifieds, and McLaughlin immediately won at Nazareth Speedway in Pennsylvania and a track championship at Alcyon.[1][2][3] He went on to compete successfully at the renowned tracks of the Mid-Atlantic, including Georgetown Speedway and Kent-Sussex Raceway in Delaware, Reading Fairgrounds Speedway in Pennsylvania, and Vineland Speedway in New Jersey.[3] McLaughlin entered the Daytona 300 in both 1959 and 1960, and claimed the 1956, 1957, and 1962 track championships at the Flemington Speedway in New Jersey.[4][5][6][7]
Jackie McLaughlin sustained a fatal injury in a racing accident at Nazareth in August 1964.[8] He was inducted into the Eastern Motorsports Press Association and the Northeast Dirt Modified Halls of Fame.[1][9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "EMPA Hall of Fame-Jackie McLaughlin". Eastern Motorsport Press Association. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
- ^ Donnelly, Jim (December 9, 2023). "A Modified Racing Dynasty". Speed Sport. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ a b White, Will. "Jackie McLaughlin". Auto Racing Records. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
- ^ "New Jersey driver wins Harrington feature". The Salisbury Times. August 27, 1956. p. 14. Retrieved March 25, 2024 – via NewspaperArchive.
- ^ "McLaughlin dominates Georgetown competition". Denton Journal. July 27, 1962. p. 1. Retrieved March 25, 2024 – via NewspaperArchive.
- ^ "Jackie McLaughlin, Budd Olsen Victory stars". The Evening News. April 28, 1964. p. 7B. Retrieved March 25, 2024 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Jackie McLaughlin bids for third Reading win". Lebanon Daily News. July 8, 1964. p. 17. Retrieved March 25, 2024 – via NewspaperArchive.
- ^ Ringer, Bob (August 31, 1964). "Sports Scope: Not the same!". Reading Eagle. p. 21. Retrieved March 25, 2024 – via Google Books.
- ^ O'Brien, Dick (March 9, 1995). "Baldwinsville McArdell among inductees to Dirt Hall of Fame". Syracuse Herald Journal. p. D7. Retrieved March 25, 2024 – via NewspaperArchive.