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
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
- ^ 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.