Jim Haynes, a two-time SCCA National Champion driver, passed away on March 2. He was 89 years old.
Haynes has been a major figure in the history of Lime Rock Park. He purchased the race track in 1964 from its builders and over the next 11 years, first as owner and then as general manager, shepherded the facility’s growth from near bankruptcy to an internationally recognized motorsports venue.
Skip Barber, Haynes’ successor as president of Lime Rock Park and a friend of Haynes for more than six decades, noted the debt owed by everyone who enjoys visiting and using the track today.
“All of us who are members of the Lime Rock Park community, fans, event participants and track staff, greatly appreciate the contributions Jim made in the track’s formative days, and his dedication to its long-term success,” Barber said.
Following his tenure at Lime Rock Park, Haynes worked with the SCCA’s national office. Prior to his retirement to Florida with Toni Abercrombie Haynes, his wife and partner of 43 years, Haynes was the general manager of Wisconsin’s Road America circuit.