James “Jim” Barbour, who served on Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ’s Board of Directors from 1992 to 1997, passed away recently in Florida at 94 years old. Joining Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ® in 1962, Jim’s member number only had three digits. And while numbers saturate Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ® activities -- be it a car number, lap time, grid position, finishing position or points earned -- numbers never really tell the whole story.

Raised in Dayton, Ohio, Jim joined the US Army Air Corp in WWII and was a documented, original member of the Tuskegee Airmen. After the war, Jim worked in the computer industry for Univac, the U.S. Government, Control Data and retired from Digital Equipment Corp.

Jim had a huge interest in sports cars and collected many over the years. An Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ member for more than 55 years, Jim spent time as a road racer, then became an Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ official. He also officiated for the Ferrari Challenge and IMSA. In 2018, Jalopnik writer David Obuchowski sat down with Jim to learn about the man everyone considered to be a consummate gentleman, and that article can be read .

Beyond motorsports, Jim was an accomplished base violinist and loved Big Band Jazz music. In fact, he played in bands off and on throughout his life. He was a man who gave a great deal of support to so many, and he will truly be missed.

 Photo Courtesy of Jalopnik