The Jungle Man Makes His Entrance

by Pat Foster

At Atco, NJ, in about ‘72, we were to race Jungle in a match race deal -- first round went down at 8:00 p.m. sharp! Well it's 7:45 and no Jungle (hard to believe, huh?) The track lines up a local leaker and says to me, ‘Run this Bozo first round and maybe he'll show by the second round." We pull up and I'm dressed and just getting in, everyone in the joint stands up and begins chanting, JUNGLE! JUNGLE! JUNGLE! All eyes are towards the highway that goes by the track. The starter starts yelling at my guys, "Get him in the car! Get him in the car!" I look where everyone else is looking and here comes Jungle, strapped in, motor lit and sending flames above the roof, driving that bitch from where they unloaded it out by the highway, past the gates and ticket booth, through the parking lot and one end of the pits, right onto the starting line, and then through the water for a huge smoky burn out! And the crowd went wild! I had time for one squeaky little chirp behind the line, they booed us -- then we blaze 'em against J.J. and again the crowd goes INSANE. Tough gig running the Jungle Man in his part of the country or anywhere else for that matter. Jim was the King -- hard ass racer and a great showman! R.I.P., my man. Well here come the tears, night-night.

Pat Foster