Ron's Cousin Jim

Central Point, Oregon  (1968)

James Lincoln Plummer  (1950-1978)

Jim was born in Whittier, California, and, at the age of six, moved with his parents to

the tiny town of Gold Hill, Oregon, population 605.  In Oregon, Jim enjoyed an idyllic

childhood, in a house on the banks of the famous Rogue River, surrounded by forests,

mountains, and clear blue skies.  After high school, he attended the Oregon Technical

Institute (OTI) in Klamath Falls, Oregon, from 1969 through 1970, graduating with an

Associate Degree in engine systems maintenance.  He also earned a real estate license

and worked for his mother at Plummer Realty in Gold Hill; however, his real passion in

life came from drag racing.  He designed, built, and drove two race cars with success:

a 1957 Plymouth coupe with "hemi-head" motor that he competed in the "Class-C Stock"

category; and a "sling shot" AA Fuel Dragster capable of reaching speeds in excess of

200 miles per hour, in less than ten seconds, over a distance of one-quarter of a mile.

Jim achieved modest success in this second machine, but it was prohibitively expensive

to operate and maintain.  During those times when he could not afford to race his own

vehicle, he often drove for other owners.  On one such occasion, in May of 1978, at the

Orange County International Speedway in southern California, the car Jim was driving

vibrated violently at the outset of a race.  Jim had only two or three seconds to react,

and he reached forward to switch off the motor.  Unfortunately, in that brief span of

time, he suffered severe brain injuries.  He was rushed to the hospital and placed on a

life-support system . . . but died three days later.