Stock car driver James Hylton, 72, is attempting to qualify for the Daytona 500 with the backing of a lifelong friend

By Sean Callahan

James Hylton is 72 and still racing stock cars. The rookie of the year of NASCAR's Grand National Series in 1966, back before the circuit became known as the Winston Cup or the Nextel Cup, Hylton is attempting to qualify for the 2007 Daytona 500, which will be held Feb. 18. He'll be going up against about 30 other cars for one of eight remaining spots in the race. Hylton's best finish in the Daytona 500 was third in 1967, when he says a flat tire cost him the win.

Even though it's been a couple of decades since he raced in the stock car spotlight, Hylton has rarely climbed out from behind the steering wheel. In 2006 he raced in the ARCA Series, minor league stock car racing. He placed 18th in points. Now, with the backing of his childhood friend, J.C. Weaver, Hylton is planning his return to NASCAR at Daytona.

Weaver, 65, is a country singer who has performed with Johnny Cash and others. He owns Mountain Rock Music and is backing Hylton's car to promote a music festival he's starting on his farm in Virginia. The festival, called GrahamFest, is slated for Labor Day weekend. "This old man has been my close buddy, and I'm an old man," Weaver said
of Hylton. "I think we're young bucks -- with old age. And both of us have big dreams."

Speaking with a standard issue NASCAR drawl, Hylton discussed GrahamFest, his life on the track and his Daytona 500 dream.

GJ: Why did you pick Daytona for your comeback?

James Hylton: Like Mr. Weaver was talking about, we've been friends for a lifetime, our lifetime. He has this dream about GrahamFest, and after he sponsored me all year on the ARCA circuit, it seemed like the ideal thing to use NASCAR racing to promote the festival. He's given me the opportunity to drive the car down there (at Daytona), and as long as I've been racing, there was no way I could turn him down.

How would you describe the ARCA circuit?

It'd be like the B-team for NASCAR. All of the ARCA guys buy (Nextel) Cup cars. The Cup teams are using ARCA as a testing ground to bring up the young drivers that need experience. It's more of a proving ground.

You've never stopped racing, is that correct?

That's correct. I've been around racing since I was 18 years old in one form or another. I wound up in Tampa for a few years (in the mid-1960s) and got hooked up with Rex White (a NASCAR legend) in Grand National racing.

What car will you be driving in qualifying?

I'll be driving the best racing car I've ever driven in my life. We'll have Richard Childress Racing backing it. It's a Jeff Burton backup car. We'll see if the old-time driver can do it.

What were your best performances on the NASCAR circuit?

I won the Talladega 500 in 1972. I beat Richard Petty. Now it's up to me to prove myself again. People say that at 72 years old I'm not young enough to be racing anymore. I don't feel 72. As far as I'm concerned I'm still 25.

How do you stay in shape?

I've got a gym machine in the shop that I work out on. I call it a pedaling machine. You can work out your arms on it, too. I do it about 15 minutes at a time four times a day. I also have pet dog and do a little running with him around our lot. He's part bulldog and weighs about 120 pounds. I'm trying to wear him out, but I haven't done it yet. His name is Buster.

You have a cigar in a lot of your photographs. Is that part of your training?

No, not really. That's just a bad habit I picked up. I never smoked a cigarette in my life. I was about 47 when I started puffing on cigars. I guess it's a tension breaker or something. I'm like a lot of Americans; I'm trying to quit.

How did you feel about your 18th-place finish in the ARCA standings?

We didn't really have a car that was capable of winning the race, unless things happened our way. We were after consistency and finishing. We finished every race except for one DNF (did not finish) when the car ran hot.

Will your car be capable of winning at Daytona?

I look at it this way. With the backing of a sponsor like GrahamFest, for the first time I have a real sponsor where we're not worried about money, where we have enough money to do the job. This is a legitimate shot. If we're lucky enough to qualify, we're going to run for the win. We'll definitely be in the hunt.

Seriously, how much of a factor is your age?

Well, 72 is definitely older than 27. I'm not going to argue with the fact that a 20-year-old driver has an advantage in conditioning. But I've always said that Daytona is an old man's race track. You don't have too many turns like they do at other tracks. You get your speed and you leave your right foot down and you keep your head on straight and looking ahead.

So would you say what you're doing is crazy?

We all know I'm crazy. It's a good crazy, I guess. For me, it's the chance of a lifetime. I talked to several of the other racers already and as far as they're concerned, I'm just another race car driver. Jeff Gordon is a superstar, but I'm going to go out there and race him. He's not going to give me any quarter, and I'm not going to give him any either.