Racer Jake Elder dies at 73

J.C. “Jake” Elder, a fixture, apparent magician and certainly a monumental figure of stock car racing the way it used to be, has died. He was 73.

Elder, also known as “Suitcase Jake” for his temperament – often irreverent and unyielding in the view of many NASCAR executives and team owners – died Wednesday in Statesville, N.C.

Elder is survived by three children, Randy, Andy and Sandy Elder Maxwell.

In 1960, Elder went to work as a fabricator with Petty Enterprises. He later worked with Benny Parsons, Darrell Waltrip, David Pearson, Dale Earnhardt and many others in a colorful career that saw him become one of television’s first behind-the-scenes heroes.

Elder claimed little in the way of formal education. And those who competed against and knew Elder best said he never wrote anything down.

Still, Elder passed a hard-drive’s worth of history and know-how along to the next generation in the garages and pit lanes of stock car racing.

"Witchcraft?" Jeff Hammond once responded to a question about Jake Elder’s gift posed by the Observer’s David Poole.

"I don't know if that's the term I'd use because it sort of seems like it diminishes the 'black art.’ ”

Waddell Wilson, himself a legendary crew chief, said Elder could just put a knee against each wheel of a race car and recite the spring rating.

“Jake Elder was among the very most colorful characters I met and wrote about,” said Tom Higgins, the veteran writer and racing historian who preceded Poole on the Observer’s racing beat.

“Jake’s eye for talent obviously was as good as his ability to make a car handle.”

"We are saddened to learn of the passing of Jake Elder," said Winston Kelley, executive director of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

"He was one of the true pioneers and classic personalities of our sport.

“One of my most vivid memories of Jake is asking him what happened to one of his meticulously prepared cars and Jake putting it so succinctly and simply in saying, 'It blowed up.' "

Neither Elder nor Pearson will be honored in May, but NASCAR founder William “Big Bill” France, his son Bill France Jr. and Richard Petty will join Earnhardt and Junior Johnson in the hall’s inaugural class.