James Bickford

James Harrison Bickford (born March 16, 1998) is an American former stock car racing driver from Napa, California. He last competed full-time in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, driving the No. 6 Ford Fusion.

Bickford is a paternal cousin of four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion and three-time Daytona 500 champion Jeff Gordon. Throughout his career, Bickford won over 200 main event victories and earned titles including Rookie of the Year at Ukiah Speedway (2010), Legends of the Pacific Rookie of the Year (2011), Semi-Pro Legends champion (2011), NASCAR Whelen All-American Late Model Series champion (2013), and K&N Pro Series West Rookie of the Year (2014).

Early life Bickford was born on March 16, 1998, in Napa, California, to parents Tom and Teresa Bickford.

Racing career

Quarter Midgets (2004–2010) Bickford began racing in Quarter Midgets at the age of five. Tom described racing at that age as a "fathers-sons-sport." In 2007, he won 69 of 75 races entered in just one of the three Quarter Midget divisions in which he competed.

By 2010, Bickford had won 15 Quarter Midget championships: four local track championships, two NorCal championships, four regional championships, two California 500 championships, two Western States Monza championships, and one Dirt Road National, along with close to 200 main events.

Bandoleros (2010) Bickford began his Bandolero season at age eleven. In his first race at Ukiah Speedway on April 10, 2010, he won the trophy dash and finished second in the A-main. On April 17, he won the Bandolero race at All-American Speedway in Roseville, California, along with the trophy dash and heat race. In late April 2010, he set a new track record at Ukiah with a lap of 15.324 seconds.

Legends cars (2011–2012) For the 2011 season, Bickford moved up to a Legends car in the Legends of the Pacific Series. Fellow racer Matt Scott, the 2010 Late Model champion, remarked: "If you drive a Legends car, you can drive anything," citing the car's substantially greater horsepower compared to a Bandolero.

His 2012 Legends season was cut short in August when he broke his arm during a high school football game the day before he was scheduled to be fitted for a seat in a late model car. Although unable to drive, Bickford attended the final five races of his Legends season. In mid-September, Bickford claimed the 2013 NASCAR Whelen All-American Late Model Series championship at All-American Speedway in Roseville, California, becoming the youngest driver in the track's 58-year history to win a Late Model Series race and championship.

Bickford said of his championship: "I feel like I'm on top of the world…I came into this season just looking to get some practice, but I never imagined winning the championship."

Bickford raced his first road course at the 1.99-mile Sonoma Raceway on June 21, 2014. He received guidance from Jeff Gordon, who toured the track with him and advised him on braking, acceleration, shifting, and passing points. Gordon, who holds five NASCAR Cup Series victories at Sonoma—more than any other driver—commented on the challenge of the circuit. He became the third consecutive driver—and fifth overall—to earn Rookie of the Year driving for Bruncati, joining Dylan Lupton (2013), Austin Dyne (2012), Luis Martinez Jr. (2010), and Jason Bowles (2007).

Bickford finished fifth overall in the K&N West Pro Series standings. Over the course of the season, he progressed from a 25th-place finish in his series debut to winning his first career race, accumulating one victory, eight top-five finishes, and nine top-twelve finishes, while collecting more points than any other regular K&N West competitor. He was recognized at the NASCAR awards ceremony on December 13 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina.

At Irwindale Speedway on April 11, a string of misfortunes—including stolen and slashed tires, loss of radio signal during practice, and suspension problems during the race—resulted in a 17th-place finish. His third race of the season, the NAPA Auto Parts Wildcat 150 at Tucson Speedway in Tucson, Arizona, ended in a sixth-place finish. He finished the season eighth in the series standings with 446 points.

Pacific Coast Challenge Series (2018) In 2018, Bickford returned to racing, driving for Scott Family Racing in the Pacific Coast Challenge Series.

Fundraising

Kids Golf Association (2009) At age eleven, needing funds to move up from Quarter Midgets to Bandolero cars—expenses that included a HANS device (costing close to $1,000, first required following the 2003 death of Top Fuel Rookie of the Year Darrell Russell) and a Bandolero car (approximately $5,000)—Bickford organized a children's golf tournament called the Kids Golf Association ("KGA") at Vintner's Golf Club in Yountville, California. 66

2015 6

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