Jimmy Horton

James Horton III (born July 3, 1956) is an American businessman who owns a radiator and chassis shop after a Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame career racing dirt modifieds. He raced in 48 NASCAR Winston Cup races in eight seasons. He was a regular on the ARCA circuit in the 1980s and 1990s. Horton has won many of the most noted races for dirt track modifieds in the Northeastern United States.

Racing career

Local racer Horton first became known as a modified racecar driver in the Northeastern United States. He began racing in a small block powered sportsman car owned by his father, in the early 1970s. He won the sportsman championship at Orange County Speedway in 1974.

Horton has won a plethora of modified and sportsman championships at numerous tracks. He was the 1976 Modified champion at Orange County driving his dad's No. 43 and won it again in 2017 driving the Halmar Racing No. 43. That season, he was involved in one of the rare dead heat modified feature wins along with fellow future NASCAR racer Tighe Scott. It was the first race of a twin 50 feature and it was too close to call. Scott and Horton's cars collided after the race. After 1976, he started racing in the No. 3 Statewide dirt modified. He won track championships at Bridgeport Speedway (NJ) in 1975, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1997, 1998, 2003 and, 2014. Horton won the most races on Bridgeport's 5/8 mile track (before it was reconfigured as a 4/10 mile in 2020). He is a two-time winner of the premier race in dirt modified racing, the Super DIRT Week 200 (1987 & 1994). He won the Eastern States 200 in his later career. He won modified track championships at New Egypt Speedway (NJ) in 2004 and 2006.

Horton was inducted into the New York State Stock Car Association Hall of Fame in 2017, into the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame in 2024, and into the Eastern Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame in 2025.

NASCAR Horton made his first NASCAR start in the Busch Grand National series in 1985. while Horton walked out of the wreck virtually unscathed.

ARCA Horton won numerous ARCA races, including the series premiere event, the Daytona ARCA 200, in 1990 and 1992. The 1992 victory was his seventh superspeedway victory, which at the time was the second most in series history. He used a NASCAR Chevrolet Lumina purchased from Darrell Waltrip for the victory.

His son Jimmy Horton IV (born March 2, 1987) raced Modifieds for his Grandfather at New Egypt Speedway (NJ) and Bridgeport Speedway (NJ).

Motorsports career results

NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Winston Cup Series NASCAR Winston Cup Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 Pts Ref 1987 S & H Racing 80 Ford DAY CAR RCH ATL DAR NWS BRI MAR TAL CLT DOV POC RSD MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR RSD ATL 67th 164 1988 DAY RCH CAR ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV RSD POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR CLT NWS CAR PHO ATL 41st 647 1989 Pontiac DAY CAR ATL RCH DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV SON POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR CLT NWS CAR PHO ATL 46th 377 1990 Ford DAY RCH CAR ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV SON POC MCH DAY 36th 756 Hendrick Motorsports 17 Chevy DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH S & H Racing 80 Pontiac DOV MAR NWS ATL Group 44 44 Pontiac CLT CAR PHO 1991 S & H Racing 80 Chevy DAY RCH CAR NA - Ford ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV SON POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL 1992 Active Motorsports 32 Chevy DAY CAR RCH ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV SON POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL 39th 660 1993 DAY CAR RCH ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL SON CLT POC MCH DAY NHA POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL 38th 841 Hover Motorsports 80 Ford DOV RCH 1994 DAY CAR RCH ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL SON CLT DOV POC MCH DAY NHA POC TAL IND GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL 62nd 106 1995 Junior Johnson & Associates 27 Ford DAY CAR RCH ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL SON CLT DOV POC MCH DAY NHA POC TAL IND GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO 61st 61 Hendrick Motorsports 58 Chevy ATLQL† 1998 ISM Racing 35 Pontiac DAY CAR LVS ATL DAR BRI TEX MAR TAL CAL CLT DOV RCH MCH POC SON NHA POC IND GLN MCH BRI NHA DAR RCH DOV MAR CLT TAL DAY PHO CAR ATL NA - † - Qualified but replaced by Jeff Purvis

Daytona 500 Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish 1988 S & H Racing Ford DNQ 1989 Pontiac DNQ 1990 Ford 40 37 1991 Chevrolet DNQ 1993 Active Motorsports Chevrolet 29 25 1994 Hover Motorsports Ford 28 19

Busch Series NASCAR Busch Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Pts Ref 1985 S & H Racing 85 Pontiac DAY CAR HCY BRI MAR DAR SBO LGY DOV CLT SBO HCY ROU IRP SBO LGY HCY MLW BRI DAR RCH NWS ROU CLT HCY CAR MAR 94th 40 1986 DAY CAR HCY MAR BRI DAR SBO LGY JFC DOV CLT SBO HCY ROU IRP SBO RAL OXF SBO HCY LGY ROU BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR ROU CLT CAR MAR 62nd 191 1987 Buick DAY HCY MAR DAR BRI LGY SBO CLT DOV IRP ROU JFC OXF SBO HCY RAL LGY ROU BRI JFC DAR RCH DOV MAR CLT CAR MAR 47th 204 1988 DAY HCY CAR MAR DAR BRI LNG NZH SBO NSV CLT DOV ROU LAN LVL MYB OXF SBO HCY LNG IRP ROU BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR CLT CAR MAR NA - 1989 Ken Schrader Racing 52 Chevy DAY CAR MAR HCY DAR BRI NZH SBO LAN NSV CLT DOV ROU LVL VOL MYB SBO HCY DUB IRP ROU BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR CLT CAR MAR 99th -

ARCA Hooters SuperCar Series (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.) ARCA Hooters SuperCar Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Pts Ref 1988 S & H Racing 80 Ford DAY ATL TAL FRS PCS ROC POC WIN KIL ACS SLM POC TAL DEL FRS ISF DSF SLM ATL 42nd - 1989 Pontiac DAY ATL KIL TAL FRS POC KIL HAG POC TAL DEL FRS ISF TOL DSF SLM ATL 28th - 1990 DAY ATL KIL TAL FRS POC KIL TOL HAG POC TAL MCH ISF TOL DSF WIN DEL ATL 21st - 1991 Chevy DAY ATL KIL 61st - Pontiac TAL TOL FRS POC MCH KIL FRS DEL POC TAL HPT MCH ISF TOL DSF TWS ATL 1992 Active Motorsports 32 Chevy DAY FIF TWS TAL TOL KIL POC MCH FRS KIL NSH DEL POC HPT FRS ISF TOL DSF TWS SLM ATL 94th - 1993 DAY FIF TWS TAL KIL CMS FRS TOL POC MCH FRS POC KIL ISF DSF TOL SLM WIN ATL 44th - 1994 Ken Schrader Racing 52 Chevy DAY TAL MCH DMS POC POC KIL FRS INF I70 ISF DSF TOL SLM WIN ATL 53rd 1045 Olds FIF LVL KIL TOL FRS 1995 Chevy DAY ATL TAL FIF KIL FRS MCH I80 MCS FRS POC POC KIL FRS SBS LVL ISF DSF SLM WIN ATL 42nd 845