Wednesday, January 2, 2008

James "Penny" Paniagua Passes Away

Why are we talking about James "Penny" Paniagua? That's because James "Penny" Paniagua was the man who gave Jeff Gordon his first taste of speed, as it's put.

He died last Saturday a week after having a heart attack. RIP James.

James Paniagua, 89, introduced hundreds of youngsters – including a 4-year-old Gordon – to quarter-midget racing. An innovative designer and mechanic, he custom built more than 100 quarter-midget cars. Among his first models was one bought by John Bickford, Gordon's stepfather, for the racing prodigy.

See the rest of the article at The Sacramento Bee

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