Jim Pace

Jim Pace: son, brother, friend, mentor, gentleman, hero.
American Racing Driver who won the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring, and the IMSA GTU Championship died due to complications related to COVID-19 at the age of 59.
Many of the lessons Jim Pace learned growing up in the small town of Monticello, Miss., helped him achieve success on and off the race track. The fourth of seven children born to Dr. Brantley B. “Doc” Pace and Ann Russell Pace, it seemed as if Jim came into this world with a passion for anything with a motor. Young Jim would make car noises and pretend to be shifting gears while sitting around the family dinner table. He had a quick wit and was an excellent storyteller. In the South, those two things alone can take you a long way, but he was smart, determined, and driven to succeed as well.
An Eagle Scout and student leader, he graduated from Monticello High School in 1979 and attended Mississippi State University, gaining lifelong friends and the support of the small-town community who always enjoyed seeing a local guy do well. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Brookhaven and was very active in the youth group. From the Dipping Vat Curve on the back roads of Lawrence County to racetracks across the pond in France, Russia, and Japan, Jim always felt at home behind the steering wheel, winning the 50th Anniversary of Porsche 911 in Spa, Germany.
His fascination with cars was inherited from his father.
Doc always enjoyed spending time with his boys working on projects in the [work]“shop” outside their home. Both of his grandfathers were able to fix anything and Jim had grown up working beside them on various projects as well. Painting, building, or swapping out engines, changing oil, fixing tires, repairing go-karts, motorcycles, and all things car-related took place at The Shop. Jim was always trying to figure out how to make things run better, smoother, and faster. An avid reader and military enthusiast, Pace always supported U.S. veterans and collected and restored vintage military vehicles.
Following in the footsteps of his father, and older brother, he attended medical school at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, where he quickly became the go-to guy for any car-related questions from his classmates. After going to driving school in California with his father and brothers, it became clear that racing was his passion. So, with his father’s blessing, he began his racing career in the Barber Saab Pro Series in 1988. He soon moved to sports car racing and won the GTU class at the 1990 24 Hours of Daytona. Pace, along with co-drivers Scott Sharp and Wayne Taylor, drove the Riley & Scott Mk III to overall victory in the 1996 24 Hours of Daytona, then weeks later went on to win the 12 Hours of Sebring.
Pace was active in vintage and historic sports car racing, most recently competing in the Wisconsin Road America race during which he flipped his car in a blow-over crash. Pace walked away from the crash. However, it was ultimately complications due to COVID-19 that would end his racing career.
The family of Dr. and Mrs. Brantley B. Pace wishes to express their gratitude for the outpouring of love and support for their family at this time.
More details about Jim Pace Motorsports can be found online.