A tough weekend for drag racing legends for sure as Ken Dondero passed away and now news comes in that gasser and funny car great Jim Shores has died. Shores was the wrenching half of the famed “Shores and Hess” Anglia gasser team, which was among the first to use a blown big block Chevy engine when they first became available to the public in 1965. The car was a very strong running California based entry and it was nationally known. After his time paired with Skip Hess ended, Shores moved to the funny car ranks and campaigned several successful entries in the 1970s. The Fireball Vega and the Fireball Monza (the original body now owned by BS pal Jon Wall and properly painted back to the period scheme it was raced in) were two of his rides. We’re not sure which guy actually came up with the idea, but we to know that the Shores and Hess Anglia was the car that coined the phrase “rat motor” to describe the big block Chevy. You can see it proudly painted on the scoop in the photo below.
Shores was very much still into the sport and could be found at nostalgia meets and gatherings around the country. He’s another of the great minds and competitors that has departed to the big strip in the sky. The man lived a full life of 86 years and had stories for days. We personally heard him tell one a few years back about being inside the trailer finishing the assembly of the race engine in the Shores and Hess Anglia as Skip Hess pulled out of the driveway and headed for the track. He literally finished the mill on the way there. They don’t make them like that anymore.
Jim Shores was a driver and a great mechanic. During the 1970s when he fielded funny cars, he had guys like Paul Smith in the seat driving them. Based out of Florida then, the succession of Fireball cars were stout runners in NHRA’s divisions 1 and 2. In the late 1970s, one of the great funny car match races in the country was the 32 nitro flopper affair held every September at New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire. This meet paid big and drew everyone that was everyone. In 1977, The Fireball Monza took on all comers and scored its biggest victory.
Godspeed Jim “Fireball” Shores. Here’s to an endless number of nitro drinking rat motors and hemis to build.
Chad n Brian …Its Jim Fireball Shores ……not Hess as stated at the end of the story…Yes he was the wrench on the FC but did drive numerous Gassers at the beginning of his long carrer..thanks guys,,,
Tim Marshall
Slowly but surely we’re losing all the legends . You know you’re getting old when your heros of yesterday are todays obituaries . Guess I’m gettin … old …. sigh 🙁
So sad but true…
A couple more items guys…He was 86 not 87…no biggie and the
Fireball Monza was owned by Jon Wall…not Wally…thankx
Jeez, sorry on the issues guys. Got those fixed now. Jon Wall is a personal friend (he lives in the next town over from me) and I am glad that the legacy of the Fireball Monza is in good hands. Apologies on the errors.
Our condolences to the family on their loss.
Harlen Thompson wheeled the Fireball Vega and Monza most of the untill Jim stopped racing.. Match race legends of the East
Jim “Fireballs” Shores is a legend for sure. I had the opportunity to spend the past 10 years or so with him. He called me his Hero.. and I called him mine. Sharing stories about our racing careers, he said he was amazed about how I was able to manage the HP on BFG Radial tires.. I have some great videos Jim and I took together… My condolences go out to his Family and Great Gasser friends… R.I.P my friend..
THANK YOU BIG DADDY. JIM LOVED COMMING TO YOUR SHOP & SPENDING TIME WITH HIS HERO ..HE WAS SICK A LONG TIME BUT HE ALWAYS SAID LETS GO SEE BIG DADDY & JOEY .NOW HE CAN REST IN PIECE WITH ALL HIS BUDDIES KATHY SHORES
Thanks Brian Lohnes for doing the Article and making the corrections…
I can’t begin to tell you what this article means to our family…
Thanks Jamie … You are so right. We are extremely proud of you Big Brother for your amazing accomplishments. You will be sorely missed.
Your Number One admirer and Fan, your little brother, Chuck