Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

Very saddened to hear about Jim. Always upbeat and positive, always in a good mood, never said a bad word about anyone, and probably the friendliest individual you'd ever come across at the races. He will be greatly missed. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

Our thoughts & prayers are with the entire Harrington family, RIP Jim, you will be
missed by everyone.
Always,
Joe & Carol "Greek"
#1222 - P/S

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

We just can not believe this has happened. We are verry sorry Tracy.
He was an Icon at the Race Track and will never be forgotten.
Our prayers are with you, Tim, Sheila & Hillarey

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

As great of a racer as "Shoe" was, what stands out to me most is how he went out of his way to welcome my brother and I (a couple of out of division strangers) to the east coast with a big smile and friendship. Rest in peace...

Clint Blezien
#3278 stk

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

Well big Jim, as I make my last toast to your life this sad night, I would like to say... that in all of my 35 years of drag racing you were a special person. Of all the the people that i have raced, i could always count on our battles to be straight up!!! You, no matter how important our runs were, never played any of the lane choice games nor the staging games that so many of the "bozos" do today. It was my honor to know you these past 2 decades. I can only pray that i may be fortunate enough to join you one day ih heaven!

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

My condolences go out to Tracey and the rest of Jim's family. Drag racing community lost a great competitor and friend.

On a personal level Jim was the first racer I ever met during my first trip down to Englishtown right after I got my drivers license. He took a few minutes of his time to dispense racing advice that not only fueled my interest, but also basic tips that helped me win the track's high school championship the following year. Then on the day when I received my championship trophy, he let me borrow his golf cart to go pick up my mom from the spectator lot so she wouldn't have to walk a half-mile to where they were doing the presentation. It was a small but generous favor that goes to show that he treated everyone as a friend.

Happy Harry will be missed but not forgotten. And just think, us racers in our 20's and 30's will be reminiscing about him when we get to be the age of the average "Stock / Super Stock" racers. RIP

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

I've uploaded some more pics of Jim & friends to a second album. See link below:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...6&l=1cea4ffeda

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

Just got done viewing the images of Jim and his friends. He was loved by many and will be sorely missed. I did not know Jim well, but always looked forward to catching up with him at the track. Drag racing is full of many wonderful and colorful people, but no one will ever match "Happy". I had never seen him in a bad or down mood. The memory of him hanging off of his golf cart and driving by, will be burnt in my memory forever. The social and recreational circle known as Drag racing was clearly a much better place with Jim in it. The wonderful memories and stories of Jim will be fondly and affectionately shared for year's to come. He helped many great racers get started in this sport. Additionally, he helped many great racers become even better racers.

My condolences go out to Tracey and the rest of Jim's family. To see the way fellow racers and friends take care of one another (in these times of need) is nothing shy of amazing. The outporing of condolences and heart felt prayers will help everyone with the healing process.

As it has been said before, the Shoe will never be forgotten!

Goodspeed and RIP...

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

Wow, what another large blow to the drag racing world. Jim will be remembered by all who knew him and forgotton by no one!

RIP "Shoe". We miss you already!!

Rick Baehr

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

Godspeed Shoe. I'll never forget you.

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

Thoughts and prayers go out to Jim's family. RIP to one of the best.

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

My thoughts and prayers go out to the Harrington family. I really learned so much from Jim about racing. Thanks for the education buddy.

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

RIP Big Guy. God Speed. Keep a watchful eye over us a quarter mile at a time.

Prayers and condolences to Tracey and the family.


Ronnie, Jr.

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

RIP Jim always was good seeing and talking to you at the races you are a true friend and sportsman.

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

I was shocked to read this.

It really is sad. Jim was as likeable a person could be.

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

What a bummer...:(

Last time I saw Big Jim, as I called him, was on Friday of the Mopar Parts Nationals (or whatever the event was officially called) at Englishtown, circa 2003, as he worked on his SS/GT? Firebird. We chatted briefly; I then wished him "good luck" in the upcoming class eliminations, and went on my way.

Jim was always in a good mood whenever I saw him, with his trademark great smile. It would be a much better world if more people had his type of personality.

You will certainly be missed, Big Jim.

M68

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

My family sends our thoughts and prayers to Jim's family and his wife Tracey. We will miss him at the track. He was always a bright spot at the races.

RIP Jim

Ciccarone Bros. Racing

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

Jim put me on the trailer a few times. I'll miss that....jeff

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

I still remember Jim from our battles in Street Eliminator (14.00+ ET bracket). My scrapbook shows Jim beating me in finals at Englishtown and Great Meadows in 1980 driving his crew-cab duallie pickup. It's hard to believe that was nearly 30 years ago. Even then, at the start of his racing career, you could tell that he was going to be good.

I left New Jersey for North Carolina in 1998. It was a big surprise to learn that Jim had later moved only a few miles away from me, to Chapel Hill. Unfortunately I was out of drag racing by then, and I never got a chance to see him again, though I continued to follow his career.

I want to offer my condolences to his family and friends, and I'll be sending something to the auction.

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

Here's a neat story with pictures that was posted by Tom Nagy on another site.

I knew Jim only as an acquaintance, having meet him only the day that these pictures were taken. I was introduced through mutual friends Steve Haller and Mike Fuqua at the 2007 NHRA Summit Nationals in Norwalk. These pictures were taken late Friday night after qualifying was complete at an impromptu gathering in Mike Fuqua's pit area. Tony Schumacher stopped by and when Jim saw Tony he wanted me to take some pictures of a mock fight, supposedly over the use of the nickname "Shoe", that he wanted to stage with Tony. These good natured pictures are the result. When I showed Jim what I had shot he thought they were funniest pictures he'd ever seen, he was laughing so hard that he lived up to one of his other nicknames "Happy". I had only met him hours earlier but he made me feel like we were life long friends. God Speed Jim, you will be missed. Tom

http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/w...ngton200-1.jpg
http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/w...gton2007No.jpg

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

Those picures are awesome.....Jimmy WAS larger than life itself.....I was with him a little in 1985 the day before he won Stock at the Gatornationals. He had not raced that Stocker much and told me as we hung out in the lanes to move the car up in the lanes, ....and make a run in case he doesn't get back in time from wherever he was going!!!! I never even sat in the car and was totally unfamiliar with it! .....A Typical Jim Harrington story !..... I was crewing for my good friend Dave Schapiro and we lost early in S/G.....The race was postponed due to terrible weather if I recall right and we left and headed home to NJ........On the way home the next morning we heard by phone that Jimmy had WON Stock......We stopped along the NJ Turnpike and it was very cold and I just shook my head in disbelief when I heard "The Foot" as we called him back then had won......He was unbelievable........I have more stories but so would anyone that knew the big guy.......He was great.....I will surely miss seeing him even though we were not close friends....

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

Are GREAT FRIEND Jimmy "The Shoe" has been laid to rest and in typical SHOE fashion, his final actually SHUT DOWN I80 and it was/is so classic for him! He would have laughed as hard as we all did thinking about it!

RIP My dear friend! You will NEVER be forgotten!!!!

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

Shutting down 4 lanes of 1-80 on a Saturday is certainly classic JIM.. I snapped a photo of it. There must have been 75 or so cars in the funeral procession. (What a great final round!)

Everything at the wake - from Jim with his JEGS fire jacket on.. to the huge Dragster shaped flower piece, and another flower piece shaped as a shoe - was a great tribute for a man who left us with memories of a life time.

Sal

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Tracey, little Shoe and the family. We all loved him very much!!!

The Higgins
Jay, Sheri & Savannah

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

Hard to believe that it's been a full year since we lost Jim. I still think of him often and won't ever forget all the good times.

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

The Shoe will always be remembered in the Waters family.....

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

Same here.
We lost quite a few this year.
RIP SHOE

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

Jimmy and i were everyday friends since before he even had his driver license and while there are some great stories of adventures and mishaps even back then

I will always remenber all the great opportunities he gave me and the places i got to go with him that i would not have been able to go to without him and i truely know how he wanted to do the best for everyone

R.I.P. I think of you everyday

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

Truly one of a kind. Great dude.

Re: Jim "The Shoe" Harrington
 

That hi way deal really was cool Sal, or as Shoe woulda said "that was SPECTACULAR !"