James “Jim” Lyle – Born January 15, 1943 – Deceased June 2023.
For decades, when racers across America wanted reliable and powerful racing engines they made their way to Maysville, Ga., to the shops of James Lyle.
Many a driver already in the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame, including Bud Lunsford and Doug Kenimer, got there by winning races in cars powered by Lyle engines. And when Bill Elliott was setting speed records on the NASCAR circuit in the 1980s, it was with engines that Lyle helped prepare.
“If it hadn’t been for those drivers and for the tracks they raced on and the other people who make the sport work, I couldn’t have gotten to this point,” Lyle said. “It’s a long list of people that made it happen, and I appreciate every one of them and all the hard work they’ve done.”
The Georgia Racing Hall of Fame was saddened to hear of the passing of one of our most revered inductees. Mr. Lyle never sought the limelight but always worked to the best of his abilities. He sought not only to give you speed, but also to make sure your engine was still giving you its all when you took that checkered flag.
He did all of his work in his little shop in Maysville where he resided. He will be remembered by the citizens of Maysville as the head of their volunteer fire department – where he served for decades after being voted into leadership by his peers.
If Maysville had ever had a historical society, he would have been at the forefront.
He bragged about how his little town would send its citizens off to work on the commuter trains that ran back in the early days. Now he and George Elliott are running races at that Golden Speedway.
Rest In Peace Mr. Lyle.