Jags Palmer

Jags Palmer’s racing roots go back to Plainville Stadium, but it was in the mid-1990’s when Jackie Arute and the Manafort brothers brought the Legend Cars to New England when he began to win races at short tracks all along the east coast.

Unlike today, when the Legend Cars debuted they were promoted as a cheaper alternative for older drivers to remain or get back into racing. Palmer, who worked for Manafort Brothers, Inc, became one of the early stars of the New England Legend Car Tour, winning multiple regional titles and one at Stafford Speedway’s mini-mile.

When Speedbowl owner Terry Eames created the Wild N’ Wacky Wednesday series in 2001, the Legend Cars were billed as the headlining division. In 2002, they were incorporated as a semi-regular point division on Saturday nights as well and 2 different Speedbowl Legend Car champions have been crowned each year since. With 8 wins in 2003, Jags swept both championships – the first Speedbowl driver to do so.

There are still a few Legend Car results we’ve yet to be able to verify, but we currently have Jags with 16 wins at Waterford. His last win came in 2005, which was the same year his son Jason started winning as well. Jags won another championship in 2007 as a car owner with Jason, and although Jason has been listed as his own car owner ever since, the Palmers will tell you they’ve always been in the racing game together with Jags an integral part of his son’s racing career in both Legend Cars and Late Models.

And that goes for J&J Racing, the outfit Jags has been a part of ever since, getting young drivers into the sport with Legend Cars he and Jason have built. J&J originally stood for Jags and one-time Speedbowl operator & former driver Jerry Robinson, but has since been associated with the father-and-son Palmer duo. There are probably hundreds of victory lane speeches from Legend Car winners since the early 2000’s who have thanked Jags for his support in getting them started.

STATISTICAL SNAPSHOT

JAGS PALMER
SPEEDBOWL PHOTO ALBUM