Jim Downing

James "Jim" Downing (born January 4, 1942 in Atlanta, Georgia), is the five-time IMSA Championship winning, owner/driver of Downing/Atlanta Racing, and principal in the development of the HANS Device.

Personal life

Downing is a Georgia Tech graduate with a degree in industrial management. He married public relations specialist Connie Goudinoff in 1989.

Racing

His father being a major foreign car dealer in the Atlanta area, he grew up around cars and racing. He began racing soapbox derbies when he was 11, raced those for several years, then won a local downhill slalom event when he was 16. In his late teens and early twenties, he raced gymkhanas (known today as SCCA Solo) in almost anything he could get his hands on because SCCA rules of the time prohibited racing before age 21. When he was 21, he bought an Elva Courier for $200 that had been totaled, spent a year and a half putting it back together, and began racing at Daytona Beach in 1963. He continued SCCA racing successfully on the amateur level for the next 11 years.

Jim Downing (Gaelic footballer)

James "Jim" Downing (1946 - 28 April 2012) was an Irish Gaelic footballer who played as a midfielder for the Cork senior team.

Born in Urhan, County Cork, Downing first excelled at football in his youth. He arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of seventeen when he first linked up with the Cork minor team, before later joining the under-21 and junior sides. He made his senior debut during the 1967 championship. Downing was a regular member of the panel for several years and won one Munster medal as a non-playing substitute. He was All-Ireland runner-up on one occasion.

At club level Downing was a one-time Munster and championship medallist with divisional side Beara. He also won numerous championship medals with Urhan.

Throughout his career Downing made just two championship appearances for Cork. He left the panel after the 1970 championship

Honours

Team