Joe James is a racing driver from United States who last raced in Formula 1 for Kurtis Kraft. James has recorded 0 wins and 0 podiums from 2 starts.[1]
A Racer Rating of 3,820 ranks James 4412th of 40,105 indexed drivers, on an Elo scale where the strongest reach the high 8,000s. It is built from every indexed race in the driver's file, decayed for time since their last race.
| 1952-05-30 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | P13 | +49 |
| Rating won | Race | Series | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| +49 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway 1952 | Formula 1 | P13 |
| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Podiums | DNFs | Poles | Points | Pos | Gain/Loss | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | ▸Formula 1 | Kurtis Kraft | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | P13 | +49 | 3,820 |
| 1951 | ▸Formula 1 | Watson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | P14 | +2,450 | 3,800 |
| Rival | Rating | Raced | Ahead | Behind | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇮🇹 Alberto AscariHigher-rated, 2× champion | 6,252 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 100% |
| 🇺🇸 Tony BettenhausenHigher-rated | 6,070 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 50% |
| 🇺🇸 Bob SweikertHigher-rated | 5,964 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 100% |
| # | Driver | Series | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4,402 | 🇯🇵 Motoaki Ishikawa | WEC | 3,822 |
| 4,403 | 🇬🇧 Rob Schirle | FIA GT Championship | 3,822 |
| 4,404 | 🇺🇸 Bubba Pollard | NASCAR Xfinity | 3,821 |
| 4,405 | 🇲🇨 Jonathan Cecotto | Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia | 3,821 |
| 4,406 | 🇬🇧 Sean Walkinshaw | GT World Challenge Europe | 3,821 |
| 4,407 | 🇯🇵 Takamori.com | Super GT | 3,821 |
| 4,408 | 🇩🇪 Tim Scheerbarth | Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie | 3,821 |
| 4,409 | 🇩🇪 Christian Hohenadel | IMSA Pilot Challenge | 3,820 |
| 4,410 | 🇬🇧 Geoff Crossley | Formula 1 | 3,820 |
| 4,411 | 🇺🇸 Jim McWithey | Formula 1 | 3,820 |
| 4,412 | 🇺🇸 Joe James | Formula 1 | 3,820 |
| 4,413 | 🇬🇧 Johnny Mowlem | WEC | 3,820 |
| 4,414 | 🇯🇵 Katsuyuki Hiranaka | Super GT | 3,820 |
| 4,415 | 🇺🇸 Lanie Buice | Trans-Am TA2 | 3,820 |
| 4,416 | 🇺🇸 Mack Hellings | Formula 1 | 3,820 |
| 4,417 | 🇺🇸 Robert Kauffman | WEC | 3,820 |
| 4,418 | 🏳️ Camden Gruber | SCCA Majors | 3,819 |
| 4,419 | 🇦🇺 Wayne Boyd | Asian Le Mans Series | 3,819 |
| 4,420 | 🇦🇪 August RABER | Le Mans Cup | 3,818 |
| 4,421 | 🇫🇮 Elias Seppanen | GT World Challenge Asia | 3,818 |
| 4,422 | 🇺🇸 Leland Honeyman | ARCA Menards Series | 3,818 |
Joe James was a professional single-seater driver who competed in Formula 1 during 1951 and 1952, driving for Kurtis Kraft. His career was brief, comprising only two starts, with an average finishing position of 13th. He did not score points or podium finishes in his World Championship appearances. In his final outing in 1952, he classified 23rd.[1]
Within his limited racing record, James competed against several drivers of substantial calibre. He finished ahead of Eddie Johnson, Bill Vukovich, Chuck Stevenson, and Manny Ayulo on single occasions; Vukovich and Johnson were elite-level professionals, ranking among the strongest drivers of the era. These isolated results, while notable given the fields James raced in, do not establish a pattern of consistent competitiveness at that level. His Racer Rating of 4,280 places him in the professional band, indicating he raced at the national championship front-running level or in strong feeder fields, though his brief tenure in Formula 1 and lack of podium finishes suggest limited success at that calibre of competition.
James retired from racing after his 1952 season and has remained inactive since. His career spans the early World Championship era, when the field was smaller and seat availability more constrained than in later decades.