Sad News: Jake Elder: His name was J.C. Elder, but virtually everybody who knew him called him Suitcase Jake. Elder, one of the most successful crew chiefs in the history of NASCAR, died Wednesday. He was 73 years old and had been in failing health since suffering a stroke in 2006. Elder was the top wrench for driver David Pearson when Pearson won Sprint Cup championships in 1968 and '69. Over a career that began in the late 1950s and stretched over the next 40-plus years, Elder worked either as a crew chief or leading mechanic for some of racing's best drivers, including Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip, Fred Lorenzen and Benny Parsons. He attended public schools for only three years, but he might have been the best "shade-tree" mechanic ever in NASCAR racing. During Elder's crew-chief years, the job was more about preparing the car and less about organizing and scheduling, as is the case today. Elder's main task was to produce durable, winning race cars. Elder also is remembered for one of the best quotes in the history of the sport. It was been repeated in numerous versions over the years, but after crew-chiefing for Earnhardt in his first win, Elder told the young driver: "Stick with me, kid, and we'll have diamonds as big as horse turds." Ironically, it was Elder who did not "stick with" Earnhardt. A season after helping Earnhardt win the Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year title in 1979, Elder left the Earnhardt team for other pastures. It was a process, Elder, a committed perfectionist, would repeat many times during a career that saw him in more jobs than a normal resume sheet could hold. His frequent job-hopping earned him the nickname Suitcase Jake.(See full article by Mike Hembree at SPEED)


AND J.C. "Jake" Elder, 73, formerly of 125 Tree Lane, Statesville, NC, died Wednesday, February 24, 2010, at Autumn Care of Statesville. He was born November 22, 1936, in Statesville, and was the son of the late Dewey Lee and Mable Mae Sprinkle Elder. He was a retired crew chief with NASCAR and was known as "Suitcase Jake." Beginning his career in 1959, he worked with 30 different drivers including, Lee Petty, David Pearson, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty, Benny Parsons, Bobby Allison, Davey Allison, Terry Labonte, and Sterling Marlin, and served as crew chief for two Winston Cup championship teams. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Debbie Elder; a son, Randy Lee Elder; a sister, Maude E. Cline; and two brothers, Robert and Johnny Elder.
Jake is survived by a daughter, Sandy Elder Maxwell (Doug) of Elberton, GA; a son, Andy Elder (Beth) of Elberton, GA; three grandchildren, Brent Maxwell, Britney M. Scarborough, and Jacob Elder; and a great-grandson, Malec Scarborough. He is also survived by four sisters, Mary E. Russell, Helen E. Moore, Lou E. Haire, and Peggy E. Parker; and two brothers, Esker Elder and James Elder, all of Statesville.
Funeral services celebrating Jake's life will be held at 2:00 PM Saturday in the Westmoreland Chapel of Bunch-Johnson Funeral Home with the Rev. John C. Parks, Jr. and the Rev. Charles Efird officiating. Entombment will follow at West Lawn Memorial Park in China Grove. The family will receive friends from 1:00 to 2:00 PM Saturday at the funeral home prior to the service. Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.bunchjohnsonfuneralhome.com. Bunch-Johnson Funeral Home is serving the family of Jake Elder.(Bunch-Johnson Funeral Home)(2-25-2010)