James R Blackburn

Click here to view Video Memories of Bunkie BlackburnMr. James Ronald "Bunkie" Blackburn, 69, died Tuesday, February 28, 2006 at his home, Windy Hill Farm, on the Campbellsville Pike. A memorial service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home with Dr. Jim Hughes officiating. The family will visit with friends Friday from 4-8 p.m. and Saturday from 10-11 a.m. at the funeral home. Notes of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.oakesandnichols.com. The Fayetteville, North Carolina native was the son of the late Eugene Graham Blackburn and Myrtle Greene Blackburn. His father owned and operated a dirt racetrack in Fayetteville, NC, where Bunkie developed a passion for racing. After serving in the North Carolina National Guard, he became a professional stock car driver for the Grand National and NASCAR circuits from the late 1950's through the early 1970's driving for such racing greats as Smokey Yunick and Petty Enterprises. His first professional win came at the Permatex 300 in Daytona in 1968 where he won the race from the pole position. He was inducted into the Pure Darlington Record Club in 1964 after posting the fastest qualifying time. He also won poles at Talladega and Bristol along with various other qualifying races. He finished the Daytona Firecracker 400 in the top 10 twice. In addition to racing cars, he also tested cars for Smokey Yunick where he set world speed records testing Chevrolet Camaros in 1967 on the Utah salt flats. After an injury retired him from racing, he worked at General Electric in Columbia as a Maintenance Supervisor where he retired after twenty years. He was also an avid fisherman and a scratch golfer, scoring a hole in one on the 16th hole at the Stoneybrook Golf Course in Columbia. Survivors include his wife of 41 years, Nancy Hedrick Blackburn of Columbia; three daughters, Leath (Gene) Davis Luffman of Tampa, Florida, Kendall (Dwayne) Blackburn Barnett and Brooke Leighton Blackburn both of Columbia; one son, Hampton "Tony" (Mandy) Davis of Knoxville; one sister, Connie (John) Elliott of Fayetteville, NC; one brother, Jackie Ray (Dale) Blackburn of Fayetteville, NC; twelve grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by one sister, Sandra Jestes and one brother, Sonny Blackburn. Honorary pallbearers will be Jim Edlin, Bill Reed, Mark Lonsway, Rodney Church, Sam Hargrove, Jack Music, Dave Norton, David Fortin, John Watts, Bobby Rochester, Jim Sloan, Danny Lea, Tom Allen and Jeff Hubbard.