Growing up in the south during the fifties, James Hylton developed a passion for stock car racing that continues until this day. The 74 year old South Carolina resident hopes to qualify for and start the 2009 Daytona 500 come February, an accomplishment that will highlight his 50 year racing career celebration.

Hylton joined the NASCAR circuit in 1959, jumping at the opportunity to turn wrenches for Chevrolet driver Rex White. The team scored 26 wins and the 1960 Cup Series championship before Hylton was named as crew chief for the Bondy Long Ford team with driver Ned Jarrett in 1964. Hylton and Jarrett won 28 races and the 1965 championship during their two seasons together.

Competing on the 1966 NASCAR Cup Series tour as an independent, Hylton posted an impressive second place finish in the points championship while picking up the Rookie of the Year title. He would go on to repeat his runnerup performance in the 1967 points race, finishing second to Richard Petty. Hylton finished the season points battle in the top ten a total of eight times during his 27 year driving career, an impressive record for an independent driver.

NASCAR record books indicate James Hylton owns two Cup Series victories, the 1970 Richmond 500 and the 1972 Talladega 500.

After competing in 16 Daytona 500's with a best finish of third in the 1967 event, Hylton would like nothing better than making his 17th start in the 2009 version of the Great American Race.

“I’m thrilled to be able to fulfill the promise I made to the fans in 2007 of returning for one more Daytona 500," Hylton said of his current opportunity with car owner John Carter.

If Hylton makes the field in Daytona it will make him the oldest driver to start a Cup race, an honor held by Jim Fitzgerald who was 65 years, 6 months and 20 days old when he took the green at Riverside, California on June 6, 1987. Hylton holds the record for being the oldest driver to compete in the Nationwide Series after running the Winn Dixie 250 at Daytona in July 2008.