Jim Hall in Lister Corvette at the First Los Angeles Examiner Grand Prix, March 1959

Jim Hall grew up around cars, moving quickly from soap box derbies to full-size hot rods. He studied mechanical engineering in college and began racing in the 1950s. Hall teamed with Hap Sharp in 1962 to form Chaparral Cars, where he applied his knowledge of physics to innovative race car designs that took advantage of aerodynamic downforce.