07/13/2026
Special Olympian James Stinson loves the sound of race cars as they tear down the track at Qlispé Raceway Park. He’s missed it since leaving the area in 2016. But now, a chance meeting at a Cheney store landed James a new friend and an invite back to the track.
“James just came up, and we started talking. He wanted to see the car,” remembered racer Brian Jennen.
Brian races a 1985 El Camino. Jennen was headed to the races at Walla Walla, but he made time for James. Then, he invited James to Qlispé Raceway Park. James didn’t miss a beat.
“He called me this week and set it up,” said Brian. “He’s out here enjoying himself. He knows another racer from a long time ago. He’s excited.”
Brian loves racing so much; he makes a promise with every business card he hands out. Watch the races, and he’ll pay for their admission. After all, it seems the best way to share his love of the sport and help others catch the racing bug.
“It’s very exciting,” James said. “I’m always on the edge of my seat when I’m watching. You meet a lot of really cool people at the track.”
You could call meeting people and forming friendships the theme of James’ life. He credits his Special Olympics family with helping him grieve the loss of his mother. Now he’s got a whole new family to turn to.
“We don’t call racing a community,” said Brian. “We call it a racing family. It’s an amazing thing.”
UPDATE: James sent us this message: "Thank you for sharing my story." I have a lot of people who want me to come back to the track."
