Psalm 147:3
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Jimmy Dal McCracken was born October 13, 1935 in Ada, OK and passed away peacefully on October 20, 2023 in Sanger, CA.

The third of eight children, Jimmy and his family moved to California in 1937, first to Fairfield and Turlock before settling in Madera. Jimmy grew up poor during the Great Depression, and his parents instilled in him a strong work ethic from a young age. From the time he could walk, Jimmy helped his father build houses, buck hay, milk cows, load feed trucks, and pick everything from cotton to tomatoes.

Not all of his time was spent working, though. While most of his young peers were going to movies and football games, Jimmy loved riding motorcycles. He joked that his first bike was a Ride & Push - "you can ride it there, but you usually had to push it home." Jimmy worked hard and saved his money to buy his first new motorcycle at age 16.

His first trip to Wilson's Motorcycles to buy a new motorcycle would be a life-changing trip in more ways than one. Not only did he leave Wilson's with a brand new motorcycle that day (no more Ride and Push!), he left with a brand new career. Jim sold motorcycles at Wilson's Motorcycles for 20+ years and built relationships with people that lasted the rest of his life. In 1975, Jim partnered with John Dooley, Alvin and Darlene Kawasaki to open Fresno Kawasaki, and Jim continued to sell motorcycles at Fresno Suzuki and Clawson Motorsports for several decades until retiring in 2000.

Beyond his career, that fateful trip to Wilson's Motorcycles led to Jim's friendship with Doug Wilson, and it was Doug Wilson who introduced Jim to the love of his life, his Junie. Jim taught June how to ride a motorcycle on their first date, and he was immediately smitten. They were married a year later, blending his (son Stanley), hers (daughters Stephanie and Melissa), and welcoming their "ours" when son John was born a year later.

Anybody who knows Jim knows that his true passion was racing his dirt bike, though. He retired from racing at 65 after a lifetime of desert racing, scrambles, motocross, TT and drag racing. A well-rounded rider, he was a threat in any class he entered and loved recounting stories from his racing days any chance he could get. His old Triumph race bike was recently lovingly restored by his lifelong friend Jim Camack and hearing that bike start up for the first time in three decades was truly the happiest his family has seen him in years.

Jim and his Junie had just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in February 2023 before June passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on April 18, 2023, an absolutely devastating and heart shattering loss for Jim.

In addition to his beloved Junie, Jim is preceded in death by his parents Warlick (Joe) and Gertrude McCracken, son Stanley McCracken, son-in-law Greg Gustine, and seven siblings. He is survived by his daughter Stephenie Gustine, daughter and son-in-law Melissa and Bryon Abshire; son and daughter-in-law John and Vanessa McCracken; and adopted children Alyshia, Jennifer and Robert McCracken. Jim is also survived by his grandchildren Nicole McCracken-Pierce and husband Josh, Katelyn Abshire-Dewall and husband Shawn, Colton Abshire, Jordan, Tayshawn, Zariah and Zakara McCracken, and great-grandchildren Cheyenne, Zoe and Jack Pierce.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Sunday, December 3, 2023 at the Clovis Flat Track Museum (Dan Rouit's - 309 Rialto Ave Clovis, CA). Please come and share your favorite Jim McCracken motorcycle stories with the family! In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Clovis Flat Track Museum, an 501c non-profit near and dear to Jim's heart.