09/22/2026
The BRODIX® family is deeply saddened by the passing of our longtime friend, French Grimes.
French’s relationship with BRODIX goes back more than 50 years, to the early days when J.V. Brotherton was working to establish BRODIX in the racing industry. French was among the early racers to believe in and run BRODIX cylinder heads on dirt, beginning a friendship and partnership that would span decades.
https://brodix.com/jvs-corner/jvs-corner-fall-2014
French went on to leave an incredible mark on Sprint Car racing as the founder of RaceSaver®. His vision was simple but important: develop a competitive racing series where money did not determine who could compete. That philosophy helped RaceSaver grow into one of the largest Sprint Car sanctioning bodies in the country.
BRODIX was honored to play a part in that vision. French worked with J.V. to develop an affordable spec cylinder head for RaceSaver, and their shared belief in integrity, consistency, and keeping racing affordable helped build a program that has endured for decades. French himself credited J.V. and BRODIX as an important part of RaceSaver’s success. However, French was much more than a name in the racing industry or a business partner to BRODIX. He was a longtime friend of J.V. and the Brotherton family and a true racer who dedicated much of his life to making the sport better for the people who loved it.
https://www.imca.com/2022/04/21/grimes-sharing-sprint-car-success-as-racesaver-celebrates-25th-season/
French believed racing should be about racers, not just money. That is a philosophy we have always shared at BRODIX. We are grateful for more than five decades of friendship, racing, stories, and memories with French. His influence on Sprint Car racing will continue every time another racer gets the opportunity to compete because of what he helped build.
Our thoughts and prayers are with French’s family, friends, and the entire RaceSaver community. Rest in peace, French. Thank you for everything you did for racing and for being such an important part of the BRODIX story.