Dr. James W. Butler joined the SCCA® in 1973 at age 24, becoming very active in the SCCA community. While he competed in SCCA Solo® and SCCA Road Racing’s Showroom Stock class, he is best known for his contributions to the medical side of the sport.
Between 1980 and 2014, Dr. Butler served as the SCCA National Championship Runoffs® doctor, earning the Val D. Scroggie, M.D. Memorial Award in 1993 presented to the SCCA Race Physician who made the greatest contribution to racing in the preceding year.
In 1996, he, together with Dr. Joe Hume and Janet Mahoney, RN BSN, began a two-year revamp of the SCCA driver’s physical exam system, establishing functional requirements for drivers in a racing environment through a focused physical examination form and established standards of exam frequency.
Continuing his involvement, he served as SCCA’s Club Racing Medical Director from 2005-’14.
In 2012, Dr. Butler was presented with the George Snively Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to safety in motorsports. He received this award due to his work assembling a group of physicians to serve on the SCCA Medical Review Board, authoring the Club’s groundbreaking “loss of consciousness” policy that other organizations soon followed.
Notably, the George Snively Award had not been previously presented since 2005, and has only been presented once ever since, showing just how meaningful Butler’s contributions to the sport were.
“Safety within the Club’s activities is our first priority, and Dr. Butler took that to the next level with contributions that are immeasurable,” said SCCA President and CEO Mike Cobb. “We will forever be grateful for his dedication to the sport.”
Outside of the SCCA, Dr. Butler served his country in the United States Air Force for 30 years.
Dr. Butler passed away on Feb. 3, 2026, and is survived by his wife Candyce and children Kathleen, Timothy, and Kaitland, two stepchildren, one grandson, and four granddaughters.
Photo caption: Dr. James Butler (left) was presented with the George Snively Award by then-SCCA President Jeff Dahnert during the 2012 SCCA National Convention.
Photo by Philip Royle
