To view Ben's Memorial Service, please click HERE.

James "Ben" Adams , 79, took the checkered flag on June 20, 2026, at his home in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

If actions speak louder than words, then Ben Adams left a legacy that will echo forever across the Midwest each time race cars take the track. Ben may have been a quiet man, but the engines he spent his life building still roar like gasoline-powered lions, and if you've ever heard the sound of the speedway on a warm summer night in Grand Forks, North Dakota, then you've experienced what an artist can accomplish when he masters his craft. Ben Adams may have left racing, but racing will never outrun Ben Adams.

Ben was born on September 23, 1946 and grew up in Mount Dora, Florida. He attended the University of Southern Florida, but chose to join the Air Force in 1968. He was stationed in Grand Forks in January of 1969 to work on Minute Man missiles, but Ben's love of fast machines didn't end with his job. In 1972 he retired from the Air Force to devote his time to his real passion: auto racing. Ben opened Adams Automotive and Machine, and found success almost immediately, being named "Rookie of the Year" at the local track in 1973. However, Ben inevitably discovered that he loved building and optimizing the performance of racing engines more than driving himself, and the business evolved into one of the upper Midwest's most legendary race engine shops. Adams Racing, as it came to be known, built, tuned and repaired winning engines for more than 50 years, and Ben was inducted into River Cities Speedway's Hall of Fame in August of 2023.

In his time away from the shop, Ben was a devoted family man, adoring his wife, Alice, and stepdaughter, Laurie, along with Laurie's children. Tragically, Alice passed away in 1998. In 2008, Ben married Renee (Levang) Adams, with whom he would spend the rest of his life. Renee's children, RaeAnn and Devin, came to love Ben, too, and this new family reenergized Ben as he continued working at his shop in downtown Grand Forks until just days before his death after a two year battle with leukemia.

Ben Adams had a quick wit and the engaging charm of a true Southern gentleman. He was a loving husband, step-father and grandfather (papa). He and his crew of close friends had coffee together every week (sometimes more), and he held those relationships in high regard. Ben Adams worked hard to build a fulfilling life just as he built championship engines, and the people who met him were better for it, whether they knew racing or not.

Ben is survived by his wife, Renee, Grand Forks, ND; step-children, Laurie (Joe) Grant, Heston, KS, RaeAnn (Anthony) Meyer, Plymouth, MN, and Devin (Erum) Levang, Milwaukee, WI ; grandchildren, Christina Grant, Brian Beach, Justin Grant, August Meyer, and Eliza Meyer; as well as sister, Karen Adams, The Villages, FL.

He was proceeded in death by his first wife, Alice Adams, as well as parents Wilton and Myrle Adams.

Memorial Service: 11:00 a.m. Friday, July 17, 2026 in the Norman Funeral Home Chapel.
Visitation: One hour prior to the Memorial Service in the funeral home on Friday.
Military Honors: Accorded by members of the American Legion Post 157, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3817 and the Grand Forks Air Force Base Honor Guard.