His first racecar was a midget car that he purchased in 1944 at age 27. He was first able to use the car after
World War II , since all racing was halted in the United States during the war. He drove numerous types of cars after the war. He won the Beacon Championship at CeJay Speedway in
Wichita, Kansas in 1947 in a track roadster. He also raced on the
International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) circuit in Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Missouri.
He was nicknamed "Alfalfa Jim" after he drove through a wooden fence into an
Alfalfa field, turned around, and finished the race with a car full of alfalfa.
Roper reportedly heard about the first race at ) race. Westmoreland sued NASCAR, and the judge threw out the case. NASCAR tore down Roper's motor after the race, so he had to get a replacement motor to drive back to Kansas.
He used the same car to finish fifteenth in NASCAR's third race in his only other NASCAR start. He finished sixteenth in the 1949 final points standings.
He continued racing in other types of races until he broke a
Vertebra in a
Sprint Car accident in 1955. He decided to retire after his injuries healed. He later became a professional flagman, and built racecars. He later moved to
Texas to become a horse trainer. He died on
June 23 2000 from heart and liver complications related to cancer.
