Former NASCAR driver stopped in La Jolla after high speed chase

A former NASCAR driver who led officers on a high-speed freeway chase in his blacked-out silver Corvette at speeds of up to 140 mph was sentenced to jail Tuesday.

James Neal, 56, of San Clemente pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor evasion while driving recklessly and was sentenced to 30 days in jail and three years' probation, said Orange County Sheriff's Department spokesman Jim Amormino.

Deputies tried to pull Neal over about 3 a.m. Monday on Avenida Pico in San Clemente because he was missing a front license plate, Amormino said. "It was a fix-it ticket, that's all it was," he said.

But Neal refused to pull over and sped off south on Interstate 5, and the chase was on.

Deputies turned the pursuit over to the California Highway Patrol after Neal crossed the county line. CHP officers continued to follow him as he changed lanes and periodically turned his lights on and off. At one point authorities discussed deploying spike strips to stop him, according to the radio call.

Neal got onto southbound Interstate 805 and finally stopped on the La Jolla Village Drive off-ramp at 3:26 a.m. when the engine in his 2003 high-performance car blew up.

He was taken into custody without incident. According to a dispatcher heard on the radio call, Neal called authorities and said he was afraid for his life.

According to his website, Neal won three NASCAR races in the early 1980s. He retired for 21 years before returning to racing in 2008.

He raced in the regional series; he was not a national driver. Neal raced in Winston West and Southwest Tour races.