NASCAR star's young cousin hosts golf tourney to help parents fund racing costs

James Bickford was ready to move up from quarter midget racing to racing Bandoleros, but first he needed a piece of safety equipment to operate the full-bodied race cars.

That Hans Device, which supports the driver's head and neck, can cost close to ,,000 -- and a Bandolero can cost about ,000.

In these tough economic times, the 11-year-old wanted to help his parents come up with the money. So he decided to have a fundraising golf tournament.

"He asked his parents if he could do a tournament and they said 'Yes, but you're going to do it all yourself,' and so he did," said Vintner's Golf Club general manager Jason Boldt. "He called us, came in for two different meetings, and organized the tournament. He was originally thinking of a four-day event but he got the one day, did all the prize-finding, and was super professional the whole way around."

The "KGA Tournament" -- as in Kids Golf Association -- was to have four-member teams playing 18 holes in a best-ball format, with a entry fee per player.

Despite coming up with the idea just three weeks ago, James was able to get 0 hole sponsorships for each of the nine tee boxes, and 16 players -- including himself and Boldt's 11-year-old son, Christian.

"The thing that scared me at first is that for most tournaments you have to pay money up front, but he got a bunch of support and Vintner's really helped him," said his father, Tom Bickford.

Boldt said James called first.

"He asked who runs the tournament, and he got to me and he was one of the most professional tournament chairmen I've had so far in five years," Boldt said. "He was very organized and very determined to do a great job with the tournament."

When James' mother, Teresa, brought him to the club for the first time, she was going to take him to the driving range -- but he asked to be dropped off at the clubhouse.

"She sat in the car as he went in and introduced himself and did the whole thing by himself," Tom Bickford said.

He might have mentioned in passing that he's the cousin of NASCAR star Jeff Gordon, a Vallejo native who is the stepson of Tom Bickford's brother, John Bickford.

Asked why he wanted to raise funds through a golf tournament instead of, say, a lemonade stand, James replied, "It makes the most money, and it's fun. We got four teams. I was expecting three. It's a lot of work, but the kids love it. My dad's played a lot of tournaments, but I kinda came up with the idea myself. He helped me out with the (sponsor) signs and the raffle."