Kid Stuff

12-year-old Jimmy Daniels handles himself and his job as any crewmember would. He is confident and competent in his role.

Words: Roger Meiners

The pit scene was semi-frantic during the final HEMI® Challenge event at the Maple Grove Raceway Dutch Classic last October. Jim Daniels was in the thick of the eliminations, having just advanced to the semi-finals. He would face Charlie Wescott, Sr.—no small task, considering the Wescott family was on a four-race streak of invincibility in the Shootout. Ray Barton’s crew was there for support as the team went over everything with hyper-professional care. Then, what’s this? A young boy grabs the distributor off the workbench and hoists it over the front of the engine bay, plug wires and all, and lowers it toward the engine. Nobody reacted.

The young man is Jimmy Daniels, Jim’s 12-year-old son. The crew, his dad Jim included, knows it’s business as usual. Jimmy is accepted as a regular part of the crew, not because he is Jim’s son, but because Jimmy handles himself and his job as any crewmember would. He is confident and competent in his role, installing parts, changing carb jets, changing oil, tightening down valve covers, checking air pressure, fueling the car, and, most important, downloading all the computer information from the car for analysis.

Jim Daniels got into the car hobby only recently. He bought his first Mopar® car, a 1967 Plymouth GTX, eight years ago. His time prior to that was taken up with dental school at Temple University, then two years at the University of Pennsylvania specializing in periodontics and implantology. Dr. Daniels then concentrated on the important stuff such as family, and establishing his dental practice in Yardley and Bristol, Pa.

He had a 426 HEMI motor built for the GTX, but it soon blew up. That’s when he met Ray Barton and commissioned a new 426 engine from his nearby shop. One thing led to another and Daniels’ developing need for speed got him into the Mr. Motec Super A car. “It wasn’t a great car, but it got me qualified for my Super Stock license,” said Daniels. He raced it in sportsman events at Englishtown and the Mopar Nationals—and he ran the Dutch Classic three years ago in it.

The relationship with Ray Barton got him into the Barton Super A Dart, and he took it to the Cajun Sportsnationals at Belle Rose, La., a year ago, where he made the finals. “The deal worked out great foboth of us,” said Barton. “He campaigns the car and I do what I do best—the engine work.”

Belle Rose was Jimmy’s first race with his dad. “I was thrilled,” he said. But he has to watch his days at school, what with racing and now hunting. “He is old enough, so he now has his hunting license,” says Jim. He has been on hunting trips the last couple of years, but only to watch, but this year he will be able to participate. How does Mom feel about this? “It’s great,” says Dawn, “he really loves it.” She says Jimmy has always pushed the envelope—wanting to do things around the house that she used to think were beyond his years.

“I had a flat tire once, and he wanted to change it. My instincts said ‘no’ that time.” The thought of her son jacking up the car and moving a tire that was probably bigger than he was would have overwhelmed any mother. “But now he does a lot around the house,” she says, “from programming the TV to mechanical jobs—not only at home, but at his dad’s office.”

Jimmy finished tightening the valve covers and checking the tires and now it was time to face the senior Wescott in the semifinals. It turned out to be easy—Wescott fouled. Nevertheless Daniels went 8.524 on an .047 reaction time. Jim Pancake, of Delaware, Ohio, disposed of Charlie Wescott, Jr., in the other semi, ruining the Wescott party after both had a record fest up to that point. Charley set the ET record at 8.386 in the quarterfinals, while his dad recorded the fastest-ever SS/AH pass at 159.95 mph in qualifying. Daniels, meanwhile, had qualified fourth of sixteen cars, but was still alive and on to the finals for the second time in a short Super Stock career.

He beat Jim Pancake for the title in a battle of red lights as both drivers fouled, but Daniels got the win because Pancake went out first, leaving .012 too soon while Daniels was only .005 early. It was Daniels’ first win, and an emotional one at that. Jimmy took off running toward the timing shed to meet his dad, while the crew celebrated.

“I lost it when I saw Jimmy running up to the car with tears in his eyes,” said Daniels later in the teardown shed. Pancake reportedly said, “It was almost worth losing to see Jim with his son after the race.”

If anybody asks why we race, or how Mopar inspires such incredible passion among all ages, the answer was on young Jimmy Daniels’ face late last year.