Profile On: Jimmy Davies!
Friday, July 15, 2011
Jim Davies, #99 360 Sprint
by Joanne Cram
Second generation driver, Jim Davies, of Oquawka, Illinois, is making the 2 1/2 hour trek most weekends to compete at Knoxville Raceway for the 2011 season. A veteran midget and sprint car driver, Davies is hoping to wrangle in the ropes of the famed half mile, having most of his experience at smaller tracks across the Midwest.
Davies grew up at the race track. His father, also Jim, was a veteran open wheel racer, competing in Champ Cars, as well as being a USAC midget champion. Jim Davies had a career best finish of 3rd in the Indy 500 in 1955. In the early 60’s, he switched over to USAC midgets, with 46 career features and championships in 1960, 1961, and 1962. Tragically, Davies was killed in a midget race in 1966.
Jim grew up with his grandfather, Howard Linne who was also heavily involved in auto racing. He was a car owner for many years, running midgets, sprints, and Champ dirt cars. Jim’s grandpa would fill the father figure void left by the untimely death of his own father, and would help bring Jim up in a world filled with racing. Throughout his childhood, Jim spent most of his spare time at midget races or in the race shop working on midgets.
While in Phoenix, at the age of 18, Jim had the opportunity to pilot his first midget- flying back to Illinois to make his debut, with an 8th place finish at Chilicothe, Ohio. He’s not stopped racing since! From 1979-1981, Jim continued racing midgets before moving to stock car racing throughout Iowa and Illinois from 1982-1985. Davies’ highlight year was in 1983, with 6 feature wins, and a 2nd place points finish on the season.
After making the decision to sell the stock car, Jim’s grandfather helped him get a midget back together and Davies began racing midgets again in 1985 and 1986- however a hectic work schedule hindered much traveling for racing. In 1988, his job relocated, so Jim took the opportunity to race at Sun Prairie, Wisconsin- where he took a nasty ride, putting his racing career on hold once again. After recovering and a new job offer, Jim returned to midgets from 1989 through 1998- racing 30 to 40 midget races each season with series such as MARA and USAC.
At the conclusion of 1999’s season, Davies was faced with a motor rebuild. The upgrade was going to cost too much, so Jim’s wife, Ann, suggested sprint cars. Jim began the next phase of his racing career after buying a former Frankie Kerr roller and had Manny Rockhold build a 360 motor to complete the car. In 2000, Jim was awarded with rookie of the year at Burlington’s 34 Raceways. Davies dedicated between 30-40 nights to racing that season.
2001-2002 brought more success for Davies, with a 2nd place points finish and a few race wins. After a decision to part ways with 360 racing at 34 Raceways, Davies and fellow Sprint Invaders board members decided to start the traveling 360 series to fill the void of 360 racing throughout the southeastern part of Iowa and into Illinois. During the next few seasons, Jim dedicated many hours to helping the success of the Sprint Invaders grow, while putting his own racing career on the back burner.
During this time, Davies was able to race non-wing 410s for car owner Steve Schibley as well as some Sprint Invader and MCSC Races. Highlights of the 2003 and 2004 seasons include several top 10 finishes, and racing some of the big name sprint car races throughout the Midwest.
The following seasons found Davies racing 360s with the Sprint Invaders and doing some traveling across the Midwest. In 2010, Davies began putting more focus on his own career, and stepping back from other commitments to allow him to focus and better his racing. He finished in the top 10 with the Sprint Invaders last season, and continued to do some non-wing racing as well. Highlights of last season include a 3rd place at Knox, Illinois, as well as a 5th place finish at Farley, Iowa.
Davies hopes to hit as many multi-night races as he is able to, two to three nights in a row of racing to gain consistency across varying tracks. Jim is hoping to work on better consistency on the bigger tracks such as Knoxville. Long term goals include having as much fun as he can and to race as long as he’s able to!
Davies is very appreciative of his hard working crew- he is on the road as a territory sales manager for Global Industries, selling grain drying equipment. He is able to be on the road three to four nights a week, while his crew, John Hunter and Gary Sells, diligently get the car ready for the next race.
Jim’s family has always been supportive of his racing as well. Wife Ann, and step children, Dusty and Jessica Chandler, have been on the adventure with him the whole way.
Sponsors of the J & J, Automotive Machine sprint car include Global Industries and MFS/York Stormor.
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