Mission and Philosophy

” For the better part of 31 years it has been simple, WIN! “

 

 

About Jim Daniels: 

• Founder of the largest road racing class in the world, SPEC MIATA
• Author of the globally successful chassis tuning guide with over 500,000 downloads
• Began racing karts at age 13, 100cc Yamaha National Champion
• Raced many classes in SCCA, IMSA, NASCAR, ARCA, Grand-AM, Motorola Cup & NASA
• Mazda Playboy MX5 Cup series Champion
• Mazda ladder system alumni
• Pirelli World-Challenge, awarded “Best Team” by my peers in 2011 while I was team manager
• Multiple Mazda sponsored season efforts for championships and R&D
• Mazda factory driver for World Challenge Touring & Grand-Am ST
• National champion in SCCA club, Legends and hill climb with over 60 national victories in 7 different classes, open and closed wheel.
• All time most Spec Miata Pro and amateur wins including a record 3 national titles
• June Sprints, Buck Eye Sprints and ARRC champion in several classes
• Owned, raced and won in the following classes; F500 Red Devil, FVee Caracal, SRF Ford, IT RX7, SS RX7 & Miata, EP & FP Miata, IMSA GTU RX7s, SM Miata, Grand-Am ST MX5, World Challenge M6, World Challenge Protege, Legends, Late Model, Spec Miata.
• Owner of the first Pro Spec Miata series that led to the current MX5 Cup series
• Race preparation shop owner for ten years
• Trained under and later employed guru Buddy Fey, author of “Data Power” (the birth of data collection)
• Jim has worked with a distinct list of peers who top the “who’s who” lists of current team owners, drivers, engineers & crew chiefs
• Coaching Clients with over 20 championships and 200 race victories

The Formative Years

Jim spent his childhood growing up in New Orleans.  In those days the phrase “speed freak” had a totally different meaning than we know today.  Let’s just say Jim was/is a traditional “motor head”

At age 13 when most teens were starting to think about girls and rebellion against their parents, Jim moved to structured Karting, building motors and trading paint.   In 1989 he joined SCCA and begun his “official” love of road racing. Almost immediately Jim forged a relationship with Mazda and although he has raced several different types of race vehicles, that relationship has continued to this day. Durign that period Jim studied the sport under Calvin Fish, Tommy Byrne with some help and guidance along the way from Tommy Kendal and Dorsey Schroeder.

In addition to the SCCA road racing Jim got involved with simulation racing.  He acted as test driver for many of the popular simulator software companies and raced professionally online.  His involvement and 10 year tenure in that movement was highlighted at the 1999 Runoffs with a TV piece by Tommy Kendal.  Tommy and Jim spent the better part of each night racing with Jim picking Tommy’s brain on tips to progress. The spot landed Jim a segment on ESPN 2 that also mentioned the late Greg Moore, Jacques Villeneuve and a new comer Dale Earnhardt Jr. all crediting simulation racing as a realistic training tool. To this day Jim uses simulators to train, coach and refine his and his student’s skills.

In 2000 Jim would embark on a quest called Spec Miata.  What started as a great idea would thrust Jim into national notoriety.  Jim effectively took 4 years out of his own racing aspirations to assist in building the Spec Miata class.  He flew across the country, pitched the class to the establishment, built the official web-site www.specmiata.com, founded and operated the first Pro Spec Miata series, which brought Spec Miata racing to the mainstream, and wrote the most popular setup guide in the Spec Miata world.  Most of the SM community would agree that if they had to pick one person to credit for the overall growth of the class, it would be Jim.   Today, the web site enjoys more than 15,000 unique impressions a month from 7 countries and Jim’s setup guide is in the tool box of most Spec Miata racers, nationally and internationally.   The class is 2400 strong in the U.S.A., races with 7 different sanctioning bodies in 3 countries……. AND GROWING!

One thing remains true about Jim, even with the distractions of off track projects and regardless of the car, class or level of competition, Jim Daniels will be at the front!!

“Talent and diversity are certainly needed but the results are what counts” – author unknown

 

Jim Daniels’ personal victories and podiums by road race class, MAZDA Only;

CLASS	VEHICLE
ITA	Rx7
ITS	Rx7
SSC	Mazda 3*+
SSB	Miata/MX5*+
SSGT	Rx7
FP	Miata
EP	Miata
GT3	Rx7
GT2	Rx7
GT1	Rx7
PSM	Miata
Miata Cup	Miata
MX5 Cup	Miata*
Grand-Am Koni Cup (Motorola Cup)	Miata
Speed World Challenge Touring Car	Mazda 6

Jim Daniels’ personal victories and podiums by road race class, NON-Mazda;

CLASS	VEHICLE
F500	Red Devil
FVee	Caracal /Vortech
FF	Swift (rental)
SRF	SCCA Ent.
ITA	Neon (rental)
SSC	Civic (rental)
Legends	600 Ent.

CONTACT JIM for your driving & coaching needs!

jim@jimdaniels.com or 901-351-8494