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Jones Eager To Pass Out Praise

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By BILL GREEN

Tribune correspondent

Published: October 23, 2008

Danny Jones never takes all the glory.

The Land O' Lakes driver began racing in go-karts at age 11, with the help of his father. At 15, he raced briefly in street stocks, but quickly jumped to the high-powered 360 Sprints where he still competes.

At 29, Jones is in his prime and running at the top of his game.

"It would be impossible without guys like Mike Woolsey, Rick Chancy and Larry Tyler helping me along the way," said Jones. "Those guys have given me great equipment and I think they really enjoy seeing the team win."

The key to Jones' success is his understanding that so many people contribute. Whether he's talking about his entire career or his most recent victory, he deflects the spotlight toward the crew, sponsors and even the fans. His thoughts are always on the ones who helped him.

"I owe a lot of my passion for racing to my late uncle, Johnny Law," said Jones, who won the latest Limited Sprint feature at East Bay. "He raced in the 1970s through the '90s in his No. 14 Southern-modified sprinter. As a teenager, I loved to be at the track with him."

Racing is at the forefront of any conversation with Jones, but when he does talk about other things, it's usually about his two daughters, Allison, 7, and Emmalou, 1, or about getting to fish more than play golf, but not doing either very well.

"Just last week my youngest daughter Emmalou was watching the video of the race with me and my fiancee, Christina Hambrick, her mom. When she saw my car on the TV she pointed and said, 'Da-da.' I was thrilled," Jones said. "She actually recognized my car and understood that I get in it. I haven't stopped talking about it for days."

Jones realizes the prime for a sprint car driver is 25 to 35 years old. He's there and needs to make a move if he wants to live his dream of racing for a living. Yet, car owners and sponsors are still looking for those 15- to 19-year-old boy wonders.

"I hope I get at least one chance to step onto a bigger stage, before it's too late," Jones said.

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