Jessica Dana Still Chasing Her Dream of Racing NASCAR

jessica dana
Jessica Dana is still hoping to race in NASCAR.
0 Shares

 

By Gail Wood

les schwabShe’s become a familiar scene at South Sound Speedway, racing her late-model white Chevy Impala with No. 12 in black on the car door.

Jessica Dana is the gusty, step-on-it race car driver chasing a dream – she wants to become NASCAR’s next Danica Patrick. Four years ago, at just 15, Dana, barely big enough to see over the dash, first started racing at the tracks, topping 90 mph speeding around Tenino’s South South track.

Two years ago, a TV production crew was talking to the Dana family about doing a reality-documentary type program about her racing. And a national sponsor was showing interest in jumping on the Dana dream train, sponsoring her and covering the costs of car repair, travel and expenses.

jessica dana
Jessica Dana’s racing career began with quads when she was eight.

“We had a ton of momentum,” said Troy Dana, Jessica’s dad, her biggest fan and her crew chief.

Owners of the South Sound Speedway told Troy his daughter was the fastest among the limited late models racing at the track. But the reality show fizzled and the national sponsor never signed. And Jessica, at the ripe age of 19, is finding that good fortune can be fickle.

“I’m learning there’s always up and downs in racing,” Troy said. “We’ve experienced both this year.”

First came the good – a ninth place finish at Wenatchee in April. Then came the bad – a wreck last month at Evergreen Speedway that totaled her car. On the first lap of a qualifying race, Jessica got side swiped as she was moving up two cars, spinning her car completely around and facing the wrong way. Another car then hit her head on, damaging the car but fortunately not hurting her.

“The front of the car got pretty messed up,” Jessica said. “But it could have been much worse.”

Troy talks about his daughter’s journey as a race car driver in “And She Thinks We’re Just Racing,” a book written from a father’s perspective. The impetus of her NASCAR dream began in a two-month period in early 2010. Jessica, then a sophomore at Tumwater High School, beat two racing legends – Travis Pastrana and Jeff Gordon – in charity go-kart races.

Making those wins even more impressive is that she had been racing go-karts for just a couple of months. Then, keeping to her full-speed ahead approach to chasing her NASCAR dream, Jessica again did the unexpected. Just a year and a half after beating Gordon in a go-kart race, she raced in the Miller 200 at South Sound Speedway. In her first race, Jessica, reaching speeds of over 95 mph, finished 11th in a field of 25 cars in the late-model stock car division. She became the youngest female ever to enter that Miller 200.

Jessica, who graduated from Tumwater High School last year and will begin classes at South Puget Sound Community College in the fall, has always had an infatuation with going fast. When she was 4, Jessica, much to her mother’s disdain, began riding quads. By the time she was 8, she was racing them.

But even though Jessica has always had this penchant for speed, her dad was never the one coaxing her to race, pushing her because that’s something he wanted.

“This has been Jessica’s dream,” Troy said. “I’m there to support her. The minute she says ‘Dad I’m scared’ or the minute she says ‘Dad I’m done,’ I’m good with it. You’ll see a for sale sign on some race cars real fast.”

Jessica’s dream is still to become a NASCAR driver. But she knows the clock is ticking.

“Oh yeah, I’m still working on it,” she said. “I’ll be at the ripe old age of 20 in December.”

There is a time limit to when the NASCAR extends the invitation to join the circuit.

jessica dana
Jessica Dana is still hoping to race in NASCAR.

“We don’t say there’s a cutoff line, but what we’ve noticed is that they pick up the new up and comer drivers at 18, right when they get out of high school,” said Jessica, who graduated from Tumwater last year. “So I’m a year late.”

Because of their limited budget – while they’ve got some local sponsorship much of the costs are out-of-pocket – Jessica doesn’t get much practice time on the track. Naturally, practice time costs in rental time on the track.

“That costs about as much as four tires,” Jessica said.

So, her practice comes on race days. Still, Jessica is comfortable behind the wheel, traveling as fast at 140 mph on the straightaways at Evergreen. She doesn’t dwell on accidents. She can’t.

“If you think about it, you’re going into the race in the wrong mindset,” Jessica said. “I know my dad probably thinks about it. So, I let him worry for me.”

Sometimes Troy does fret. He is the dad. But he’s loved this journey that’s cost him a lot of money but brought him closer to his daughter. For Troy, car racing has been his chance at being together with his daughter. It’s been like what other fathers do with their daughters, like camping, fishing or going to the park – minus the serenity.

JESSICA AND CAR“We got through the terrible teens and she still calls me dad,” Troy said. “I’ve been so fortunate, so blessed that I have that bond with her. That to me is the rewarding part. And to go out there and do what nobody thought we could do and be competitive when no one thought we could. That’s pretty rewarding, too.”

Earlier this year, K&N, a pro circuit on the west coast that televises its races, invited Jessica to race in its series. But with a limited budget, the Dana’s turned down the offer.

“They rolled out the red carpet for her,” Troy said. “It’s a national platform. But we wouldn’t have any money left to run locally.”

They could have afforded to race in just two K&N races. Instead, they’ll race in five or six local races. Her next race will probably be Aug. 16 at the Evergreen Speedway.

“That was one of the toughest decisions that she and I have had to make,” Troy said.

To order Jessica’s book or to get updates on her driving, go to her website at JessicaDanaRacing.com.

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
0 Shares