At 15, Rising Fast on Virginia Raceways

Not that Dave is the at-risk type. His report card -- a stack of A's with a couple of scattered B's -- gets trophy-level treatment from his parents. His room is tidy, his manners impeccable. Racing has sparked a deeper interest in math, science and engineering.

Janie Daniels called it "the whole package."

If he wants to be a professional speedster, said his mother, "he has to sell himself, to market himself. Years ago, drivers just raced. Now you have to be well-spoken and have charisma."

Grooming the young racer is a full-time family affair. Mike Daniels recently expanded the garage to accommodate his son's Legends Car and bought one for himself to help Dave train. Janie Daniels, who does part-time Web design, serves as Dave's marketing consultant. She built his Web site, http://www.dancoracing.com, and helped him launch a letter-writing campaign to obtain sponsorship for Danco Racing before the spring.

Dave has attracted a few fans. Patty Pool, the owner of King George Speedway, said the teenager is a "super-duper racer" with the potential to succeed at the sport's highest levels. "He drives smoothly without causing wrecks," she said. "And he's very pleasant. Not a fly-off-the-handle-type person."

After worrying over her husband's penchant for racing Camaros at Old Dominion Speedway years ago, Janie Daniels said she didn't want her son to race. But she "couldn't hold him back."

"He's got to live out his dream," she said. "I'm a nervous wreck, but I trust him and I trust his father to keep him safe. I saw it was helping create a relationship between father and son."

His mother's only complaint? "He's not scared of speed," she said. "That's what bothers me."