Learn more about Daniel Crower Racing
I get asked all the time how I got started grinding camshafts and building engines. I learned my love of grinding camshafts from my dad, legendary Drag Racing Hall of Famer H. Bruce Crower. As a kid I knew I wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps as soon as he started teaching me about engines. I’ve spent the last two decades grinding camshafts, building engines and testing in order to come up with the best camshaft grinds to meet my customers’ demands. We couldn’t be where we are now without working across the board with many different types of racing applications. Working with different engine configurations, engine builders and race series during the last 20+ years has helped me to develop a catalog of camshaft masters that can be applied to almost any camshaft for almost any four-stroke configuration. This catalog of masters has helped grow our product line to include Automotive, Off Road, Marine, Motorcycle, ATV, UTV and Custom ground camshafts. With over 130 of our own camshaft part numbers we usually have a camshaft to meet any customers’ needs. What sets us apart from the competition is our catalog of camshaft masters, our in house cam grinder, in house CNC lathe and our ability to custom grind cams to almost any spec.
Here’s a look at how I got started and a little bit of what we’ve been doing for the last 2 decades:
1995 My dad Bruce allowed me to start my first venture on his property, helping me get “Crower Motorsports” started. I worked part time, nights and weekends after my full time job, to build my business.
My dad and I worked together, testing engines and grinding camshafts on the Crower family “Ranch” outside of San Diego CA from 1995-2004.
1996 My dad, cousin Brian Crower (www.briancrower.com) and I went to the Indy 500 & I was hooked on open wheel racing. I started grinding custom camshafts for various teams and engine builders in the Indy Racing league, getting the opportunity to work with drivers Tony Stewart, Sam Schmidt and winner Eddie Cheever to name a few. Eddie Cheever and Team Cheever used my custom-ground cams when he won The Indy 500 in 1998!
1996 - present Thru the Indy Racing League I met many friends including Cameron Evans, son of legendary Drag racing announcer Steve Evans; who at the time was the editor of Popular Hot Rodding Magazine. Cameron introduced me to Tim & Kerry Kerrigan the owners of Redline Oil Co. and we began our more than 20 year relationship with Redline Oil. A relationship that’s still going strong today, after 20 years! www.redlineoil.com
1997 We had our first Indycar race win with Jim Guthrie and Blueprint Motorsports at Phoenix International Raceway. Our camshafts were in all of the teams’ engines including the winning engine that year!
1997 In December ‘97 I resigned from my full time position at my dad’s company in San Diego to pursue “Crower Motorsports” full time. I continued to be an authorized dealer for his company’s parts.
1996 - 2003 I ground camshafts and was also a pit crew member changing the right rear tire for #99 Sam Schmidt Racing. My wife Raelene and I traveled with the IRL series and were on the pit crew during 4 Indy 500’s and IRL seasons.
1998 Even though the main focus of Crower Motorsports was on automotive camshafts and engines, I grew up riding motorcycles and weekends when we weren’t traveling with the race team Raelene and I were at the motocross track racing with our boys Dylan and Dane. That same year I bought a YZF 426 and started testing. After a lot of dyno and track time I was excited about my results and the power gains the camshafts were making; so I decided to add motorcycle camshafts to my products line. It seemed like a natural progression.
2001 After the Sam Schmidt Motorsports #99 got the Pole Position for the Richmond VA race, Raelene and I were presented with a Plaque from Sam Schmidt Motorsports that holds an original Brick from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway “Brickyard”. The plaque was to commemorate our contribution to the team during the Indy 500. During that time, I worked closely with team owners and engine builders to develop my IRL cams.
2003 The Indy Racing League became a spec engine series. Under spec engine racing, the engine manufacturer such as Honda, “leases” engines directly to the teams; the manufacturer also builds and maintains the engines. This meant that aftermarket manufacturers like Crower Motorsports were no longer able to provide engine components such as camshafts, rods or pistons for Indycar racing. This change ended the Crower families’ involvement in Indycar racing that spanned more than 40 years; from 1964 when his dad was right rear tire changer for Jim Rathman’s Indycar Special.
2003 I was invited to enter Popular Hot Rodding magazines Engine Masters contest. Only 50 engine builders from across the United States were invited to enter. I placed in the top 5 overall in the national contest, beating out some of NASCARS top engine builders. During the Engine Masters contest I was featured in Popular Hot Rodding magazine several times as one of the nation’s top engine builders. I was honored along with my dad to be involved in the contest.
2004 Raelene and I moved our family and business to Temecula CA, closer to several of the factory teams and race tracks where I had been doing a lot of testing. After the move I was able to consult for Factories, Teams, Drivers and Riders developing camshafts for racing in AMA Motocross, Supercross, Arenacross, Superbikes, USAC Midgets, Sprint cars, Go Karts and other racing series’.
2004 Mini Bike madness was in full swing in the moto industry and after a lot of customer demand, I developed a line of mini bike and scooter camshafts. During the mini bike craze I ground camshafts and built motors for Jeremy McGrath, Twitch, Shae Bentley and many others; I also built one of the first blown alcohol mini motorcycles.
2004 - 2005 I worked with team Moto XXX and Allan Brown Motorsports on camshafts for Kyle Lewis, helping him to capture numerous holeshots in AMA Motocross and Supercross.
2008 We launched Crower Performance and a new product line dedicated to the Powersports Industry.
2009 & 2010 I worked with L&M racing and James Stewart, consulting with the teams’ engine builders on Camshafts as well as made custom billet cams for the team.
2009 - 2011 I worked with Chris and Jake Swanson of Swanson Motorsports, in USAC Sprint car; working with Factory Honda, traveling to their facility in Los Angeles to develop engines and camshafts for their Sprint car racing effort with Swanson Motorsports and driver Jake Swanson.
2009 - 2011 I worked with US Red Bull Planes pilots, Kirby Chambliss and Mike Goulian. I consulted and ground cams for their teams scoring several pole positions. (Red Bull Planes are now a spec engine race series)
2011 In order to more effectively brand and define our company within the racing industry, our corporate name was changed to “Daniel Crower LLC” dba Daniel Crower Racing,
2011 - 2013 We sponsored JGR’s (Joe Gibbs Racing) riders Weston Peick, Josh Grant and Justin Brayton. I worked with their engine department consulting and grinding custom billet camshafts.
2013 - Current I started developing camshafts for the “Cage Karts”, Go Kart racing with teams from the USA and Canada and their engine builders. Extensively testing motors and camshaft configurations for maximum performance in their engines.
2012 - 2013 I partnered with Brian Crower Cams to make custom ground camshafts for Prayontoo Racing and driver Norris Prayontoo. BC provided the cam cores and I custom ground them, in house to achieve their engine goals. www.briancrower.com
2014 We expanded our line of Mini Bike cams adding Honda Grom camshafts after much demand from the Grom community.
2015 Together with Web Design solutions, Blacart Creative group and exhaustive efforts from our Front Office Manager Donna, we launched our NEW FULLY RESPONSIVE, website & e-commerce store. www.danielcrowerracing.com
2015 We expanded the machine shop with a New CNC Lathe in order to improve production of our camshafts to better serve our customers!
2016 We expanded our Rider Sponsorship program for 2016!! Check out details on our website!
2016 We became the Official Camshaft Sponsor of Rockstar Energy Drink Husqvarna Factory racing presented by FMC (Fun Mart Cycle) and OTSFF.
Today Daniel Crower LLC products are sold direct and thru our Network of Dealers & Engine Builders all over the world. In 2015 our products were sold in the United States and Worldwide in more than 29 countries! Visit the dealer locator page on our website to find a Daniel Crower LLC dealer or engine builder near you!