No matter the Sports Car Club of America® activity someone takes part in, SCCA members have heart. That can be a heart of gold, the heart of a lion, or the heart of a competitor. And more often than not, all three of these conditions exist simultaneously. But in one case in particular, there’s a bit more complexity when it comes to their heart.
James Candelaria joined the Club in 2017 and is currently a member of SCCA’s Central Florida Region – he’s taking part in his fifth National Championship this week at Road America during the 60th anniversary Runoffs® presented by Sunoco. Touring 1 (T1) is the class where you’ll find him driving the No. 134 Candelaria Racing Products/Hawk/Hoosier/Summit Racing Chevrolet Corvette, with that race scheduled to take place Friday morning, Oct. 4, 2024.
While James has logged two previous third-place Runoffs finishes in T1, that class also features some stiff competition. Reigning T1 Champion Andrew Aquilante, driving the No. 33 Phoenix Performance Ford Mustang, is in the mix with his three straight T1 titles. Mark Boden, who won two straight T1 Championships before Aquilante’s streak began, also is part of this year’s field in the No. 46 Fall-Line Motorsports Mercedes-Benz AMG GT4 machine.
Sitting fourth after the opening day of qualifying, it’s easy to see that James is showing heart as far as challenging two of the finest Summit Racing Equipment SCCA Road Racing drivers on record. It’s just that his heart is different this year in that it’s a bit “new” to him. That’s not hyperbole once you know the tale, and also explains why he’s working to raise money for the United Network for Organ Sharing.
A Heartbreaking Backstory…Literally
When he was 17 years old, James spent time in Mexico doing some charity work. One day he got hungry and decided to grab a street hotdog to satisfy a craving. Soon after, he didn’t feel so well and later sought medical advice in the United States.
“I was extremely overweight at the time when I came back to the United States,” James remembers. “My sickness was diagnosed as just being obese, and we kind of put that on the table as such for 10 years.”
In his late 20s, James popped into an urgent care facility after feeling particularly awful. That visit may very well have saved his life.
“I eventually got noticed by the urgent care doctor when they did a chest X-ray, and found my heart was three times the size it should’ve been,” James says. “They sent me to a cardiologist who diagnosed me with pretty late-stage heart failure.”
Specialists at the University of Pennsylvania diagnosed the problem as myocarditis caused by a foodborne virus, with the street hotdog being the likely culprit. The doctors, well equipped to manage heart-failure issues, were able to help James with cutting-edge treatments.
Still, the long-term prognosis was bad. Medical practitioners originally believed he had about five years to live. But 15 years later, he was still going thanks to amazing, top-notch care. Expert physicians even cleared him to participate in motorsports, with the one caveat being he couldn’t run on high-banked circuits.
“I was on all the latest treatments … just trying to keep myself going,” James says. “It’s a nightmare because your body becomes a chemistry set. But it served me well in the end because we managed to keep a heart that shouldn't have been pumping going along for quite some time.”
To further aid his medical condition, James underwent gastric bypass surgery that helped him drop 160 pounds. Unfortunately, things still took a turn for the worst in November 2023 after he caught COVID for the first time. It was more than his original ticker could take, and he went into cardiac arrest multiple times before ultimately arriving in critical condition at a Mayo Clinic in Florida.
James was lucky enough to be fast-tracked through the heart transplant process. By the middle of December 2023, his new heart was in place and the rehabilitation process was underway.
The Road to Recovery and Racing
James quickly admits post-transplant physical rehab was brutal. To keep him motivated, doctors asked that he establish a few life goals to keep him moving forward. He chose getting a pilot’s license and strapping back into a race car.
He diligently kept to the recovery regimen and made astounding gains over three months. In June 2024 after monitoring and a battery of tests, cardiologists gave him the green light to participate in motorsports once again.
It was at this point that James set his sights on making it to Road America for the 60th anniversary Runoffs. The SCCA U.S. Majors Tour® at New Jersey Motorsports Park in July was his first challenge on the Runoffs qualifying path, and he managed to win both T1 races that weekend.
“My wife organized a little party at the pub at New Jersey Motorsports Park, and there were 100-plus people there. So, I got to see everyone who supported me through my entire ordeal, which was amazing,” James says.
“Racing has become such a part of my personality and my entire life,” he continues. “Knowing I could get back in the racecar … was a feeling like no other. I even turned faster laps than before my transplant.”
And what about the pilot’s license? Well, he’s completed all the written and training requirements. Only an FAA Practical Test remains before James is free to soar, having met both his rehab goals.
Time to Help Others
James has every intent on making it to the Runoffs victory podium in 2024, showing his heart and competitive spirit are both very strong. He’s also putting forth an effort during the National Championship Runoffs to raise funds for the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).
“I’ve learned a lot about the challenges with regard to the lack of organs, and the challenge of making sure the organs that are available remain viable,” James says. “Organizations like UNOS and the American Heart Association are at the forefront of providing a second chance at life for people in need, and I want to give back by bringing awareness to the need for organ donors, and the need to fund life-saving research.”
Since 1986, UNOS has managed the nation’s Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network under contract with the federal government. The nonprofit organization has decades of experience in helping save lives through research, technology, innovation, and education.
Sharp-eyed spectators or race fans wandering the paddock will spot a special QR code on James’ racecar. That code links directly to UNOS where monetary donations are accepted, and every dollar is obviously greatly appreciated.
If you can’t find James’ car paddocked with Phoenix Performance at the Runoffs, you can visit unos.org/give/ to make an online donation.
Photo: Touring 1 driver James Candelaria is raising money for the United Network for Organ Sharing during the 2024 Runoffs at Road America.
Photo by Philip Royle
