When Jason Durham stepped down as Jonathan Davenport’s crew chief at the end of the 2022 season to spend more time with family, his departure from the Double L Motorsports team felt like an unofficial retirement from the week-to-week national touring grind.

Launching Category 5 Race Cars alongside Stormy Scott while settling into a 30-40 race schedule with the Las Cruces, N.M., driver, it appeared inevitable the 52-year-old Durham would never return to the road life. But two full years later, one of the smartest minds in dirt racing has suddenly found himself back on the road as Hudson O’Neal’s newly hired crew chief at SSI Motorsports.

Ultimately, Durham wouldn’t be in this position if Scott, his business partner, didn’t announce his exit from Dirt Late Model racing last month. And while Scott’s change of course was unexpected for Durham, “there ain’t no hard feelings” because the veteran feels, coupled with the blessing from his family, there’s no better time to return to his proven head-wrench ways.

“Not traveling is definitely way better for my family. I obviously got to spend more time with them. But even my family, my background the last 15-20 years, they know how competitive I am and how much I want to win,” Durham said last week in a phone interview. “That’s what we do this for. My family, they’re behind me 100 percent on my decision. I talked with all of them. My kids, my wife, I talked with them all before I agreed to do it. They feel like that’s me, that I need to be back" as a crew chief.

Going back on the road isn’t as counterintuitive as it might seem for the three-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Crew Chief of the Year because SSI Motorsports owner Todd Burns has allowed Durham to relocate the Morgantown, Ind., team to Dunham’s shop in Glasgow, Ky.

Durham still offers support to his three Category 5 customers — Stacy Boles, Kennie Compton Jr. and Tyler Stevens — but has suspended car-building. Durham’s main shop, the space he used for Category 5’s manufacturing, now houses the SSI team. A smaller building on Durham’s property will store everything pertaining Category 5.

While Durham emphasizes “the priority for me is the SSI Motorsports program,” he'll maintain a Category 5 presence.

“I’m not saying that down the road I won’t revisit that, as far as building cars,” Durham said. “But we have three customers, so I’m going to take care of them. Still have parts, and I’m going to keep parts for those guys, and continue to help the ones that have cars. I’m not going to leave them hanging. Down the road, we may sell one of two of them. We’ll take it as it goes.”

Another attractive element in the SSI deal is that the 24-year-old O’Neal plans to race just a little more for Kevin Rumley’s No. 6 team that mainly serves as Longhorn Chassis research and developmental program. This allows Durham and the SSI team to stay fresh in their pursuit of the Lucas Oil title and the sport’s crown jewel events. Being more centralized in Kentucky will also enable Durham to “be home three to four days a week,” a happy-medium for the ultra-competitive and successful Durham and his family.

“I’m not doing 90-100 races. But back in that level (as a crew chief) where I’m young enough to do it, my family feels like I’d be more happier,” Durham said. “That’s what I need to be doing at this time. I’ve learned it both ways. When you’re competitive and you don’t race but 30-40 races a year, and you only win but two or three, it’s definitely different.

“I still have the dedication and the want-to, and I feel like the ability. (Davenport) and I, that 2022 season was a magical year that probably won’t ever be done again. I feel like a $1 million season isn’t out of the question by any means. I still have the desire to do that and race for a championship. That’s what we’re going to try and do.”

Durham also isn’t latching on with SSI and the young O’Neal only to pad his pocketbook. He considers Todd and Vicki Burns good friends. 

“The good thing is, I’ve known Todd Burns for a long time,” Durham said. “He and I were pretty good friends beforehand.”

Durham knows the O’Neals well, too, a connection dating back to 2009 when he briefly crew-chiefed for Hudson’s Hall of Fame father, Don, on the Scott Clippinger-owned team backed by MasterSbilt Race Cars.

"I’ve known Hudson for years … and, honestly, I feel really good about the whole program,” Durham said. “Hudson and I are going to get along, no problem. The guys get along. We’ve gelled really well already.”

Monday marked two weeks that SSI’s been moved into Durham’s race shop. He's confident in the race-day crew he’s assembled, retaining SSI crewmen Riley Sheedy and Logan Scott, who previously for Boom Briggs the last two years and traveled with Josh Richards during the Shinnston, W.Va. driver’s last full-time season in 2022.

Durham’s also brought over Kyle Daily, who helped with day-to-day operations of Category 5.

Most touring teams only have a crew chief and two mechanics, so Durham having an extra helping hand only bolsters his confidence in the team he’s assembling for O’Neal, the 2023 Lucas Oil champ, to get back to title form.

But Durham, too, feels the pressure as a crew chief to perform more than ever for his team. When Scott broke the news he’s no longer Dirt Late Model racing, Durham’s phone virtually rang nonstop for days. The coveted crew chief fielded “several, several” offers, with four offers he seriously considered. Being highly sought-after reminded him of the great need crew chiefs have in today’s technologically advanced landscape.

“It’s very vital now. It’s more vital than it’s ever been,” Durham said of the crew chief’s importance. “There’s more technology now with the shocks and springs and loads. There’s tire choices and track conditions. I’ve been there. I’ve been in that same place (as a racer) a long time ago. It’s hard for a driver to make chassis decisions and tire choices, and go look at the racetrack and be 100 percent focused on driving, which is his job. A crew chief role is more important now than it’s ever been.”

Durham, whose lone Category 5 victory with Scott came on the Comp Cams Super Dirt Series at Batesville Speedway in Locust Grove, Ark., is just as hungry as O’Neal to win the sport’s biggest races again. He, of course, last served as a nationally touring crew chief three years ago during Davenport’s record $2 million season, and while duplicating that isn’t feasible without the Eldora Million at play, another $1 million, championship season is the new benchmark.

Durham’s track record suggests high expectations for O’Neal. From 2018-22, Durham and Davenport won 85 races, three World 100s and two Lucas Oil titles for the Lance Landers-owned Double L Motorsports team. Durham also won Lucas Oil's Crew Chief of the year in '18-'19 and ’21. For Durham, he was content competing in 30-50 event with Scott the last two seasons, but there’s a part of him that looks forward to regular national touring competition again.

“There’s very few people that cannot get rusty, that can show up once a month and win a race, and not have to get back up to speed,” Durham said. “Yes, it’s definitely easier and better for everybody if you somewhat stay in a rhythm weekly. You can take off a weekend here and there, it’s not that big of a deal. But if you race 50-60 races, you’re gonna be way more familiar and competitive.”

Durham and O’Neal, who sits eighth in Lucas Oil points, will get everything going at the helm of SSI’s race-day operations Friday at Atomic Speedway near Chillicothe, Ohio, and Saturday at Brownstown (Ind.) Speedway, O'Neal's home track.

“I just want to thank the people who have had faith in me over the years. Lance Landers and I, he’s like a dad to me,” Durham said. “I talked with him the other day. He’s on board with this. Me and him are really close. Him and Todd Burns are good friends. 

“Hudson believes in me and what we want to do. That’s huge. And, dude, I believe in Hud. I have all the doggone hope in Hudson. Hudson is going to be good. I have all the faith in him. I feel like we have. Good crew. I think it’ll show here pretty quickly that we’re gonna gel and it’s gonna be a good deal.”