By Ben Deatherage
ESSEX, Iowa (Apr. 3, 2026) — Before the racetrack, before the roar of engines and the rhythm of laps, Anthony Davis was a 19-year-old soldier deployed to Afghanistan, surrounded by steep mountain ranges, dust-covered valleys, and isolated outposts in a world few ever truly understand.
One week in, and he was in the middle of nowhere with an explosive ordnance disposal unit, watching controlled detonations rip through the silence. The next, he was inside a forward operating base taking mortar fire. Then, just as quickly, he was sitting down with members of the Afghan National Army, sharing a meal and planning the next mission.
“It was unreal,” Davis said. “I had no idea what I was doing at first. It was a culture shock, but at the same time, it was an amazing experience.”
As a satellite communications specialist, Davis had a role that placed him at the center of everything.
“I had the coolest job,” he said. “I got to go on every mission, be part of everything that was happening.”
Those deployments to Afghanistan in 2010 and 2011 shaped him — not just through the intensity of the environment, but through something deeper.
He served his first deployment to Afghanistan with the Iowa Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry Regiment, part of the 34th Infantry Division — known as the “Red Bulls,” a unit with deep roots in Iowa military history.
The unit traces its roots to 1861 as the 4th Iowa Infantry during the American Civil War, later reorganized through the Iowa National Guard and redesignated multiple times, including as the 3rd Iowa Infantry. It would eventually become the 168th Infantry Regiment, serving in major conflicts from World War I and World War II to modern operations in the Middle East.
That sense of legacy — of being part of something that existed long before him — stayed with Davis even after his time in uniform ended.
“Being part of a team bigger than you, with a real purpose — that’s what everyone is looking for,” he said. “Those years were special.”
Anthony Davis poses in uniform during his time in the U.S. Army after completing Ranger training and advancing in his military career. (Courtesy Photo)
A Life That Always Came Back to Racing
Long before the military, racing was already in his blood.
“My dad was a badass Modified racer when I was a kid,” Davis said.
His father, Kevin, spent years behind the wheel, and Anthony grew up at the track before eventually finding his own way into go-karts in 1996. He raced for several years before stepping away to focus on sports, then returned briefly in high school.
After that, racing disappeared.
But the roots never did.
On his mother’s side, his grandfather Elmer Seymor Jr. raced coupes in Nebraska City in the 1960s and ’70s. On his father’s side, the progression came from demolition derbies into Stock Cars and eventually Modifieds.
The number he runs today — 5D — carries that legacy forward.
It’s his dad’s No. 5.
Just with his own mark added.
Originally, his father raced with the number 35. But when Anthony’s grandfather owned his dad’s first Modified, he wanted his business — A-1 Auto Body — displayed prominently on the side of the car. To make room for the large lettering, a number had to go.
They kept the 5.
And decades later, Anthony carries it forward, adding the “D” as his own identity while still honoring the family roots behind it.
Walking Away, Moving Forward
Like many searching for direction, Davis didn’t plan out his future in detail.
“I did a semester in college and realized I wasn’t built for a classroom,” he said.
So he walked into a recruiter’s office — not even sure what branch he wanted.
“I just went for it,” he said.
That decision led to a military career that included Ranger training and advancement through the Special Forces Qualification Course. But just as he was preparing for the next step, everything changed.
COVID.
“I was told I might have to wait two years,” Davis said. “And I didn’t want to sit around.”
So he made another decision.
He got out.
In 2021, he left the military and started a new chapter in Alaska with his fiancée, Kelly Daniels.
There, he worked at the Alaska Satellite Facility, helping manage communications systems tied to NASA, Department of Defense agencies, and private aerospace companies — continuing to build on the skills he developed in uniform.
It was a good life.
But something was missing.
Anthony Davis and his now fiancée, Kelly Daniels, attend a formal military ball together in 2019 during his time in the U.S. Army. (Courtesy Photo)
The Pull of the Dirt
When Davis returned to Iowa, it didn’t take long for that missing piece to find him.
He bought a race car.
The first night back came at Highway 39 Speedway in Denison.
“I don’t remember how the race went,” he said. “I just remember trying to stay with the pack and not get lapped.”
He didn’t.
“And that was an amazing feeling,” he said.
Because it wasn’t just about finishing.
It was about feeling something again.
“The adrenaline, the cars, the atmosphere — I missed all of it,” Davis said.
Now competing in the Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock division, he’s learning quickly — adjusting to different track conditions, surfaces, and competition levels he hadn’t experienced before.
“That’s been the biggest learning curve,” he said. “Dry slick, heavy — I wasn’t expecting how different it all is.”
At the Spring Nationals in Beatrice, he showed flashes of what’s to come.
Starting on the pole the first night, he ran up front and finished sixth against a strong field.
“There were some heavy hitters behind me,” he said. “But they raced me clean. It was a lot of fun.”
Grounded, But Still Moving Forward
Today, Davis calls Essex, Iowa home — a small southwest Iowa town established in 1870, rooted in agriculture, small-town life, and the railroad that helped shape its early growth.
“It’s got a Casey’s and a grain elevator,” he said with a laugh.
He works at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska, continuing in communications — the same field that started with a decision years ago to learn a skill he could carry forward.
Away from racing, life has taken on a different rhythm.
He and Daniels enjoy hiking and traveling, exploring places like Alaska and the Colorado mountains — where they got engaged at more than 11,000 feet near Gore Lake.
They’ve also started building a life together, recently purchasing a home.
“I guess that’s my new hobby,” he said.
Even with everything he’s experienced — from combat zones to mountain peaks — something about racing still calls him back.
Not just the competition.
Not just the speed.
But the feeling of being part of something again.
The same kind of feeling he found years ago in the military.
A team.
A purpose.
A place where everyone has a role.
Now, as he looks ahead to racing more often and traveling to new tracks, that connection continues to grow.
Because for Anthony Davis, the journey has never really been about where he’s been.
It’s about what he’s chasing.
And the feeling that tells him he’s exactly where he’s supposed to be.
Anthony Davis and fiancée Kelly Daniels celebrate their engagement in July 2025 after he proposed during a hike in the Colorado mountains near Gore Lake at more than 11,000 feet. (Courtesy Photo)
Davis is quick to point out that none of this journey has been done alone.
“I have to thank my dad, who has been such a mentor to me, my mom Sandra, who videos all my races, and my beautiful fiancée Kelly, who is my crew chief,” he said. “Kevin Stake, my teacher and tutor, Ricky Barton, my savior and great friend, and Alek Paez for all the shop help.”
He also expressed appreciation for his sponsors — Mondos Restaurant, East River Ag, and RCB Truck Repair — for their continued support.