Seven-year-old Daniel Dowd and 5-year-old Taylor Barrett will be wearing crowns and the color of royalty Tuesday at the Carolina Speedway. The two have been named Gaston County Shrine Club's King and Queen and will be crowned at the annual Shrine 100 Stock Car Race. The Shriners have been helping Daniel with medical expenses for scoleosis since he was 2 years old, said his father Henry Dowd, whose father is a Shriner. They go to the Shriners Hospital in Greenville, S.C. "They do X-rays and follow up appointments every three months," Dowd said. He's also had two back braces to help straighten his spine. His back was almost at a 90-degree angle when Daniel began going to the hospital. Now it's at a 40-degree angle. Local News: Shriners stock car race helps children heal | barrett, shriners, old : Gaston Gazette
