Holdaway Motorsports and Holdaway Automotive are partnering with professional NASCAR Canada driver Joey McColm to support local businesses at the race track this summer.
During each APC United Late Model Series race this year, Holdaway Motorsports will choose a voted-on business from the area they are racing in and then donate advertising space on their car as a way to help local businesses that have been suffering during the pandemic.
Racing fans will be able to vote for their favourite businesses through the Holdaway Motorsports Facebook page.
Late-model race car driver and manager at Holdaway Automotive, Taylor Holdaway, says it’s a way for his locally-owned business to give back to others.
“So many people have been affected by COVID, restaurants and local businesses were closed, but we were fortunate enough to stay open the whole time,” he explained.
“There are a lot of places that still don’t know if they are going to make it through, so we thought how can we help through doing what we love to do in racing.”
The free advertising campaign is also a way for Holdaway and his team to give back to small businesses that have supported his racing career over the years.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to have local businesses step up and help me during my racing career: McLean & Dickey Insurance, Sunshine Super Wash, and Bumper to Bumper Orillia have been major supporters of my program,” he said.
“It’s kind of nice to be in this position to help businesses like them, who might be in need during this time,” said Holdaway, a multi-time feature winner turned team owner.
The APC Series is scheduled to get underway at Sunset Speedway during the May long weekend. Holdaway is optimistic there will be racing this spring.
“Everyone I’ve talked to is pretty adamant that there is going to be some racing this year. I don’t think we will be going full capacity for fans or anything like that, but we can still interact with them through streaming and an online presence,” Holdaway said.
Last year, Holdaway and his team were sidelined from racing due to the pandemic.
“We were actually leaving for a race in Alabama the day they closed the border, and then we were unable to do anything last year,” he said.
Last year was the first time since 1998 that Holdaway didn’t race in any capacity. The now 30-year-old late model driver got his start racing go-karts when he was 8.
“It was a little tough being sidelined like that, but we couldn’t worry about it too much because it was totally out of our control,” he said.
Holdaway and his team are chomping at the bit to get back to the track this spring.
“We’ve been busy all winter preparing with the hope that everything will get back to normal. We are in full swing now, and we hope to start practising in the next few weeks,” he said.
